Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Current Swine Flu Cases Reported By State
More imagesH1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
Site last updated May 6, 2009, 11:00 AM ET
U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection
(As of May 6, 2009, 11:00 AM ET) States # of
laboratory
confirmed
cases Deaths
Alabama 4
Arizona 48
California 67
Colorado 17
Connecticut 4
Delaware 33
Florida 5
Georgia 3
Hawaii 3
Idaho 1
Illinois 122
Indiana 15
Iowa 1
Kansas 2
Kentucky* 2
Louisiana 7
Maine 1
Maryland 4
Massachusetts 45
Michigan 8
Minnesota 1
Missouri 2
Nebraska 4
Nevada 5
New Hampshire 2
New Jersey 7
New Mexico 3
New York 97
North Carolina 7
Ohio 5
Oklahoma 1
Oregon 15
Pennsylvania 1
Rhode Island 2
South Carolina 16
Tennessee 2
Texas 61 2
Utah 1
Virginia 3
Washington 9
Wisconsin 6
TOTAL (41) 642 cases 2 deaths
International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization
*Case is resident of KY but currently hospitalized in GA.What You Can Do to Stay Healthy
Stay informed. This 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.
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.
Find healthy ways to deal with stress and anxiety.
As reported by the CDC http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/
Site last updated May 6, 2009, 11:00 AM ET
U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection
(As of May 6, 2009, 11:00 AM ET) States # of
laboratory
confirmed
cases Deaths
Alabama 4
Arizona 48
California 67
Colorado 17
Connecticut 4
Delaware 33
Florida 5
Georgia 3
Hawaii 3
Idaho 1
Illinois 122
Indiana 15
Iowa 1
Kansas 2
Kentucky* 2
Louisiana 7
Maine 1
Maryland 4
Massachusetts 45
Michigan 8
Minnesota 1
Missouri 2
Nebraska 4
Nevada 5
New Hampshire 2
New Jersey 7
New Mexico 3
New York 97
North Carolina 7
Ohio 5
Oklahoma 1
Oregon 15
Pennsylvania 1
Rhode Island 2
South Carolina 16
Tennessee 2
Texas 61 2
Utah 1
Virginia 3
Washington 9
Wisconsin 6
TOTAL (41) 642 cases 2 deaths
International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization
*Case is resident of KY but currently hospitalized in GA.What You Can Do to Stay Healthy
Stay informed. This 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.
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.
Find healthy ways to deal with stress and anxiety.
As reported by the CDC http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Swine Flu
Swine influenza
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Swine flu)
Jump to: navigation, search
This article is about the swine influenza virus. For 2009 outbreak in humans, see 2009 swine flu outbreak.
Flu
Influenza
Virus
Avian influenza
Swine influenza
Flu season
Research
Vaccine
Treatment
Genome project
H5N1 strain
H1N1 strain
Pandemic
Swine influenza is endemic in pigsSwine influenza (also called swine flu, hog flu, and pig flu) refers to influenza caused by those strains of influenza virus, called swine influenza virus (SIV), that usually infect pigs.[1] Swine influenza is common in pigs in the midwestern United States (and occasionally in other states), Mexico, Canada, South America, Europe (including the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Italy), Kenya, Mainland China, Taiwan, Japan and other parts of eastern Asia.[1]
Transmission of swine influenza virus from pigs to humans is not common and properly cooked pork poses no risk of infection. When transmitted, the virus does not always cause human influenza and often the only sign of infection is the presence of antibodies in the blood, detectable only by laboratory tests. When transmission results in influenza in a human, it is called zoonotic swine flu. People who work with pigs, especially people with intense exposures, are at risk of catching swine flu. However, only about fifty such transmissions have been recorded since the mid-20th Century, when identification of influenza subtypes became possible. Rarely, these strains of swine flu can pass from human to human. In humans, the symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness in general, namely chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort.
The 2009 flu outbreak in humans, known as "swine flu", is due to a new strain of influenza A virus subtype H1N1 that contained genes most closely related to swine influenza.[2] The origin of this new strain is unknown, however, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) reports that this strain has not been isolated in pigs.[3] This strain can be transmitted from human to human,[4] and causes the normal symptoms of influenza.[5]
1 Classification
1.1 Influenza C
1.2 Influenza A
2 Surveillance
3 History
3.1 1918 pandemic in humans
3.2 1976 U.S. outbreak
3.3 1988 zoonosis
3.4 1998 US outbreak in swine
3.5 2007 Philippine outbreak in swine
3.6 2009 outbreak in humans
4 Transmission
4.1 Transmission between pigs
4.2 Transmission to humans
4.3 Interaction with avian H5N1 in pigs
5 Signs and symptoms
5.1 In swine
5.2 In humans
6 Prevention
6.1 Prevention in swine
6.2 Prevention in humans
7 Treatment
7.1 In swine
7.2 In humans
Classification
Of the three genera of influenza viruses that cause human flu, two also cause influenza in pigs, with Influenzavirus A being common in pigs and Influenzavirus C being rare.[6] Influenzavirus B has not been reported in pigs. Within Influenzavirus A and Influenzavirus C, the strains found in pigs and humans are largely distinct, although due to reassortment there have been transfers of genes among strains crossing swine, avian, and human species boundaries.
Influenza C
Influenza C viruses infect both humans and pigs, but do not infect birds.[7] Transmission between pigs and humans have occurred in the past.[8] For example, influenza C caused a small outbreaks of a mild form of influenza amongst children in Japan,[9] and California.[9] Due to its limited host range and the lack of genetic diversity in influenza C, this form of influenza does not cause pandemics in humans.[10]
Influenza A
Swine influenza is known to be caused by influenza A subtypes H1N1,[11] H1N2,[11] H3N1,[12] H3N2,[11] and H2N3.[13] In pigs, three influenza A virus subtypes (H1N1, H3N2, and H1N2) are the most common strains worldwide.[14] In the United States, the H1N1 subtype was exclusively prevalent among swine populations before 1998; however, since late August 1998, H3N2 subtypes have been isolated from pigs. As of 2004, H3N2 virus isolates in US swine and turkey stocks were triple reassortants, containing genes from human (HA, NA, and PB1), swine (NS, NP, and M), and avian (PB2 and PA) lineages.[15]
Surveillance
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page.
Although there is no formal national surveillance system in the United States to determine what viruses are circulating in pigs,[16] there is an informal surveillance network in the United States that is part of a world surveillance network.
