Swine flu: in current perspective

 

Swine flu: in current perspective

 Dr. Mukul Chandra,MBBS, MD, RIMS .

 

Influenza A viruses are found in many different animals, including ducks, chickens, pigs, whales, horses and seals. Pigs can be infected with both human and avian influenza viruses in addition to swine influenza viruses. Infected pigs get symptoms similar to humans, such as cough, fever and runny nose. Because pigs are susceptible to avian, human and swine influenza viruses, they potentially may be infected with influenza viruses from different species (e.g., ducks and humans) at the same time. If this happens, it is possible for the genes of these viruses to mix and create a new virus. This type of major change in the influenza A viruses is known as antigenic shift. Antigenic shift results when a new influenza A subtype to which most people have little or no immune protection infects humans. If this new virus causes illness in people and can be transmitted easily from person to person, an influenza pandemic can occur.

 

The severity:-

In the 2009 revision of the phase descriptions, WHO has retained the use of a six-phased approach for easy incorporation of new recommendations and approaches into existing national preparedness and response plans. The grouping and description of pandemic phases have been revised to make them easier to understand, more precise, and based upon observable phenomena. Phases 1–3 correlate with preparedness, including capacity development and response planning activities, while Phases 4–6 clearly signal the need for response and mitigation efforts. Furthermore, periods after the first pandemic wave are elaborated to facilitate post pandemic recovery activities.

The current WHO phase of pandemic alert is 6.

Phase 6, the pandemic phase, is characterized by community level outbreaks in at least one other country in a different WHO region in addition to the criteria defined in Phase 5. Designation of this phase will indicate that a global pandemic is under way.

 

In the past, influenza pandemics have resulted in increased death and disease and great social disruption. In the 20th century, the most severe influenza pandemic occurred in 1918-1919 and caused an estimated 40 to 50 million deaths world wide. Current epidemiological models project that a pandemic could result in two to 7.4 million deaths globally.

If an influenza pandemic were to occur today, we could expect the virus to spread rapidly due to the interconnected nature of the world and the high level of global travel.

From:- Current WHO phase of pandemic alert

Current phase of alert in the WHO global influenza preparedness plan

Pandemic preparedness

Fatality:-

Bangalore, Aug 16, 2009  (ANI): The death of a woman named Shilpa Hegde, 27, due to swine flu virus in Bangalore on Sunday, pushed the country’s swine flu death toll to 27 in India.

The announcement came as the number of confirmed cases increased rapidly across the world.

The WHO and national governments have confirmed 148 cases in nine countries. Most of those cases are in the United States, where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 91 cases.

The figures include seven deaths in Mexico and one in the United States. More than 2,700 other patients worldwide are believed to be suffering from the virus that government officials call by its technical name, 2009 H1N1.

The first cases of the virus were detected in Mexico, where health officials suspect swine flu in more than 150 other deaths and roughly 2,500 illnesses. As of late Wednesday, 99 cases had been confirmed — up from 26, Mexico’s health secretary reported.

A Japanese man infected with swine flu died Saturday August 15th 2009, becoming the country’s first fatality linked to the virus, an official said. (Source: CTV Health) MedWorm.

Seoul – South Korean health authorities Saturday August 15th 2009,   reported the country’s first death from swine flu. (Source: Monsters and Critics Health News).

Researchers do not know how the virus is jumping relatively easily from person to person, or why it’s affecting what should be society’s healthiest demographic. Many of the victims who have died in Mexico have been young and otherwise healthy.

The outbreak has prompted Mexican authorities to order about 35,000 public venues in Mexico City to shut down and restrict restaurants to serving only take-out meals.

H1N1 and H3N2 swine flu viruses are endemic among pig populations in the United States and something that the industry deals with routinely. Outbreaks among pigs normally occur in colder weather months (late fall and winter) and sometimes with the introduction of new pigs into susceptible herds. Studies have shown that the swine flu H1N1 is common throughout pig populations worldwide, with 25 percent of animals showing antibody evidence of infection. In the U.S. studies have shown that 30 percent of the pig population has antibody evidence of having had H1N1 infection. More specifically, 51 percent of pigs in the north-central U.S. have been shown to have antibody evidence of infection with swine H1N1. Human infections with swine flu H1N1 viruses are rare. There is currently no way to differentiate antibody produced in response to flu vaccination in pigs from antibody made in response to pig infections with swine H1N1 influenza.

While H1N1 swine viruses have been known to circulate among pig populations since at least 1930, H3N2 influenza viruses did not begin circulating among US pigs until 1998. The H3N2 viruses initially were introduced into the pig population from humans. The current swine flu H3N2 viruses are closely related to human H3N2 viruses.

 MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed – updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources

Swine flu panic is sweeping India. But the biggest casualty of this media-manufactured hysteria is common sense Swine flu is strangling India. The government in Goa has advised against “non-essential” travel to other Indian states.

 

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