Pandemic flu ?clusters? ID?d in South Georgia

[wotan]

http://www.moultrieobserver.com/local/local_story_211234242.html

Pandemic flu ‘clusters’ ID’d in South Georgia


Alan Mauldin

<!-- the next line starts looping through the grafs of the story --> MOULTRIE — Health officials warned this week that deaths and hospitalizations from the H1N1 flu strain could increase after 32 children in Dougherty and Lee counties developed flu-like symptoms.
Two cases of H1N1 were confirmed from among the sick children, the Southwest Health District said Thursday.
“We have received lab confirmation that one child associated with the Lee County cluster is infected with H1N1 and one child associated with the Dougherty County cluster is infected with H1N1,” said Dr. Jacqueline Grant, southwest health district health director. “Twenty of 40 students enrolled in the Dougherty County summer program have experienced flu-like symptoms, and 12 out of 40 attendees who participated in the Lee County youth-oriented trip have fallen ill. All 32 patients with these similar symptoms are treated as H1N1 cases.”
Health officials said that Influenza A was identified in both clusters, and that Pandemic H1N1 is an Influenza A strain.
Because roughly 99 percent of Influenza A cases in the United States being reported to the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are H1N1, other patients in the Dougherty and Lee clusters will not be tested.
Grant said that additional cases of multiple infections are anticipated as students return to school in August.
“We were expecting to hear that the clusters were Pandemic H1N1, and we expect to have more clusters when schools reopen,” she said. “This is a contagious, fast-spreading infection, and it has a high attack rate in children, teens and young adults. Parents, teachers and schools need to be vigilant.”
Students who become ill with the flu should not return to classes until they have been free of symptoms for at least 24 hours after they are no longer using medication, Grant said.
“Unfortunately we expect to see more people, including more children, fall ill, possibly require hospitalization and perhaps even die as the pandemic progresses,” she said. “Most people with Pandemic H1N1 get well in less than a week without needing hospitalization. But in high-risk groups — women who are pregnant and people with underlying medical conditions or chronic disease — H1N1 can be a severe disease that can lead to hospitalization and death.”
The health district is not recommending shutting down summer programs as a result of the clusters in the two counties due to the relative mildness that H1N1 has displayed to this point.
At this time there are no indications that the H1N1 virus is becoming deadlier, said Carolyn Maschke, public information officer for the health district. However, it is alarming that the number of flu cases during the summer, a time when flu activity normally is low, is on par with the peak of the traditional flu season.
The flu virus is more active in colder weather and first seasonal flu cases normally begin occurring in October in the area, Maschke said.
No vaccine for the pandemic flu strain, originally dubbed swine flu, is expected until mid-October at the earliest. A seasonal flu vaccine is expected to be available in late August or early September.
In Georgia, 44 people have been hospitalized with confirmed cases of H1N1 and one person has died. In the Southwest Health District there have been six reported hospitalizations linked to that strain the virus.
H1N1 has been confirmed in Colquitt, Decatur, Dougherty, Lee, Mitchell and Thomas counties.

 

[colormyquilt]

Re: Pandemic flu ?clusters? ID?d in South Georgia

http://www.moultrieobserver.com/local/local_story_211234242.html

"However, it is alarming that the number of flu cases during the summer, a time when flu activity is normally low, is on par with the peak of the traditional flu season"

And this is summertime in the deep south. This virus goes where and when it wills.

 

[HenryN]

Re: Pandemic flu ?clusters? ID?d in South Georgia

"However, it is alarming that the number of flu cases during the summer, a time when flu activity is normally low, is on par with the peak of the traditional flu season"

And this is summertime in the deep south. This virus goes where and when it wills.

The virus has avian PB2 so it LOVES the heat (105.8 F is optimal).

 

[Dark Horse]

Re: Pandemic flu ?clusters? ID?d in South Georgia

Dr. Niman,

Living here in Savannah where it is very hot and humid, does that mean that the new flu's genetic composition won't be as severe here this fall?

Marilyn Bardsley

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Pandemic flu ?clusters? ID?d in South Georgia

Source: http://bainbridgega.com/news/publish/article_5625.shtml


Community News
Pandemic Emergency Operations Reactivatied
Carolyn Maschke, Public Information Officer Jul 30, 2009


H1N1 confirmed in two Southwest Health District disease cluster investigations

A pair of Influenza A outbreaks involving children in Southwest Health District have been confirmed as Pandemic H1N1 disease investigations, officials said today.