History
Swine influenza was first proposed to be a disease related to human influenza during the 1918 flu pandemic, when pigs became sick at the same time as humans.[17] The first identification of an influenza virus as a cause of disease in pigs occurred about ten years later, in 1930.[18] For the following 60 years, swine influenza strains were almost exclusively H1N1. Then, between 1997 and 2002, new strains of three different subtypes and five different genotypes emerged as causes of influenza among pigs in North America. In 1997-1998, H3N2 strains emerged. These strains, which include genes derived by reassortment from human, swine and avian viruses, have become a major cause of swine influenza in North America. Reassortment between H1N1 and H3N2 produced H1N2. In 1999 in Canada, a strain of H4N6 crossed the species barrier from birds to pigs, but was contained on a single farm.[18]
The H1N1 form of swine flu is one of the descendants of the strain that caused the 1918 flu pandemic.[19][20] As well as persisting in pigs, the descendants of the 1918 virus have also circulated in humans through the 20th century, contributing to the normal seasonal epidemics of influenza.[20] However, direct transmission from pigs to humans is rare, with only 12 cases in the U.S. since 2005.[21] Nevertheless, the retention of influenza strains in pigs after these strains have disappeared from the human population might make pigs a reservoir where influenza viruses could persist, later emerging to reinfect humans once human immunity to these strains has waned.[22]
Swine flu has been reported numerous times as a zoonosis in humans, usually with limited distribution, rarely with a widespread distribution. Outbreaks in swine are common and cause significant economic losses in industry, primarily by causing stunting and extended time to market. For example, this disease costs the British meat industry about £65 million pounds every year.[23]
1918 pandemic in humans
The 1918 flu pandemic in humans was associated with H1N1 and influenza appearing in pigs,[20] thus may reflect a zoonosis either from swine to humans, or from humans to swine. Although it is not certain in which direction the virus was transferred, some evidence suggests that, in this case, pigs caught the disease from humans.[17] For instance, swine influenza was only noted as a new disease of pigs in 1918, after the first large outbreaks of influenza amongst people.[17] Although a recent phylogenetic analysis of more recent strains of influenza in humans, birds, and swine suggests that the 1918 outbreak in humans followed a reassortment event within a mammal,[24] the exact origin of the 1918 strain remains elusive.[25]
1976 U.S. outbreak
Main article: 1976 swine flu outbreak
On February 5, 1976, in the United States an army recruit at Fort Dix said he felt tired and weak. He died the next day and four of his fellow soldiers were later hospitalized. Two weeks after his death, health officials announced that the cause of death was a new strain of swine flu. The strain, a variant of H1N1, is known as A/New Jersey/1976 (H1N1). It was detected only from January 19 to February 9 and did not spread beyond Fort Dix.[26]
President Ford receives swine flu vaccinationThis new strain appeared to be closely related to the strain involved in the 1918 flu pandemic. Moreover, the ensuing increased surveillance uncovered another strain in circulation in the U.S.: A/Victoria/75 (H3N2) spread simultaneously, also caused illness, and persisted until March.[26] Alarmed public-health officials decided action must be taken to head off another major pandemic, and urged President Gerald Ford that every person in the U.S. be vaccinated for the disease.[27]
The vaccination program was plagued by delays and public relations problems.[28] On October 1, 1976, the immunization program began and by October 11, approximately 40 million people, or about 24% of the population, had received swine flu immunizations. That same day, three senior citizens died soon after receiving their swine flu shots and there was a media outcry linking the deaths to the immunizations, despite the lack of positive proof. According to science writer Patrick Di Justo, however, by the time the truth was known — that the deaths were not proven to be related to the vaccine — it was too late. "The government had long feared mass panic about swine flu — now they feared mass panic about the swine flu vaccinations." This became a strong setback to the program.[29]
There were reports of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a paralyzing neuromuscular disorder, affecting some people who had received swine flu immunizations. This syndrome is a rare side-effect of modern influenza vaccines, with an incidence of about one case per million vaccinations.[30] As a result, Di Justo writes that "the public refused to trust a government-operated health program that killed old people and crippled young people." In total, less than 33 percent of the population had been immunized by the end of 1976. The National Influenza Immunization Program was effectively halted on Dec. 16.
Overall, about 500 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), resulting in death from severe pulmonary complications for 25 people, which, according to Dr. P. Haber, were probably caused by an immunopathological reaction to the 1976 vaccine. Other influenza vaccines have not been linked to GBS, though caution is advised for certain individuals, particularly those with a history of GBS.[31][32] Still, as observed by a participant in the immunization program, the vaccine killed more Americans than the disease did.[33]
1988 zoonosis
In September 1988, a swine flu virus killed one woman in Wisconsin, and infected at least hundreds of others. 32-year old Barbara Ann Wieners was eight months pregnant when she and her husband, Ed, became ill after visiting the hog barn at the Walworth County Fair. Barbara died eight days later, though doctors were able to induce labor and deliver a healthy daughter before she passed away. Her husband recovered from his symptoms.
Influenza-like illnesses were reportedly widespread among the pigs at the farm they had visited, and 76% of the swine exhibitors there tested positive for antibody to SIV, but no serious illnesses were detected among this group. Additional studies suggested between one and three health care personnel who had contact with the patient developed mild influenza-like illnesses with antibody evidence of swine flu infection.[34][35] However, there was no community outbreak.
1998 US outbreak in swine
In 1998, swine flu was found in pigs in four U.S. states. Within a year, it had spread through pig populations across the United States. Scientists found that this virus had originated in pigs as a recombinant form of flu strains from birds and humans. This outbreak confirmed that pigs can serve as a crucible where novel influenza viruses emerge as a result of the reassortment of genes from different strains.[36][37][38]
2007 Philippine outbreak in swine
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (April 2009)
On August 20, 2007 Department of Agriculture officers investigated the outbreak (epizootic) of swine flu in Nueva Ecija and Central Luzon, Philippines. The mortality rate is less than 10% for swine flu, unless there are complications like hog cholera. On July 27, 2007, the Philippine National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) raised a hog cholera "red alert" warning over Metro Manila and 5 regions of Luzon after the disease spread to backyard pig farms in Bulacan and Pampanga, even if these tested negative for the swine flu virus.[39][40]
2009 outbreak in humans
Main article: 2009 swine flu outbreak
The 2009 flu outbreak is due to a new strain of subtype H1N1 not previously reported in pigs.[41] Following the outbreak, on May 2, 2009, it was reported in pigs at a farm in Alberta, Canada, with a link to the outbreak in Mexico. The pigs are suspected to have caught this new strain of virus from a farm worker who recently returned from Mexico, then showed symptoms of an influenza-like illness.[42] These are probable cases, pending confirmation by laboratory testing. As of May 3, 2009, the new strain has not been reported in pigs in the UK.[43]
The new strain was initially described as apparent reassortment of at least four strains of influenza A virus subtype H1N1, including one strain endemic in humans, one endemic in birds, and two endemic in swine.[44] Subsequent analysis suggested it was a reassortment of just two strains, both found in swine.[2] Although initial reports identified the new strain as swine influenza (ie, a zoonosis originating in swine), its origin is unknown. Several countries took precautionary measures to reduce the chances for a global pandemic of the disease.[45]
Transmission
Electron microscope image of the reassorted H1N1 virus. The viruses are 80–120 nanometres in diameter.[46]
Transmission between pigs
Influenza is quite common in pigs, with about half of breeding pigs having been exposed to the virus in the US.[47] Antibodies to the virus are also common in pigs in other countries.[47]
The main route of transmission is through direct contact between infected and uninfected animals.[14] These close contacts are particularly common during animal transport. The direct transfer of the virus probably occurs either by pigs touching noses, or through dried mucus. Airborne transmission through the aerosols produced by pigs coughing or sneezing are also an important means of infection.[14] The virus usually spreads quickly through a herd, infecting all the pigs within just a few days.[1] Transmission may also occur through wild animals, such as wild boar, which can spread the disease between farms.[48]
Transmission to humans
People who work with poultry and swine, especially people with intense exposures, are at increased risk of zoonotic infection with influenza virus endemic in these animals, and constitute a population of human hosts in which zoonosis and reassortment can co-occur.[49] Transmission of influenza from swine to humans who work with swine was documented in a small surveillance study performed in 2004 at the University of Iowa.[50] This study among others forms the basis of a recommendation that people whose jobs involve handling poultry and swine be the focus of increased public health surveillance.[49]
Transmission to humans usually does not result in influenza in humans.[50] When it does result in influenza, usually the influenza is mild[citation needed] and the basic reproduction number of the virus in human hosts is low enough that an outbreak does not occur.
