Sally Furniss
Well-known member
Swine flu circulating for longer than thought: expert
Virology expert Jennifer McKimm-Breschkin says swine flu has been in the Australian community for longer than people realise.
Fourteen cases have been diagnosed across the country so far, the majority involving children and teenagers in Victoria.
Dr McKimm-Breschkin, a chief research scientist at the CSIRO, says the influenza A H1N1 virus could have come into the country without anyone noticing.
"[That] is easy enough to do because everyone is aware of flu symptoms, and flu is always circulating all year, so if someone's come in with a mild case of flu, they may not necessarily have thought about going out in the community," she said.
"So once it's out in the community, then other people are in contact with these people, and the virus just sort of spreads from person to person."
She says it is not surprising people with no history of overseas travel have come down with the illness.
"To me it indicates that it will probably co-circulate with the other three strains of flu that are normally out in the community and at the moment you probably can't distinguish it, which is probably why we have three cases from people who have had no known exposure," she said.
"It would suggest that it's already circulating in the community, from non-travellers."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/24/2579189.htm
Virology expert Jennifer McKimm-Breschkin says swine flu has been in the Australian community for longer than people realise.
Fourteen cases have been diagnosed across the country so far, the majority involving children and teenagers in Victoria.
Dr McKimm-Breschkin, a chief research scientist at the CSIRO, says the influenza A H1N1 virus could have come into the country without anyone noticing.
"[That] is easy enough to do because everyone is aware of flu symptoms, and flu is always circulating all year, so if someone's come in with a mild case of flu, they may not necessarily have thought about going out in the community," she said.
"So once it's out in the community, then other people are in contact with these people, and the virus just sort of spreads from person to person."
She says it is not surprising people with no history of overseas travel have come down with the illness.
"To me it indicates that it will probably co-circulate with the other three strains of flu that are normally out in the community and at the moment you probably can't distinguish it, which is probably why we have three cases from people who have had no known exposure," she said.
"It would suggest that it's already circulating in the community, from non-travellers."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/24/2579189.htm