Ronan Kelly
Retired 2020
Mum-to-be critical in RHH with swine flu Swine flu hits pregnant woman | July 30, 2010 12.01am
A PREGNANT woman with swine flu was in a critical condition in the Royal Hobart Hospital last night.
Public health director Roscoe Taylor said the patient, an overseas visitor, was being treated in intensive care.
The H1N1 strain, or human swine flu, was confirmed last night by laboratory tests.
It was Tasmania's fifth case so far this year, of which three cases were overseas travellers who developed their illness after arrival, Dr Taylor said.
"This case is a reminder of the need for clinicians to be alert in their assessment of travellers reporting illness after arriving in Tasmania, so any signs of swine flu can be identified early and people at higher risk of serious illness [such as pregnant women] treated with antivirals," Dr Taylor said.
"It's also a reminder of the importance of being vaccinated against H1N1. As we saw last year, H1N1 can be very serious, even for ordinarily healthy people, and our first line of defence is vaccination."
A month ago deputy public health director Chrissie Pickin said it was likely the next wave of the pandemic, which contributed to the deaths of seven Tasmanians last year, would hit soon.
Dr Taylor said people in high-risk groups, including pregnant women, the elderly, those with chronic illness or Aborigines or Torres Strait Islanders, must be extra vigilant about hygiene and must be vaccinated.
Up to June 24, 163,000 Tasmanians had been vaccinated.
"It's not too late to get your vaccination. See your GP," Dr Taylor advised.
http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2010/07/30/162171_tasmania-news.html
A PREGNANT woman with swine flu was in a critical condition in the Royal Hobart Hospital last night.
Public health director Roscoe Taylor said the patient, an overseas visitor, was being treated in intensive care.
The H1N1 strain, or human swine flu, was confirmed last night by laboratory tests.
It was Tasmania's fifth case so far this year, of which three cases were overseas travellers who developed their illness after arrival, Dr Taylor said.
"This case is a reminder of the need for clinicians to be alert in their assessment of travellers reporting illness after arriving in Tasmania, so any signs of swine flu can be identified early and people at higher risk of serious illness [such as pregnant women] treated with antivirals," Dr Taylor said.
"It's also a reminder of the importance of being vaccinated against H1N1. As we saw last year, H1N1 can be very serious, even for ordinarily healthy people, and our first line of defence is vaccination."
A month ago deputy public health director Chrissie Pickin said it was likely the next wave of the pandemic, which contributed to the deaths of seven Tasmanians last year, would hit soon.
Dr Taylor said people in high-risk groups, including pregnant women, the elderly, those with chronic illness or Aborigines or Torres Strait Islanders, must be extra vigilant about hygiene and must be vaccinated.
Up to June 24, 163,000 Tasmanians had been vaccinated.
"It's not too late to get your vaccination. See your GP," Dr Taylor advised.
http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2010/07/30/162171_tasmania-news.html