Interaction with avian H5N1 in pigs
Pigs are unusual as they can be infected with influenza strains that usually infect three different species: pigs, birds and humans.[51] This makes pigs a host where influenza viruses might exchange genes, producing new and dangerous strains.[51] Avian influenza virus H3N2 is endemic in pigs in China and has been detected in pigs in Vietnam, increasing fears of the emergence of new variant strains.[52] H3N2 evolved from H2N2 by antigenic shift.[53] In August 2004, researchers in China found H5N1 in pigs.[54]
Main symptoms of swine flu in swines.[1]These H5N1 infections may be quite common, in a survey of 10 apparently healthy pigs housed near poultry farms in West Java, where avian flu had broken out, five of the pig samples contained the H5N1 virus. The Indonesian government has since found similar results in the same region. Additional tests of 150 pigs outside the area were negative.[55][56]
Signs and symptoms
In swine
In pigs influenza infection produces fever, lethargy, sneezing, coughing, difficulty breathing and decreased appetite.[14] In some cases the infection can cause abortion. Although mortality is usually low (around 1-4%),[1] the virus can produce weight loss and poor growth, causing economic loss to farmers.[14] Infected pigs can lose up to 12 pounds of body weight over a 3 to 4 week period.[14]
In humans
Main symptoms of swine flu in humans [57]
See also: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Symptoms of Swine Flu in YouTubeDirect transmission of a swine flu virus from pigs to humans is occasionally possible (called zoonotic swine flu). In all, 50 cases are known to have occurred since the first report in medical literature in 1958, which have resulted in a total of six deaths.[58] Of these six people, one was pregnant, one had leukemia, one had Hodgkin disease and two were known to be previously healthy.[58] Despite these apparently low numbers of infections, the true rate of infection may be higher, since most cases only cause a very mild disease, and will probably never be reported or diagnosed.[58]
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in humans the symptoms of the 2009 "swine flu" H1N1 virus are similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness in general. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. The 2009 outbreak has shown an increased percentage of patients reporting diarrhea and vomiting.[59] The 2009 H1N1 virus is not zoonotic swine flu, as it is not transmitted from pigs to humans, but from person to person.
Because these symptoms are not specific to swine flu, a differential diagnosis of probable swine flu requires not only symptoms but also a high likelihood of swine flu due to the person's recent history. For example, during the 2009 swine flu outbreak in the United States, CDC advised physicians to "consider swine influenza infection in the differential diagnosis of patients with acute febrile respiratory illness who have either been in contact with persons with confirmed swine flu, or who were in one of the five U.S. states that have reported swine flu cases or in Mexico during the 7 days preceding their illness onset."[60] A diagnosis of confirmed swine flu requires laboratory testing of a respiratory sample (a simple nose and throat swab).[60]
Prevention
Prevention of swine influenza has three components: prevention in swine, prevention of transmission to humans, and prevention of its spread among humans.
Prevention in swine
Methods of preventing the spread of influenza among swine include facility management, herd management, and vaccination. Because much of the illness and death associated with swine flu involves secondary infection by other pathogens, control strategies that rely on vaccination may be insufficient.
Control of swine influenza by vaccination has become more difficult in recent decades, as the evolution of the virus has resulted in inconsistent responses to traditional vaccines. Standard commercial swine flu vaccines are effective in controlling the infection when the virus strains match enough to have significant cross-protection, and custom (autogenous) vaccines made from the specific viruses isolated are created and used in the more difficult cases.[61][62] Present vaccination strategies for SIV control and prevention in swine farms typically include the use of one of several bivalent SIV vaccines commercially available in the United States. Of the 97 recent H3N2 isolates examined, only 41 isolates had strong serologic cross-reactions with antiserum to three commercial SIV vaccines. Since the protective ability of influenza vaccines depends primarily on the closeness of the match between the vaccine virus and the epidemic virus, the presence of nonreactive H3N2 SIV variants suggests that current commercial vaccines might not effectively protect pigs from infection with a majority of H3N2 viruses.[63][64] The United States Department of Agriculture researchers say that while pig vaccination keeps pigs from getting sick, it does not block infection or shedding of the virus.[65]
Facility management includes using disinfectants and ambient temperature to control virus in the environment. The virus is unlikely to survive outside living cells for more than two weeks, except in cold (but above freezing) conditions, and it is readily inactivated by disinfectants.[1] Herd management includes not adding pigs carrying influenza to herds that have not been exposed to the virus. The virus survives in healthy carrier pigs for up to 3 months and can be recovered from them between outbreaks. Carrier pigs are usually responsible for the introduction of SIV into previously uninfected herds and countries, so new animals should be quarantined.[47] After an outbreak, as immunity in exposed pigs wanes, new outbreaks of the same strain can occur.[1]
Prevention in humans
Prevention of pig to human transmission
Swine can be infected by both avian and human influenza strains of influenza, and therefore are hosts where the antigenic shifts can occur that create new influenza strains.The transmission from swine to human is believed to occur mainly in swine farms where farmers are in close contact with live pigs. Although strains of swine influenza are usually not able to infect humans this may occasionally happen, so farmers and veterinarians are encouraged to use a face mask when dealing with infected animals. The use of vaccines on swine to prevent their infection is a major method of limiting swine to human transmission. Risk factors that may contribute to swine-to-human transmission include smoking and not wearing gloves when working with sick animals.[66]
Prevention of human to human transmission
Influenza spreads between humans through coughing or sneezing and people touching something with the virus on it and then touching their own nose or mouth.[67] Swine flu cannot be spread by pork products, since the virus is not transmitted through food.[67] The swine flu in humans is most contagious during the first five days of the illness although some people, most commonly children, can remain contagious for up to ten days. Diagnosis can be made by sending a specimen, collected during the first five days for analysis.[68]
Recommendations to prevent spread of the virus among humans include using standard infection control against influenza. This includes frequent washing of hands with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitizers, especially after being out in public.[69] Although the current trivalent influenza vaccine is unlikely to provide protection against the new 2009 H1N1 strain,[70] vaccines against the new strain are being developed and could be ready as early as June 2009.[71]
Experts agree that hand-washing can help prevent viral infections, including ordinary influenza and the swine flu virus. Influenza can spread in coughs or sneezes, but an increasing body of evidence shows small droplets containing the virus can linger on tabletops, telephones and other surfaces and be transferred via the fingers to the mouth, nose or eyes. Alcohol-based gel or foam hand sanitizers work well to destroy viruses and bacteria. Anyone with flu-like symptoms such as a sudden fever, cough or muscle aches should stay away from work or public transportation and should contact a doctor to be tested.
Social distancing is another tactic. It means staying away from other people who might be infected and can include avoiding large gatherings, spreading out a little at work, or perhaps staying home and lying low if an infection is spreading in a community. Public health and other responsible authorities have action plans which may request or require social distancing actions depending on the severity of the outbreak.
Treatment
In swine
As swine influenza is rarely fatal to pigs, little treatment beyond rest and supportive care is required. [47] Instead veterinary efforts are focused on preventing the spread of the virus throughout the farm, or to other farms.[14] Vaccination and animal management techniques are most important in these efforts. Antibiotics are also used to treat this disease, which although they have no effect against the influenza virus, do help prevent bacterial pneumonia and other secondary infections in influenza-weakened herds. [72]
In humans
If a person becomes sick with swine flu, antiviral drugs can make the illness milder and make the patient feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms). Beside antivirals, palliative care, at home or in hospital, focuses on controlling fevers and maintaining fluid balance. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the use of Tamiflu (oseltamivir) or Relenza (zanamivir) for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses, however, the majority of people infected with the virus make a full recovery without requiring medical attention or antiviral drugs.[73] The virus isolates in the 2009 outbreak have been found resistant to amantadine and rimantadine.[74]
In the U.S., on April 27, 2009, the FDA issued Emergency Use Authorizations to make available Relenza and Tamiflu antiviral drugs to treat the swine influenza virus in cases for which they are currently unapproved. The agency issued these EUAs to allow treatment of patients younger than the current approval allows and to allow the widespread distribution of the drugs, including by non-licensed volunteers.[75]
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Swine flu)
Jump to: navigation, search
This article is about the swine influenza virus. For 2009 outbreak in humans, see 2009 swine flu outbreak.
