CDC: Same Swine Flu Strain Killing Dozens In Mexico Found Locally
A strain of swine flu identified in San Diego and Imperial counties is the same
one that has killed dozens of people in Mexico, the head of the U.S. Centers
for Disease and Prevention said Friday.
MORE DETAILS:
http://www.10News.com/tu/5GhwcvP0e.html
Mexico City schools, museums closed to stop deadly swine flu
Mexico’s federal government has closed schools, museums, libraries and state-run theaters in Mexico City to stop a swine flu outbreak authorities say may have killed as many as 60 people.
Read More
Other Breaking News stories at sacbee.com
INFLUENZA A(H1N1) VIRUS, SWINE, HUMAN - USA (02): (CALIFORNIA, TEXAS)
*********************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
[1]
Date: Thu 23 Apr 2009
Source: CIDRAP (Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy) News [edited]
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/panflu/news/apr2309swineflu.html
More US swine flu cases; Mexico illnesses raise pandemic questions
The new cases include 2 clusters, 2 16-year-old boys in San Antonio,
Texas, who attended the same school, and a father and daughter from
San Diego County [California]. Anne Schuchat, MD, interim deputy
director for the CDC’s science and public health program, told
reporters today [23 Apr 2009] at a teleconference that the clusters
are consistent with human-to-human spread. She also said that the
World Health Organization has not raised its 6-phase pandemic alert
level above phase 3 (no or very limited human-to-human transmission).
The 5th new case occurred in a patient from Imperial County
[California], which borders San Diego County. Both counties are home
to the 1st 2 swine flu patients that the CDC announced on 21 Apr 2009.
News of the 5 new swine flu cases came on the same day Canadian
officials warned its public health, medical, and quarantine workers
to look for illnesses among Canadians returning from Mexico. Mexico
has reported several cases of severe respiratory illness and has
asked Canada to assist in finding the source of the illnesses, some
of which have been fatal, according to a report today [23 Apr 2009]
from the Canadian Press (CP). Schuchat said no swine flu cases have
been confirmed in Mexico or Canada, but that CDC officials are
discussing the situation with Mexican health officials and
representatives from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
Concerning the 7 American cases, Schuchat said, “The good news is
that all of the patients have recovered, and one was hospitalized.
This is not looking like a very severe influenza.” Patients
experience fever, cough, and sore throat symptoms similar to typical
influenza, but some of the patients who had swine influenza also
experienced more diarrhea and vomiting than is typical of seasonal
flu.
The CDC said genetic sequencing of samples from the 1st 2 patients,
California children who lived in adjacent counties, show that the
swine flu virus contains segments from 4 different viruses: some
North American swine, some North American avian, one human influenza,
and 2 Eurasian swine. “This virus hasn’t been recognized in the USA
or elsewhere,” Schuchat said. CDC scientists have determined that the
novel swine flu virus is resistant to the older antivirals
rimantadine and amantadine but is susceptible to oseltamivir and
zanamivir.
Schuchat said the CDC expects to see more swine flu cases and that it
would provide regular updates on its website. “This is not time for
major concern around the country, but we want you to know what’s
going on,” she said. Most of the public health response will focus on
the California and Texas areas where cases have been identified, but
the CDC is urging health departments in other states to heighten
their awareness of respiratory illnesses, particularly in those who
have had contact with pigs or traveled to the San Diego or San
Antonio areas. Schuchat said the CDC doesn’t know yet if the H1N1
component of this season’s [2008-09] influenza vaccine provides any
protection against the swine flu virus, but she said studies are
under way to determine if there is any cross-protection.
Michael T Osterholm, PhD, MPH, director of the University of
Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy,
publisher of CIDRAP News, said the findings, though concerning, don’t
mean that a pandemic is imminent. However, he said health officials
shouldn’t take comfort in the fact that the illnesses so far have
been mild. “The 1st wave of the 1918 pandemic was mild, too,”
Osterholm pointed out. Walter Dowdle, PhD, who worked in the CDC’s
virology unit during the 1976 swine flu outbreak, told CIDRAP News
that it’s interesting but not greatly alarming that the 2009 swine
flu strain contains such an unusual mix of gene segments. “It’s a
real mutt,” said Dowdle, who now works with the Task Force for Child
Survival and Development, based in Atlanta “When you have an evolving
RNA mechanism, it’s hard to be surprised by anything.” The H1N1
component of the seasonal flu vaccine might provide some degree of
protection, he said. And if the swine flu virus persists, federal
officials could consider adding an additional H1N1 strain to next
year’s [2009-10] vaccine.
