Pandemic Panic?

"Swine Flu" by Bruce Eagle, acrylic, 24 x 30, via Northern Star Art

"This could be the beginning of the next pandemic, in theory." -- Allison McGeer, M.D., FRCPC, Microbiologist, Infectious Disease Consultant, Department of Microbiology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto Ontario, Canada.

Avian/Swine Flu Update April 23, 2009

Residents of California and Texas

CDC has identified human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in people in these areas. CDC is working with local and state health agencies to investigate these cases. We have determined that this virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human. However, at this time, we have not determined how easily the virus spreads between people. As with any infectious disease, we are recommending precautionary measures for people residing in these areas.

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

There is no vaccine available at this time, so it is important for people living in these areas to take steps to prevent spreading the virus to others. If people are ill, they should attempt to stay at home and limit contact with others. Healthy residents living in these areas should take everyday preventive actions.

People who live in these areas who develop an illness with fever and respiratory symptoms, such as cough and runny nose, and possibly other symptoms, such as body aches, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, should contact their health care provider. Their health care provider will determine whether influenza testing is needed.

Clinicians

Clinicians should consider the possibility of swine influenza virus infections in patients presenting with febrile respiratory illness who:

1. Live in San Diego County or Imperial County, California or San Antonio, Texas or
2. Have traveled to San Diego and/or Imperial County, California or San Antonio, Texas or
3. Have been in contact with ill persons from these areas in the 7 days prior to their illness onset.

If swine flu is suspected, clinicians should obtain a respiratory swab for swine influenza testing and place it in a refrigerator (not a freezer). Once collected, the clinician should contact their state or local health department to facilitate transport and timely diagnosis at a state public health laboratory.

CDC Briefing on Public Health Investigation of Human Cases of Swine Influenza

highlights:

CDC has conducted testing on all seven samples and we've determined that they are swine influenza A, H1N1. These are human infections with swine influenza viruses. These are viruses that usually infect pigs but in this case we're finding the illness in people.

You can get swine influenza without direct contact but it's a bit more unusual. And we believe at this point that human-to-human spread is occurring. That's unusual. We don’t know yet how widely it's spreading and we certainly don’t know the extent of the problem.

This is very late for seasonal influenza. The routine kind of influenza strains that we see every year. That's declining. The regular season is in its pale really. What we're seeing now is different. It's not seasonal influenza, it's what we call Swine Influenza.

Get real-time updates on the investigation by following CDC on Twitter.

Put Your Hands Together