Flu
Influenza
Virus
Avian influenza
Swine influenza
Flu season
Research
Vaccine
Treatment
Genome project
H5N1 strain
H1N1 strain
Pandemic
Swine influenza is endemic in pigsSwine influenza (also called swine flu, hog flu, and pig flu) refers to influenza caused by those strains of influenza virus, called swine influenza virus (SIV), that usually infect pigs.[1] Swine influenza is common in pigs in the midwestern United States (and occasionally in other states), Mexico, Canada, South America, Europe (including the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Italy), Kenya, Mainland China, Taiwan, Japan and other parts of eastern Asia.[1]
Transmission of swine influenza virus from pigs to humans is not common and properly cooked pork poses no risk of infection. When transmitted, the virus does not always cause human influenza and often the only sign of infection is the presence of antibodies in the blood, detectable only by laboratory tests. When transmission results in influenza in a human, it is called zoonotic swine flu. People who work with pigs, especially people with intense exposures, are at risk of catching swine flu. However, only about fifty such transmissions have been recorded since the mid-20th Century, when identification of influenza subtypes became possible. Rarely, these strains of swine flu can pass from human to human. In humans, the symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness in general, namely chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort.
The 2009 flu outbreak in humans, known as "swine flu", is due to a new strain of influenza A virus subtype H1N1 that contained genes most closely related to swine influenza.[2] The origin of this new strain is unknown, however, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) reports that this strain has not been isolated in pigs.[3] This strain can be transmitted from human to human,[4] and causes the normal symptoms of influenza.[5]
1 Classification
1.1 Influenza C
1.2 Influenza A
2 Surveillance
3 History
3.1 1918 pandemic in humans
3.2 1976 U.S. outbreak
3.3 1988 zoonosis
3.4 1998 US outbreak in swine
3.5 2007 Philippine outbreak in swine
3.6 2009 outbreak in humans
4 Transmission
4.1 Transmission between pigs
4.2 Transmission to humans
4.3 Interaction with avian H5N1 in pigs
5 Signs and symptoms
5.1 In swine
5.2 In humans
6 Prevention
6.1 Prevention in swine
6.2 Prevention in humans
7 Treatment
7.1 In swine
7.2 In humans
Classification
Of the three genera of influenza viruses that cause human flu, two also cause influenza in pigs, with Influenzavirus A being common in pigs and Influenzavirus C being rare.[6] Influenzavirus B has not been reported in pigs. Within Influenzavirus A and Influenzavirus C, the strains found in pigs and humans are largely distinct, although due to reassortment there have been transfers of genes among strains crossing swine, avian, and human species boundaries.
Influenza C
Influenza C viruses infect both humans and pigs, but do not infect birds.[7] Transmission between pigs and humans have occurred in the past.[8] For example, influenza C caused a small outbreaks of a mild form of influenza amongst children in Japan,[9] and California.[9] Due to its limited host range and the lack of genetic diversity in influenza C, this form of influenza does not cause pandemics in humans.[10]
Influenza A
Swine influenza is known to be caused by influenza A subtypes H1N1,[11] H1N2,[11] H3N1,[12] H3N2,[11] and H2N3.[13] In pigs, three influenza A virus subtypes (H1N1, H3N2, and H1N2) are the most common strains worldwide.[14] In the United States, the H1N1 subtype was exclusively prevalent among swine populations before 1998; however, since late August 1998, H3N2 subtypes have been isolated from pigs. As of 2004, H3N2 virus isolates in US swine and turkey stocks were triple reassortants, containing genes from human (HA, NA, and PB1), swine (NS, NP, and M), and avian (PB2 and PA) lineages.[15]
Surveillance
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page.
Although there is no formal national surveillance system in the United States to determine what viruses are circulating in pigs,[16] there is an informal surveillance network in the United States that is part of a world surveillance network.
History
Swine influenza was first proposed to be a disease related to human influenza during the 1918 flu pandemic, when pigs became sick at the same time as humans.[17] The first identification of an influenza virus as a cause of disease in pigs occurred about ten years later, in 1930.[18] For the following 60 years, swine influenza strains were almost exclusively H1N1. Then, between 1997 and 2002, new strains of three different subtypes and five different genotypes emerged as causes of influenza among pigs in North America. In 1997-1998, H3N2 strains emerged. These strains, which include genes derived by reassortment from human, swine and avian viruses, have become a major cause of swine influenza in North America. Reassortment between H1N1 and H3N2 produced H1N2. In 1999 in Canada, a strain of H4N6 crossed the species barrier from birds to pigs, but was contained on a single farm.[18]
The H1N1 form of swine flu is one of the descendants of the strain that caused the 1918 flu pandemic.[19][20] As well as persisting in pigs, the descendants of the 1918 virus have also circulated in humans through the 20th century, contributing to the normal seasonal epidemics of influenza.[20] However, direct transmission from pigs to humans is rare, with only 12 cases in the U.S. since 2005.[21] Nevertheless, the retention of influenza strains in pigs after these strains have disappeared from the human population might make pigs a reservoir where influenza viruses could persist, later emerging to reinfect humans once human immunity to these strains has waned.[22]
Swine flu has been reported numerous times as a zoonosis in humans, usually with limited distribution, rarely with a widespread distribution. Outbreaks in swine are common and cause significant economic losses in industry, primarily by causing stunting and extended time to market. For example, this disease costs the British meat industry about £65 million pounds every year.[23]
1918 pandemic in humans
The 1918 flu pandemic in humans was associated with H1N1 and influenza appearing in pigs,[20] thus may reflect a zoonosis either from swine to humans, or from humans to swine. Although it is not certain in which direction the virus was transferred, some evidence suggests that, in this case, pigs caught the disease from humans.[17] For instance, swine influenza was only noted as a new disease of pigs in 1918, after the first large outbreaks of influenza amongst people.[17] Although a recent phylogenetic analysis of more recent strains of influenza in humans, birds, and swine suggests that the 1918 outbreak in humans followed a reassortment event within a mammal,[24] the exact origin of the 1918 strain remains elusive.[25]
1976 U.S. outbreak
Main article: 1976 swine flu outbreak
On February 5, 1976, in the United States an army recruit at Fort Dix said he felt tired and weak. He died the next day and four of his fellow soldiers were later hospitalized. Two weeks after his death, health officials announced that the cause of death was a new strain of swine flu. The strain, a variant of H1N1, is known as A/New Jersey/1976 (H1N1). It was detected only from January 19 to February 9 and did not spread beyond Fort Dix.[26]
President Ford receives swine flu vaccinationThis new strain appeared to be closely related to the strain involved in the 1918 flu pandemic. Moreover, the ensuing increased surveillance uncovered another strain in circulation in the U.S.: A/Victoria/75 (H3N2) spread simultaneously, also caused illness, and persisted until March.[26] Alarmed public-health officials decided action must be taken to head off another major pandemic, and urged President Gerald Ford that every person in the U.S. be vaccinated for the disease.[27]
The vaccination program was plagued by delays and public relations problems.[28] On October 1, 1976, the immunization program began and by October 11, approximately 40 million people, or about 24% of the population, had received swine flu immunizations. That same day, three senior citizens died soon after receiving their swine flu shots and there was a media outcry linking the deaths to the immunizations, despite the lack of positive proof. According to science writer Patrick Di Justo, however, by the time the truth was known — that the deaths were not proven to be related to the vaccine — it was too late. "The government had long feared mass panic about swine flu — now they feared mass panic about the swine flu vaccinations." This became a strong setback to the program.[29]
There were reports of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a paralyzing neuromuscular disorder, affecting some people who had received swine flu immunizations. This syndrome is a rare side-effect of modern influenza vaccines, with an incidence of about one case per million vaccinations.[30] As a result, Di Justo writes that "the public refused to trust a government-operated health program that killed old people and crippled young people." In total, less than 33 percent of the population had been immunized by the end of 1976. The National Influenza Immunization Program was effectively halted on Dec. 16.
Overall, about 500 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), resulting in death from severe pulmonary complications for 25 people, which, according to Dr. P. Haber, were probably caused by an immunopathological reaction to the 1976 vaccine. Other influenza vaccines have not been linked to GBS, though caution is advised for certain individuals, particularly those with a history of GBS.[31][32] Still, as observed by a participant in the immunization program, the vaccine killed more Americans than the disease did.[33]
1988 zoonosis
In September 1988, a swine flu virus killed one woman in Wisconsin, and infected at least hundreds of others. 32-year old Barbara Ann Wieners was eight months pregnant when she and her husband, Ed, became ill after visiting the hog barn at the Walworth County Fair. Barbara died eight days later, though doctors were able to induce labor and deliver a healthy daughter before she passed away. Her husband recovered from his symptoms.