"We have received lab confirmation that one child associated with the Lee County cluster is infected with H1N1 and one child associated with the Dougherty County cluster is infected with H1N1," said Southwest Health District Health Director Dr. Jacqueline Grant. "Twenty of 40 students enrolled in the Dougherty County summer program have experienced flu-like symptoms, and 12 out of 40 attendees who participated in the Lee County youth-oriented trip have fallen ill. All 32 patients with these similar symptoms are treated as H1N1 cases."

Southwest Health District officials said Wednesday that Influenza A had been identified in both clusters. Pandemic H1N1 is a strain of Influenza A. Since around 99 percent of Influenza A cases in the United States being reported to the National Centers for Disease Control are H1N1, additional testing isn't required for others in the Lee or Dougherty clusters.

"We were expecting to hear that the clusters were Pandemic H1N1, and we expect to have more clusters occur when schools reopen," Grant said. "This is a contagious, fast-spreading infection, and it has a high attack rate in children, teens and young adults. Parents, teachers and schools need to be vigilant." She stressed that if children become ill, they should not return to school until they have been free of symptoms for at least 24 hours after they are no longer using medication.

Because of the rapid spread of Pandemic H1N1, the World Health Organization, the CDC, and the State of Georgia no longer count and report individual cases. The focus now is on severity of illness. "Falling in line with the new policy, the District is now providing numbers of hospitalized H1N1 cases, rather than running case counts" Grant said.

Georgia has reported 44 hospitalizations involving confirmed cases of Pandemic H1N1 and one fatality. In Southwest Health District, six hospitalizations have been reported, but of that number, only two patients with confirmed cases of H1N1 are currently in the hospital, she said. Thomas, Dougherty, Lee, Decatur, Mitchell and Colquitt counties have residents with confirmed cases of H1N1 in Southwest Health District as of today. Other specimens are awaiting laboratory confirmation.

"Most people with Pandemic H1N1 get well in less than a week without needing hospitalization," she said. "But in high-risk groups - women who are pregnant and people with underlying medical conditions or chronic disease - H1N1 can be a severe disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death."

On Wednesday, Southwest Health District partially reactivated its Pandemic H1N1 Emergency Operations Center and stepped up surveillance and education efforts in the region.

Public Health is working closely with the organizations, parents and other healthcare providers to provide guidance and assistance in prevention, control and treatment of the disease, Grant said.
"At this time, Public Health is following the Centers for Disease Control guidelines, which don't call for closure of camps, schools or children's programs with confirmed or suspected cases of H1N1. That's different from what was recommended early in the outbreak, when we didn't know how severe the virus was," she said.

"For now we are going with the same recommendation for Pandemic H1N1 that we make for seasonal flu - unless so many people are sick that the program can't operate, there's no need to cancel the program or class," explained Grant.
However, she warned, recommendations could change again - rapidly - should the virus change and become more dangerous. "Influenza is extremely unpredictable. We know the virus mutates. Our concern is that it will begin causing more severe illness or that it will become drug resistant. It is vitally important that the public stays informed and prepared," Grant said.

Vaccine for the pandemic virus is unlikely to be ready until mid-October. However, seasonal flu vaccine is expected to begin arriving as soon as late August or early September, and Grant urged residents to start getting seasonal vaccinations as soon as they can.

Influenza is thought to spread mainly through the coughs and sneezes of those infected. The main symptoms of Pandemic H1N1 Influenza are fever plus at least either a cough or sore throat. Additional information on Pandemic H1N1, including homecare for patients with H1N1, is available online at www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

 

[Commonground]

Re: Pandemic flu ?clusters? ID?d in South Georgia

However, seasonal flu vaccine is expected to begin arriving as soon as late August or early September,....

Isn't this unusually early for seasonal flu to begin arriving?

 

[pjie2]

Re: Pandemic flu ?clusters? ID?d in South Georgia

Isn't this unusually early for seasonal flu to begin arriving?

Vaccine arriving is not the same as flu arriving. The whole point of a vaccine is to get it out before the flu season starts.

 

[Commonground]

Re: Pandemic flu ?clusters? ID?d in South Georgia

Thanks, I missed that. Need more coffee, that's for sure.