Update: Flu Strain Milder Than First Feared
April 30
On April 29, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised its infectious disease level of the H1N1 flu to 6, meaning that a pandemic is imminent. Meanwhile, The good news? US scientists studying the virus have concluded that the H1N1 virus may not be as dangerous as the flu outbreaks that occur every winter.
Although flu viruses can mutate and become more dangerous, preliminary evidence from genetics laboratories and epidemiologic models point to much milder disease than originally feared.
Christopher Olsen, a molecular virologist who is studying H1N1 at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, reminded people that normal seasonal influenza claims the lives of tens of thousands in the United States and hundreds of thousands worldwide. Robert Webby, an influenza virologist at St Jude Childrens Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn, said that the H1N1 virus has less capacity to kill as did the 1918 virus, which claimed an estimated 50 million lives worldwide.
Source: Los Angeles Times
Update: Number of H1N1 Flu Cases Jumps to 68
April 28
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said today that the new count includes "a number of hospitalizations." CDC officials had said there had been just one person hospitalized.
The CDC says there are 17 new cases in New York City, four more in Texas and three additional cases in California. That brings the total numbers of cases confirmed by federal officials to 45 in New York City, 10 in California, six in Texas, two in Kansas and one in Ohio.
State health officials in California have confirmed three other cases, and Indiana authorities have confirmed one.
Source: Associated Press
On April 24, we reported:
In a media briefing update on the recent outbreak of H1N1 flu, Richard Besser, MD, acting director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said that the CDC’s concern has grown since yesterday in light of new developments.
As of April 23, Besser said, there were seven confirmed human cases of H1N1 flu infection in the United States (five in Calif, two in Texas). Today, he reported, there are eight. All eight cases have recovered and only one was hospitalized. Preliminary testing from Mexico tied the human cases of H1N1 flu there to the cases in the United States. Seven of the Mexican isolates matched those of the US strains.
Preliminary investigation has found no common thread among the eight US patients. Besser noted that none of the people infected in the US had any contact with swine, which indicates that the strain of flu is being passed human-to-human.
Currently, the CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) are conducting ongoing investigations to determine the source of the infection. As of today, there is no change in pandemic threat level; however, the WHO will be looking at the situation in Mexico and will be convening experts to address that situation.
The WHO considers three factors when deciding the pandemic threat level:
Is it new?
Does it cause severe disease?
Is it spread human to human?
Besser reassured briefing attendees that the flu pandemic preparations that have taken place over the last decade on the federal, state, and local levels have put health care organizations in a good place.
“The extensive pandemic planning in this country is unprecedented,” said Besser. He went on to note that these preparations will allow us to respond (in the event of a flu pandemic) in ways that we wouldn’t have been able to 10 years ago. Besser could not say what actions would be taken if the pandemic threat level was to be raised by the WHO. “Types of activities depend on the severity of virus,” he said.
There are currently no restrictions on travel plans to Calif, Texas, or to Mexico, although there is an outbreak notice for Mexico City and central Mexico to alert potential visitors to those areas.
Besser reiterated the importance of standard recommendations such as:
• Covering nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing
• Washing hands often with soap and water
• Visiting a doctor when experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough, and headache. Besser also noted that some of the swine flu victims had nausea and diarrhea.
The CDC continually updates information on this topic online.
Although flu viruses can mutate and become more dangerous, preliminary evidence from genetics laboratories and epidemiologic models point to much milder disease than originally feared.
Christopher Olsen, a molecular virologist who is studying H1N1 at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, reminded people that normal seasonal influenza claims the lives of tens of thousands in the United States and hundreds of thousands worldwide. Robert Webby, an influenza virologist at St Jude Childrens Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn, said that the H1N1 virus has less capacity to kill as did the 1918 virus, which claimed an estimated 50 million lives worldwide.
Source: Los Angeles Times