Influenza-like illnesses were reportedly widespread among the pigs at the farm they had visited, and 76% of the swine exhibitors there tested positive for antibody to SIV, but no serious illnesses were detected among this group. Additional studies suggested between one and three health care personnel who had contact with the patient developed mild influenza-like illnesses with antibody evidence of swine flu infection.[34][35] However, there was no community outbreak.
1998 US outbreak in swine
In 1998, swine flu was found in pigs in four U.S. states. Within a year, it had spread through pig populations across the United States. Scientists found that this virus had originated in pigs as a recombinant form of flu strains from birds and humans. This outbreak confirmed that pigs can serve as a crucible where novel influenza viruses emerge as a result of the reassortment of genes from different strains.[36][37][38]
2007 Philippine outbreak in swine
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (April 2009)
On August 20, 2007 Department of Agriculture officers investigated the outbreak (epizootic) of swine flu in Nueva Ecija and Central Luzon, Philippines. The mortality rate is less than 10% for swine flu, unless there are complications like hog cholera. On July 27, 2007, the Philippine National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) raised a hog cholera "red alert" warning over Metro Manila and 5 regions of Luzon after the disease spread to backyard pig farms in Bulacan and Pampanga, even if these tested negative for the swine flu virus.[39][40]
2009 outbreak in humans
Main article: 2009 swine flu outbreak
The 2009 flu outbreak is due to a new strain of subtype H1N1 not previously reported in pigs.[41] Following the outbreak, on May 2, 2009, it was reported in pigs at a farm in Alberta, Canada, with a link to the outbreak in Mexico. The pigs are suspected to have caught this new strain of virus from a farm worker who recently returned from Mexico, then showed symptoms of an influenza-like illness.[42] These are probable cases, pending confirmation by laboratory testing. As of May 3, 2009, the new strain has not been reported in pigs in the UK.[43]
The new strain was initially described as apparent reassortment of at least four strains of influenza A virus subtype H1N1, including one strain endemic in humans, one endemic in birds, and two endemic in swine.[44] Subsequent analysis suggested it was a reassortment of just two strains, both found in swine.[2] Although initial reports identified the new strain as swine influenza (ie, a zoonosis originating in swine), its origin is unknown. Several countries took precautionary measures to reduce the chances for a global pandemic of the disease.[45]
Transmission
Electron microscope image of the reassorted H1N1 virus. The viruses are 80–120 nanometres in diameter.[46]
Transmission between pigs
Influenza is quite common in pigs, with about half of breeding pigs having been exposed to the virus in the US.[47] Antibodies to the virus are also common in pigs in other countries.[47]
The main route of transmission is through direct contact between infected and uninfected animals.[14] These close contacts are particularly common during animal transport. The direct transfer of the virus probably occurs either by pigs touching noses, or through dried mucus. Airborne transmission through the aerosols produced by pigs coughing or sneezing are also an important means of infection.[14] The virus usually spreads quickly through a herd, infecting all the pigs within just a few days.[1] Transmission may also occur through wild animals, such as wild boar, which can spread the disease between farms.[48]
Transmission to humans
People who work with poultry and swine, especially people with intense exposures, are at increased risk of zoonotic infection with influenza virus endemic in these animals, and constitute a population of human hosts in which zoonosis and reassortment can co-occur.[49] Transmission of influenza from swine to humans who work with swine was documented in a small surveillance study performed in 2004 at the University of Iowa.[50] This study among others forms the basis of a recommendation that people whose jobs involve handling poultry and swine be the focus of increased public health surveillance.[49]
Transmission to humans usually does not result in influenza in humans.[50] When it does result in influenza, usually the influenza is mild[citation needed] and the basic reproduction number of the virus in human hosts is low enough that an outbreak does not occur.
Interaction with avian H5N1 in pigs
Pigs are unusual as they can be infected with influenza strains that usually infect three different species: pigs, birds and humans.[51] This makes pigs a host where influenza viruses might exchange genes, producing new and dangerous strains.[51] Avian influenza virus H3N2 is endemic in pigs in China and has been detected in pigs in Vietnam, increasing fears of the emergence of new variant strains.[52] H3N2 evolved from H2N2 by antigenic shift.[53] In August 2004, researchers in China found H5N1 in pigs.[54]
Main symptoms of swine flu in swines.[1]These H5N1 infections may be quite common, in a survey of 10 apparently healthy pigs housed near poultry farms in West Java, where avian flu had broken out, five of the pig samples contained the H5N1 virus. The Indonesian government has since found similar results in the same region. Additional tests of 150 pigs outside the area were negative.[55][56]
Signs and symptoms
In swine
In pigs influenza infection produces fever, lethargy, sneezing, coughing, difficulty breathing and decreased appetite.[14] In some cases the infection can cause abortion. Although mortality is usually low (around 1-4%),[1] the virus can produce weight loss and poor growth, causing economic loss to farmers.[14] Infected pigs can lose up to 12 pounds of body weight over a 3 to 4 week period.[14]
In humans
Main symptoms of swine flu in humans [57]
See also: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Symptoms of Swine Flu in YouTubeDirect transmission of a swine flu virus from pigs to humans is occasionally possible (called zoonotic swine flu). In all, 50 cases are known to have occurred since the first report in medical literature in 1958, which have resulted in a total of six deaths.[58] Of these six people, one was pregnant, one had leukemia, one had Hodgkin disease and two were known to be previously healthy.[58] Despite these apparently low numbers of infections, the true rate of infection may be higher, since most cases only cause a very mild disease, and will probably never be reported or diagnosed.[58]
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in humans the symptoms of the 2009 "swine flu" H1N1 virus are similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness in general. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. The 2009 outbreak has shown an increased percentage of patients reporting diarrhea and vomiting.[59] The 2009 H1N1 virus is not zoonotic swine flu, as it is not transmitted from pigs to humans, but from person to person.
Because these symptoms are not specific to swine flu, a differential diagnosis of probable swine flu requires not only symptoms but also a high likelihood of swine flu due to the person's recent history. For example, during the 2009 swine flu outbreak in the United States, CDC advised physicians to "consider swine influenza infection in the differential diagnosis of patients with acute febrile respiratory illness who have either been in contact with persons with confirmed swine flu, or who were in one of the five U.S. states that have reported swine flu cases or in Mexico during the 7 days preceding their illness onset."[60] A diagnosis of confirmed swine flu requires laboratory testing of a respiratory sample (a simple nose and throat swab).[60]
Prevention
Prevention of swine influenza has three components: prevention in swine, prevention of transmission to humans, and prevention of its spread among humans.
Prevention in swine
Methods of preventing the spread of influenza among swine include facility management, herd management, and vaccination. Because much of the illness and death associated with swine flu involves secondary infection by other pathogens, control strategies that rely on vaccination may be insufficient.
