Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25667728-661,00.html
Swine flu here a long time
Grant McArthur
June 22, 2009 12:00am
SWINE flu was running rampant through Melbourne's northern suburbs before it was even revealed as a major threat in Mexico, Victoria's health officials and top investigators now believe.
Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory director Dr Mike Catton said it was likely an overseas traveller brought swine flu to Victoria before the Mexican outbreak gained international attention in late April.
But because the strain was less severe than first feared, infected Melburnians did not associate their mild symptoms with the Mexican outbreak and never presented for testing - unknowingly spreading the disease through the community unabated.
When the first case was detected here on May 20, Dr Catton said the "amplifier effect" began, where people suffering minor symptoms came forward for testing who may otherwise not have even bothered seeing a doctor.
Dr Catton said one of the reasons Victoria had such a high incidence of the virus was its early importation to Melbourne before international recognition of the Mexican outbreak, and subsequent low-level transmission in the northern suburbs for some time before the first case was diagnosed.
Victorian acting chief health officer Dr Rosemary Lester also said swine flu was probably entrenched before it was even acknowledged outside Mexico.
"It may be that someone came into Victoria from overseas in late April, early May, suffering from a very, very mild form of H1N1, enabling it to spread undetected in the community," she said.
"If the virus was more severe, this would have been detected earlier."
Due to the strength of Victoria's contact testing, Dr Lester said, many cases had been revealed, which might have been ignored in other parts of the world.
"So in some ways Victoria has been a victim of its own testing success. By this I mean we have a very thorough testing system for all infectious diseases, and are at the forefront of detecting swine flu in the community," Dr Lester said.
Swine flu here a long time
Grant McArthur
June 22, 2009 12:00am
SWINE flu was running rampant through Melbourne's northern suburbs before it was even revealed as a major threat in Mexico, Victoria's health officials and top investigators now believe.
Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory director Dr Mike Catton said it was likely an overseas traveller brought swine flu to Victoria before the Mexican outbreak gained international attention in late April.
But because the strain was less severe than first feared, infected Melburnians did not associate their mild symptoms with the Mexican outbreak and never presented for testing - unknowingly spreading the disease through the community unabated.
When the first case was detected here on May 20, Dr Catton said the "amplifier effect" began, where people suffering minor symptoms came forward for testing who may otherwise not have even bothered seeing a doctor.
Dr Catton said one of the reasons Victoria had such a high incidence of the virus was its early importation to Melbourne before international recognition of the Mexican outbreak, and subsequent low-level transmission in the northern suburbs for some time before the first case was diagnosed.
Victorian acting chief health officer Dr Rosemary Lester also said swine flu was probably entrenched before it was even acknowledged outside Mexico.
"It may be that someone came into Victoria from overseas in late April, early May, suffering from a very, very mild form of H1N1, enabling it to spread undetected in the community," she said.
"If the virus was more severe, this would have been detected earlier."
Due to the strength of Victoria's contact testing, Dr Lester said, many cases had been revealed, which might have been ignored in other parts of the world.
"So in some ways Victoria has been a victim of its own testing success. By this I mean we have a very thorough testing system for all infectious diseases, and are at the forefront of detecting swine flu in the community," Dr Lester said.
