Influenza Pandemics: Why We Are Cautious?

Influenza pandemics

H1N1 influenza virus-2009 “swine flu” from the CDC Influenza laboratory: www.cdc.gov

Why we are cautious? What can we do?

Influenza  

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A viral infection Mutates rapidly, so new vaccinations are developed annually Can affect animals and people and can spread rapidly The virus is usually particularly adapted to one type of animal, but can evolve the ability to infect other species effectively

What is a pandemic? 

A pandemic is an epidemic of a disease that spreads rapidly over a large area, like a continent, or even globally.

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An epidemic is a sudden increase in cases of a disease that is unexpected or unusual

Flu Symptoms       

Fever Sore throat Muscle pains Severe headache Coughing Weakness and Fatigue In more serious cases, influenza causes pneumonia, which can be fatal, particularly in young children and the elderly.

Most Recent Flu Pandemics source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_pandemic

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Latest flu pandemics[27] Name of pandemic

Date

Asiatic (Russian) Flu 1889–90

Spanish Flu

1918–20

Deaths

Subtype involved

1 million

possibly H2N2

40 million

H1N1

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 Asian Flu

1957–58

1 to 1.5 million

H2N2

Hong Kong Flu

1968–69

0.75 to 1 million

H3N2

Flu pandemics typically come in waves. The 1889–1890 and 1918–1919 flu pandemics each came in three or four waves of increasing lethality. Within a wave, mortality was greater at the beginning of the wave.

What you can do …according to the Centers for Disease Control : http://www.cdc.gov  

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Stay informed. The CDC website will be updated regularly as information becomes available. Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people: avoid close contact and wash hands often Take everyday actions to stay healthy. 

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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. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way. Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures. Develop a family emergency plan as a precaution. This should include storing a supply of food, medicines, facemasks, alcohol-based hand rubs and other essential supplies.

What if Someone I know gets the flu? http://www.cdc.gov 

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Keep the sick person away from other people as much as possible Remind the sick person to cover their coughs, and clean their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub often, especially after coughing and/or sneezing. Have everyone in the household clean their hands often, using soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub Ask your healthcare provider if household contacts of the sick person—particularly those contacts who may have chronic health conditions—should take antiviral medications such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu®) or zanamivir (Relenza®) to prevent the flu.

How contagious is the flu? Stay 6 feet away from ill people, it spreads through saliva droplets in the air and surfaces easily  Unless necessary for medical care, persons with the flu should not leave the home when they have a fever or during the time that they are most likely to spread their infection to others (7 days after onset of symptoms in adults. Children may pass the virus for longer than 7 days).  If persons with the flu need to leave the home (for example, for medical care), they should cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing and wear a loose-fitting (surgical) mask if available. (see more on: http://www.cdc.gov) 

Current statistics on the spread of U.S. of H1N1 Flu Infection the Human H1N1 Cases Influenza Virus (as of (As of May 2, 2009, 11:00 AM ET, www.cdc.gov) 5/2/09) 160 total cases • • • •

1 death, a 23 month old child from Texas, 21 states affected Under 10 cases in the NH/Massachusetts area as confirmed by CDC

Globally • •

658 case reported in 16 countries, 397 of those cases are from Mexico There have been 16 deaths in Mexico,1 in USA, none elsewhere according to the World Health Organization (http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_05_02a/en/index.html)