Control of swine influenza by vaccination has become more difficult in recent decades, as the evolution of the virus has resulted in inconsistent responses to traditional vaccines. Standard commercial swine flu vaccines are effective in controlling the infection when the virus strains match enough to have significant cross-protection, and custom (autogenous) vaccines made from the specific viruses isolated are created and used in the more difficult cases.[61][62] Present vaccination strategies for SIV control and prevention in swine farms typically include the use of one of several bivalent SIV vaccines commercially available in the United States. Of the 97 recent H3N2 isolates examined, only 41 isolates had strong serologic cross-reactions with antiserum to three commercial SIV vaccines. Since the protective ability of influenza vaccines depends primarily on the closeness of the match between the vaccine virus and the epidemic virus, the presence of nonreactive H3N2 SIV variants suggests that current commercial vaccines might not effectively protect pigs from infection with a majority of H3N2 viruses.[63][64] The United States Department of Agriculture researchers say that while pig vaccination keeps pigs from getting sick, it does not block infection or shedding of the virus.[65]
Facility management includes using disinfectants and ambient temperature to control virus in the environment. The virus is unlikely to survive outside living cells for more than two weeks, except in cold (but above freezing) conditions, and it is readily inactivated by disinfectants.[1] Herd management includes not adding pigs carrying influenza to herds that have not been exposed to the virus. The virus survives in healthy carrier pigs for up to 3 months and can be recovered from them between outbreaks. Carrier pigs are usually responsible for the introduction of SIV into previously uninfected herds and countries, so new animals should be quarantined.[47] After an outbreak, as immunity in exposed pigs wanes, new outbreaks of the same strain can occur.[1]
Prevention in humans
Prevention of pig to human transmission
Swine can be infected by both avian and human influenza strains of influenza, and therefore are hosts where the antigenic shifts can occur that create new influenza strains.The transmission from swine to human is believed to occur mainly in swine farms where farmers are in close contact with live pigs. Although strains of swine influenza are usually not able to infect humans this may occasionally happen, so farmers and veterinarians are encouraged to use a face mask when dealing with infected animals. The use of vaccines on swine to prevent their infection is a major method of limiting swine to human transmission. Risk factors that may contribute to swine-to-human transmission include smoking and not wearing gloves when working with sick animals.[66]
Prevention of human to human transmission
Influenza spreads between humans through coughing or sneezing and people touching something with the virus on it and then touching their own nose or mouth.[67] Swine flu cannot be spread by pork products, since the virus is not transmitted through food.[67] The swine flu in humans is most contagious during the first five days of the illness although some people, most commonly children, can remain contagious for up to ten days. Diagnosis can be made by sending a specimen, collected during the first five days for analysis.[68]
Recommendations to prevent spread of the virus among humans include using standard infection control against influenza. This includes frequent washing of hands with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitizers, especially after being out in public.[69] Although the current trivalent influenza vaccine is unlikely to provide protection against the new 2009 H1N1 strain,[70] vaccines against the new strain are being developed and could be ready as early as June 2009.[71]
Experts agree that hand-washing can help prevent viral infections, including ordinary influenza and the swine flu virus. Influenza can spread in coughs or sneezes, but an increasing body of evidence shows small droplets containing the virus can linger on tabletops, telephones and other surfaces and be transferred via the fingers to the mouth, nose or eyes. Alcohol-based gel or foam hand sanitizers work well to destroy viruses and bacteria. Anyone with flu-like symptoms such as a sudden fever, cough or muscle aches should stay away from work or public transportation and should contact a doctor to be tested.
Social distancing is another tactic. It means staying away from other people who might be infected and can include avoiding large gatherings, spreading out a little at work, or perhaps staying home and lying low if an infection is spreading in a community. Public health and other responsible authorities have action plans which may request or require social distancing actions depending on the severity of the outbreak.
Treatment
In swine
As swine influenza is rarely fatal to pigs, little treatment beyond rest and supportive care is required. [47] Instead veterinary efforts are focused on preventing the spread of the virus throughout the farm, or to other farms.[14] Vaccination and animal management techniques are most important in these efforts. Antibiotics are also used to treat this disease, which although they have no effect against the influenza virus, do help prevent bacterial pneumonia and other secondary infections in influenza-weakened herds. [72]
In humans
If a person becomes sick with swine flu, antiviral drugs can make the illness milder and make the patient feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms). Beside antivirals, palliative care, at home or in hospital, focuses on controlling fevers and maintaining fluid balance. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the use of Tamiflu (oseltamivir) or Relenza (zanamivir) for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses, however, the majority of people infected with the virus make a full recovery without requiring medical attention or antiviral drugs.[73] The virus isolates in the 2009 outbreak have been found resistant to amantadine and rimantadine.[74]
In the U.S., on April 27, 2009, the FDA issued Emergency Use Authorizations to make available Relenza and Tamiflu antiviral drugs to treat the swine influenza virus in cases for which they are currently unapproved. The agency issued these EUAs to allow treatment of patients younger than the current approval allows and to allow the widespread distribution of the drugs, including by non-licensed volunteers.[75]
Swine Flu Update
Important Swine Flu UPDATE
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
I am going to reverse the order of my comment today and place it at the top of the article as I want to highlight an article written by one of the leaders in vaccine safety information awareness.
The latest depths of fear mongering the media has stooped into are really quite shocking. Barbara Loe Fisher from NVIC goes into more specifics in her article below, but one unbelievable example comes from Egypt where they ordered the slaughter of the country's 300,000 pigs, even though no cases have been reported there. Even worse, there are twenty million people in Mexico City, and it is shut down as if there were a nuclear war.
Another example comes from a previously well respected natural health journalist that I no longer recommend, because of his inappropriate and confused positions. Yes folks, there is an amazing amount of irrationality out there.
But let’s focus on the positive!
I want to thank all of you who responded to last Wednesday’s original post on the swine flu (now largely being referred to as H1N1). I continue to regularly update the swine flu article with current statistics, so if you are curious as to the current state of the “pandemic” you can just click on the page for the latest numbers.
I have also included new information on why Tamiflu will NOT work for the swine flu
The swine flu article was the most popular one I ever published, so much so that it set new records for bandwidth at the data center (one of the largest in the country) which hosts this site. It was the 7th most viewed article on the entire Internet on April 29th and has received nearly one million views thus far. If you haven't viewed the H1N1 flu article recently please review it as it has some important edits that were added.
This was largely as a result of your passing this vital and reassuring information onto to your friends and relatives. There is simply no question that this information has made a difference. It has been viewed by over one million people on this site and far more than that on the tens of thousands of sites it has been posted on across the Internet.
The media was literally trying to scare you to death and your actions, by spreading this article across the world last week, helped provide an antidote to their nonsense.
We have proved this model will work - and now has the unquestionable capacity to change the fatally flawed health care system.
To that end I am excited to formally announce the next generation of this site. For the last three years my incredible team has been working on creating the finest health social networking site on the web. We are in the final tweaking stages, and in the next month or so we hope to launch it.
Our new software platform will give the site the capacity to form a type of hybrid between Facebook and Wikipedia. The intention is to create and merge the finest collection of natural health wisdom in the world along with the ability to connect with your friends and family to provide support and assistance.
It is my primary focus for the near future as all my free time and energy is being directed to this project which has the capacity to change the health care system. I am meeting with many major health leaders in the country to brainstorm and better understand how we can explode this into the consciousness of more people.
You saw a taste of what is possible by your actions and this site with the swine flu, but this will pale in comparison to the new capabilities that this site will have in the near future.
The bottom line is that collectively we CAN change the world for good.
So stay tuned and in the meantime please enjoy Barbara’s excellent analysis.
Politics, Profits & Pandemic Fear Mongering
by Barbara Loe Fisher
Are you grabbing your face mask, stocking up on food and Tamiflu, locking your doors and keeping your TV tuned to the news to find out just how bad the "swine flu pandemic" really is going to get?
While Americans are being scared to death, few are noticing how much of their tax money politicians are giving to drug companies and government health officials to grease the skids to create more experimental flu vaccines and drugs and more effective ways to quarantine or force their mass use whenever a "public health emergency" is declared in the future.
Call me cynical but not clueless. The bird's eye view I have had for the past 27 years at the National Vaccine Information Center www.NVIC.org has taught me one thing: the global alliance between Big Pharma and Big Public Health is a prescription for disaster that could extend far beyond a bout with the flu.
The international drama playing out right now before our eyes is an example of how citizens around the world can be easily manipulated by doctors and politicians engaging in fear mongering in the name of disease control to forward agendas that have more to do with ideology, power and corporate profits than health.