Marie Gramer, DVM, PhD, a University of Minnesota veterinarian who
has studied swine flu, said her preliminary examination shows that
the outbreak strain doesn’t appear to closely match anything
currently circulating in pigs. However, Gramer added that she has
only looked at a small number of viruses and only at the
hemagglutinin gene.
Peter Sandman, PhD, a risk communication consultant based in
Princeton, New Jersey, also listened in on today’s [23 Apr 2009] CDC
teleconference. While he credited the CDC with getting a clear, calm,
and concise scientific message out about the swine flu cases, he said
they missed a teachable moment to promote pandemic preparedness
“Everyone needs to learn how to say ‘This could be bad, and it’s a
good reason to take precautions and prepare’ and ‘This could fizzle
out,’” Sandman said. “They need to simultaneously say both
statements.” He added that “good risk communicators need to know how
to be both scary and tentative.” Federal health officials are
probably treading cautiously around the word “pandemic,” because some
accused them of fear mongering when they raised concerns about the
H5N1 virus 2 years ago and also because of overreaction during the
1976 swine flu epidemic that led to vaccination missteps. When
talking to the public about pandemic risks, federal officials could
take some cues from hurricane forecasters, Sandman said, “and
speculate responsibly.”
Canada’s Public Health Authority (PHAC) said today [23 Apr 2009] in a
situation update that Mexican authorities have asked its assistance
in determining the cause of 2 clusters of severe respiratory
illnesses that have occurred this month [April 2009]. A cluster in
Mexico City involved 120 cases and 13 deaths; the other occurred in
San Luis Potosi, where 14 cases and 4 deaths were reported. Three
deaths were reported from other locations: one from Oaxaca in
southern Mexico and 2 from Baja California Norte, near the US border.
The PHAC report said the disease outbreak struck some healthcare
workers and that most patients were previously healthy young adults
between the ages of 25 and 44. Symptoms included fever, headache,
ocular pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue that rapidly progressed
to severe respiratory distress in about 5 days. Mexican officials
detected some influenza A/H1N1 and influenza B viruses, but have
apparently ruled out H5N1 virus involvement. The PHAC said it
received 51 clinical samples from Mexico for testing at its National
Microbiology Lab. Mexico told the PHAC that it had a late influenza
season with an increasing number of influenza-like illnesses since
the middle of March [2009]. The country also had a higher proportion
of influenza B viruses than previous seasons.
[byline: Lisa Schnirring]
—
communicated by:
Mike Nunn BA
Mike.Nunn@biosecurity.gov.au
******
[2]
Date: Thu 23 Apr 2009
Source: Reuters Health News [edited]
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE53M63F20090423
Seven people in US hit by strange new swine flu
“We are likely to find more cases,” the CDC’s Dr Anne Schuchat told a
telephone briefing. “We don’t think this is time for major concern
around the country.”
The CDC reported the new strain of swine flu on Tuesday [21 Apr 2009]
in 2 boys from California’s 2 southernmost counties. Now, 5 more
cases have been seen — all found via normal surveillance for
seasonal influenza. None of the patients, whose symptoms closely
resembled seasonal flu, had any direct contact with pigs. “We believe
at this point that human-to-human spread is occurring,” Schuchat
said. “That’s unusual. We don’t know yet how widely it is spreading
... We are also working with international partners to understand
what is occurring in other parts of the world.” Two of the new cases
were among 16 year olds at the same school in San Antonio “and
there’s a father-daughter pair in California,” Schuchat said. One of
the boys whose cases were reported on Tuesday [21 Apr 2009] had flown
to Dallas but the CDC has found no links to the other Texas cases.
