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

 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.

 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

Latest flu pandemics[27]  Flu pandemics typically

come in waves.
Name of Subtype
pandemic
Date Deaths
involved  The 1889–1890 and
1918–1919 flu
Asiatic (Russian) Flu 1889–90 1 million possibly H2N2 pandemics each came
in three or four waves
Spanish Flu 1918–20 40 million H1N1 of increasing lethality.
1 to 1.5
 Within a wave,
Asian Flu 1957–58
million
H2N2
mortality was greater at
the beginning of the
0.75 to 1
Hong Kong Flu 1968–69
million
H3N2 wave.
What you can do
…according to the Centers for Disease Control :
http://www.cdc.gov
 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.
 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
 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
the Human
U.S. H1N1 Cases Influenza of H1N1 Virus (as of
Flu Infection
(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)