In 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued an international call for all nations to do whatever it takes to increase public appetite and demand for annual influenza shots as the main strategy to prepare for an influenza pandemic. In April 2007, the WHO used money donated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to fund the creation of influenza vaccine manufacturing plants in Mexico and other countries one week after the FDA gave Sanofi Pasteur a license to produce an experimental bird flu (H5N1) vaccine. Sanofi Pasteur is just one of many drug companies the U.S. government has given millions of dollars to for the creation of bird flu vaccines.
On February 19, 2009, the FDA's Vaccines & Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) discussed whether to give approval for the testing of experimental bird flu vaccine on American infants. VRBPAC consumer member, also NVIC's Director of Patient Safety Vicky Debold,PhD, warned that testing of an experimental pandemic bird flu vaccine on infants in the absence of a real epidemic and without assurances that unapproved novel oil based (squalene) adjuvants (AS03, MF59) are safe, could pose unacceptable risks in terms of inducing severe immune dysfunction.
On February 27, 2009 it was confirmed that an influenza vaccine maker, Baxter International, had released a mixture of seasonal influenza viruses mixed with unlabeled live bird flu viruses to facilities in Czechoslovakia, Germany, and Slovenia. Baxter, which is waiting for a license to manufacturer bird flu vaccine, explained it was an "accident" and that no harm was done.
On April 23, 2009, the world heard the first news reports about a mysterious pig (H1N1) and bird (H5N1)and human hybrid influenza virus that was making people sick near a Mexican pig farm. By April 30, the WHO had issued a Phase 5 "Alert" warning that the world was facing an imminent pandemic influenza epidemic on the strength of several hundred cases of "swine" flu and less than 10 confirmed deaths.
The pandemic flu panic that has an especially strong grip on people living in Mexico and the U.S., thanks to the governments of both countries declaring a "public health emergency," has been a good thing for pharmaceutical companies in the pandemic flu business. Wall Street revealed that the pandemic scare sent stock prices soaring for drug companies making anti-viral drugs, rapid flu diagnosis tests and influenza vaccines. Sanofi Pasteur, GlaxoSmithKline, Novavax, Baxter, Johnson & Johnson, Roche, BioCryst, and Vical are among the drug companies likely to benefit from the world pandemic panic.
In all the chaos that has Americans running to drug stores to buy face masks, closing schools to wipe desks down with rubbing alcohol and avoiding public transportation, there is action being taken behind the scenes by politicians and government health officials to prepare the way for implementation of future quarantine and mass vaccination of citizens with experimental vaccines and drugs that have by- passed normal FDA regulations for demonstrating purity and potency of pharmaceutical products.
A "public health emergency" has become an excuse to grease the skids and rush to market experimental drugs and vaccines that are not subject to product liability in the civil courts.
The mandated, mass use of multiple vaccines has become big business in the last quarter century since the U.S. Congress passed a law in 1986 shielding vaccine makers and doctors from liability for vaccine injuries and deaths and the numbers of vaccines recommended by the federal health officials for American children multiplied from 23 doses of 7 vaccines to 48 doses of 14 vaccines from birth to age six. For older children and adults, there are several dozen more federally recommended or state mandated vaccinations.
All of this liability protection and government vaccine mandating has been a boon for vaccine profit- making and public health agency empire building. In 1986, four drug companies made and sold vaccines in America and, by 2007, after corporate mergers and acquisitions there were six drug company giants making and selling vaccines in the U.S.
Today, there are more drug companies seeking to enter the lucrative multi- billion dollar U.S. vaccine market as financial predictions for global profits from the worldwide vaccine business by 2010 have climbed to more than $20B.
Politicians should not bow to additional pressure from vaccine manufacturers and public health officials to by-pass normal FDA standards in proving safety and efficacy of pandemic flu vaccines and their components for the purpose of rushing them to market in response to the pandemic panic that has been created. The swine flu debacle of 1976 should have taught Congress that lesson.
A rational perspective that reduces pandemic fear and includes common sense advice for staying healthy in every season is being offered by holistic health doctors, such as Joseph Mercola, D.O. and physician Congressman Ron Paul, M.D. The next time you turn on the TV or the radio or search the internet for the latest news on the flu pandemic, take a deep breath and consider all the natural ways to stay healthy and resist influenza or any illness : washing your hands; eating nutritious food; drinking plenty of pure water; getting enough exercise, rest and sunshine, and lowering stress - which includes not walking around filled with fear, anxiety and dread.
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
I am going to reverse the order of my comment today and place it at the top of the article as I want to highlight an article written by one of the leaders in vaccine safety information awareness.
The latest depths of fear mongering the media has stooped into are really quite shocking. Barbara Loe Fisher from NVIC goes into more specifics in her article below, but one unbelievable example comes from Egypt where they ordered the slaughter of the country's 300,000 pigs, even though no cases have been reported there. Even worse, there are twenty million people in Mexico City, and it is shut down as if there were a nuclear war.
Another example comes from a previously well respected natural health journalist that I no longer recommend, because of his inappropriate and confused positions. Yes folks, there is an amazing amount of irrationality out there.
But let’s focus on the positive!
I want to thank all of you who responded to last Wednesday’s original post on the swine flu (now largely being referred to as H1N1). I continue to regularly update the swine flu article with current statistics, so if you are curious as to the current state of the “pandemic” you can just click on the page for the latest numbers.
I have also included new information on why Tamiflu will NOT work for the swine flu
The swine flu article was the most popular one I ever published, so much so that it set new records for bandwidth at the data center (one of the largest in the country) which hosts this site. It was the 7th most viewed article on the entire Internet on April 29th and has received nearly one million views thus far. If you haven't viewed the H1N1 flu article recently please review it as it has some important edits that were added.
This was largely as a result of your passing this vital and reassuring information onto to your friends and relatives. There is simply no question that this information has made a difference. It has been viewed by over one million people on this site and far more than that on the tens of thousands of sites it has been posted on across the Internet.
The media was literally trying to scare you to death and your actions, by spreading this article across the world last week, helped provide an antidote to their nonsense.
We have proved this model will work - and now has the unquestionable capacity to change the fatally flawed health care system.
To that end I am excited to formally announce the next generation of this site. For the last three years my incredible team has been working on creating the finest health social networking site on the web. We are in the final tweaking stages, and in the next month or so we hope to launch it.
Our new software platform will give the site the capacity to form a type of hybrid between Facebook and Wikipedia. The intention is to create and merge the finest collection of natural health wisdom in the world along with the ability to connect with your friends and family to provide support and assistance.
It is my primary focus for the near future as all my free time and energy is being directed to this project which has the capacity to change the health care system. I am meeting with many major health leaders in the country to brainstorm and better understand how we can explode this into the consciousness of more people.
You saw a taste of what is possible by your actions and this site with the swine flu, but this will pale in comparison to the new capabilities that this site will have in the near future.
The bottom line is that collectively we CAN change the world for good.
So stay tuned and in the meantime please enjoy Barbara’s excellent analysis.
Politics, Profits & Pandemic Fear Mongering
by Barbara Loe Fisher
Are you grabbing your face mask, stocking up on food and Tamiflu, locking your doors and keeping your TV tuned to the news to find out just how bad the "swine flu pandemic" really is going to get?
While Americans are being scared to death, few are noticing how much of their tax money politicians are giving to drug companies and government health officials to grease the skids to create more experimental flu vaccines and drugs and more effective ways to quarantine or force their mass use whenever a "public health emergency" is declared in the future.
Call me cynical but not clueless. The bird's eye view I have had for the past 27 years at the National Vaccine Information Center www.NVIC.org has taught me one thing: the global alliance between Big Pharma and Big Public Health is a prescription for disaster that could extend far beyond a bout with the flu.
The international drama playing out right now before our eyes is an example of how citizens around the world can be easily manipulated by doctors and politicians engaging in fear mongering in the name of disease control to forward agendas that have more to do with ideology, power and corporate profits than health.