Unusually, said the CDC’s Nancy Cox, the viruses all appear to carry
genes from swine flu, avian flu, and human flu viruses from North
America, Europe and Asia. “We haven’t seen this strain before, but we
hadn’t been looking as intensively as we have,” Schuchat said. “It’s
very possible that this is something new that hasn’t been happening
before.” Surveillance for and scrutiny of influenza has been stepped
up since 2003, when highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza reappeared
in Asia.
Experts fear this strain, or another strain, could spark a pandemic
that could kill millions. H5N1 currently only rarely infects people
but has killed 257 out of 421 infected in 15 countries since 2003,
according to the World Health Organization.
The influenza strain [in the California outbreak] is an H1N1, the
same family as one of the seasonal flu viruses now circulating. Now
that the normal influenza season is waning, it may be easier to spot
cases of the new swine flu, Schuchat said.
Only one of the 7 cases was sick enough to be hospitalized and all
have recovered, Schuchat said. “This isn’t something that a person
could detect at home,” she said. The new cases appear to have
somewhat more vomiting and diarrhea than is usually seen in flu,
which mostly causes coughing, fever, sore throat and muscle aches.
The CDC is asking doctors to think about the possibility of swine flu
when patients appear with these symptoms, to take a sample and send
it to state health officials or the CDC for testing.
Cox said the CDC is already preparing a vaccine against the new
strain, just in case. “This is standard operating procedure,” Cox
said. The agency will issue daily updates at
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swine/investigation.htm
Seasonal flu kills between 250 000 and 500 000 people globally in an
average year. And every few decades, a completely new strain pops up
and it can cause a pandemic, a global epidemic that kills many more
than usual.
[byline: Maggie Fox]
—
communicated by:
ProMED-mail rapporteur Mary Marshall
******
[3]
Date: Thu 23 Apr 2009
Source: Texas Department of State Health Services, News Release [edited]
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/news/releases/20090423.shtm
Two human cases of swine flu confirmed in Texas
Laboratory test results received today [23 Apr 2009] from the US
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that the
illnesses were caused by a swine influenza A (H1N1) virus.
Preliminary lab data suggests that the virus closely matches the
viruses from recent swine flu infections in human cases from Southern
California. State public health officials are investigating to
determine if any close contacts of the boys have become ill and are
asking hospitals, doctors, and others in the area to be especially
alert for other possible cases.
DSHS and local public health agencies in Texas were already involved
in a CDC-led swine flu investigation because one of the 2 original
cases from Southern California, a 10-year-old boy, traveled to Dallas
for an extended visit with relatives. No additional cases connected
to the boy have been confirmed. Initial information from the
investigation of the 2 teenagers’ illnesses indicates no recent
travel and no connection to the boy who traveled to Dallas from
Southern California.
Symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to those of regular or
seasonal flu and include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, and
coughing. Some with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore
throat, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Health officials say the
public should follow standard precautions to reduce the spread of any
respiratory illness:
- stay home when you are sick to avoid spreading illness to others;
- cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow or a tissue and
properly dispose of used tissues;
- wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and warm water or
use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
—
communicated by:
Susan N Rossmann, MD, PhD
srossman@giveblood.org
[Guadalupe County in south central Texas can be located on the map at
http://county-map.digital-topo-maps.com/texas.shtml
The state of Texas can be seen on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail
interactive map at http://healthmap.org/r/00af
CopyEd.MJ]
[The number of cases of human infection attributed to an atypical
strain of swine A (H1N1) influenza virus in Southern California has
increased from the 2 cases announced by the CDC on 21 Apr 2009 to 7.
Now 2 similar cases have been identified in Texas. The disease
process has been mild and an adult and children with no known
exposure to swine have been affected.
At present there appears to be no connection between this outbreak
and the outbreak of more serious respiratory illness currently
affecting mainly health care workers in Mexico. - Mod.CP]
[see also:
Influenza A (H1N1) virus, swine, human - USA: (CA) 20090422.1516
Influenza A (H1N1) virus, swine, human - Spain 20090220.0715
2008
.................cp/mj/lm
Terrific......