In 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued an international call for all nations to do whatever it takes to increase public appetite and demand for annual influenza shots as the main strategy to prepare for an influenza pandemic. In April 2007, the WHO used money donated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to fund the creation of influenza vaccine manufacturing plants in Mexico and other countries one week after the FDA gave Sanofi Pasteur a license to produce an experimental bird flu (H5N1) vaccine. Sanofi Pasteur is just one of many drug companies the U.S. government has given millions of dollars to for the creation of bird flu vaccines.
On February 19, 2009, the FDA's Vaccines & Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) discussed whether to give approval for the testing of experimental bird flu vaccine on American infants. VRBPAC consumer member, also NVIC's Director of Patient Safety Vicky Debold,PhD, warned that testing of an experimental pandemic bird flu vaccine on infants in the absence of a real epidemic and without assurances that unapproved novel oil based (squalene) adjuvants (AS03, MF59) are safe, could pose unacceptable risks in terms of inducing severe immune dysfunction.
On February 27, 2009 it was confirmed that an influenza vaccine maker, Baxter International, had released a mixture of seasonal influenza viruses mixed with unlabeled live bird flu viruses to facilities in Czechoslovakia, Germany, and Slovenia. Baxter, which is waiting for a license to manufacturer bird flu vaccine, explained it was an "accident" and that no harm was done.
On April 23, 2009, the world heard the first news reports about a mysterious pig (H1N1) and bird (H5N1)and human hybrid influenza virus that was making people sick near a Mexican pig farm. By April 30, the WHO had issued a Phase 5 "Alert" warning that the world was facing an imminent pandemic influenza epidemic on the strength of several hundred cases of "swine" flu and less than 10 confirmed deaths.
The pandemic flu panic that has an especially strong grip on people living in Mexico and the U.S., thanks to the governments of both countries declaring a "public health emergency," has been a good thing for pharmaceutical companies in the pandemic flu business. Wall Street revealed that the pandemic scare sent stock prices soaring for drug companies making anti-viral drugs, rapid flu diagnosis tests and influenza vaccines. Sanofi Pasteur, GlaxoSmithKline, Novavax, Baxter, Johnson & Johnson, Roche, BioCryst, and Vical are among the drug companies likely to benefit from the world pandemic panic.
In all the chaos that has Americans running to drug stores to buy face masks, closing schools to wipe desks down with rubbing alcohol and avoiding public transportation, there is action being taken behind the scenes by politicians and government health officials to prepare the way for implementation of future quarantine and mass vaccination of citizens with experimental vaccines and drugs that have by- passed normal FDA regulations for demonstrating purity and potency of pharmaceutical products.
A "public health emergency" has become an excuse to grease the skids and rush to market experimental drugs and vaccines that are not subject to product liability in the civil courts.
The mandated, mass use of multiple vaccines has become big business in the last quarter century since the U.S. Congress passed a law in 1986 shielding vaccine makers and doctors from liability for vaccine injuries and deaths and the numbers of vaccines recommended by the federal health officials for American children multiplied from 23 doses of 7 vaccines to 48 doses of 14 vaccines from birth to age six. For older children and adults, there are several dozen more federally recommended or state mandated vaccinations.
All of this liability protection and government vaccine mandating has been a boon for vaccine profit- making and public health agency empire building. In 1986, four drug companies made and sold vaccines in America and, by 2007, after corporate mergers and acquisitions there were six drug company giants making and selling vaccines in the U.S.
Today, there are more drug companies seeking to enter the lucrative multi- billion dollar U.S. vaccine market as financial predictions for global profits from the worldwide vaccine business by 2010 have climbed to more than $20B.
Politicians should not bow to additional pressure from vaccine manufacturers and public health officials to by-pass normal FDA standards in proving safety and efficacy of pandemic flu vaccines and their components for the purpose of rushing them to market in response to the pandemic panic that has been created. The swine flu debacle of 1976 should have taught Congress that lesson.
A rational perspective that reduces pandemic fear and includes common sense advice for staying healthy in every season is being offered by holistic health doctors, such as Joseph Mercola, D.O. and physician Congressman Ron Paul, M.D. The next time you turn on the TV or the radio or search the internet for the latest news on the flu pandemic, take a deep breath and consider all the natural ways to stay healthy and resist influenza or any illness : washing your hands; eating nutritious food; drinking plenty of pure water; getting enough exercise, rest and sunshine, and lowering stress - which includes not walking around filled with fear, anxiety and dread.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Swine Flu How To Stay Healthy
Stay Healthy
How to Clean and Disinfect Surfaces at Home and in Public Places (CDC)
Will the seasonal flu shot protect me against pandemic influenza?
No, it won't protect you against pandemic influenza. But flu shots can help you to stay healthy.
Get a flu shot to help protect yourself from seasonal flu.
Get a pneumonia shot to prevent secondary infection if you are over the age of 65 or have a chronic illness such as diabetes or asthma. For specific guidelines, talk to your health care provider or call the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Hotline at 1-800-232-4636.
Make sure that your family's immunizations are up-to-date.
Take common-sense steps to limit the spread of germs. Make good hygiene a habit.
Wash hands frequently with soap and water.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Put used tissues in a waste basket.
Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve if you don't have a tissue.
Clean your hands after coughing or sneezing. Use soap and water or an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
Stay at home if you are sick.
It is always a good idea to practice good health habits.
Eat a balanced diet. Be sure to eat a variety of foods, including plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grain products. Also include low-fat dairy products, lean meats, poultry, fish, and beans. Drink lots of water and go easy on salt, sugar, alcohol, and saturated fat.
Exercise on a regular basis and get plenty of rest.
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Get Informed
Knowing the facts is the best preparation. Identify sources you can count on for reliable information. If a pandemic occurs, having accurate and reliable information will be critical.
Reliable, accurate, and timely information is available at www.pandemicflu.gov.
Another source for information on pandemic influenza is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Hotline at: 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636). This line is available in English and Spanish, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. TTY: 1-888-232-6348. Questions can be e-mailed to cdcinfo@cdc.gov.
Look for information on your local and state government Web sites. Links are available to each state department of public health at www.cdc.gov/other.htm#states.
Listen to local and national radio, watch news reports on television, and read your newspaper and other sources of printed and Web-based information.
Talk to your local health care providers and public health officials.
As you begin your individual or family planning, you may want to review your state's planning efforts and those of your local public health and emergency preparedness officials. Many of the state plans and other planning information can be found at pandemicflu.gov/plan/state/index.html.
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Community Guidance
Interim Public Health Guidance for the Use of Facemasks and Respirators in Non-Occupational Community Settings during an Influenza Pandemic (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Provides information on influenza transmission and gives recommendations on when to use masks and respirators in public settings and communities. Gives additional actions to reduce the possibility of infection.
Community Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Mitigation (PDF - 10.3 MB)
CDC guidelines on actions, designed primarily to reduce contact between people, that community government and health officials can take to try to limit the spread of infection should a pandemic flu develop. Appendix 9 contains information for individuals and families.
Plan Now to Be Ready for the Next Flu Pandemic
How to Clean and Disinfect Surfaces at Home and in Public Places (CDC)
Will the seasonal flu shot protect me against pandemic influenza?
No, it won't protect you against pandemic influenza. But flu shots can help you to stay healthy.
Get a flu shot to help protect yourself from seasonal flu.
Get a pneumonia shot to prevent secondary infection if you are over the age of 65 or have a chronic illness such as diabetes or asthma. For specific guidelines, talk to your health care provider or call the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Hotline at 1-800-232-4636.
Make sure that your family's immunizations are up-to-date.
Take common-sense steps to limit the spread of germs. Make good hygiene a habit.
Wash hands frequently with soap and water.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Put used tissues in a waste basket.
Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve if you don't have a tissue.
Clean your hands after coughing or sneezing. Use soap and water or an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
Stay at home if you are sick.
It is always a good idea to practice good health habits.
Eat a balanced diet. Be sure to eat a variety of foods, including plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grain products. Also include low-fat dairy products, lean meats, poultry, fish, and beans. Drink lots of water and go easy on salt, sugar, alcohol, and saturated fat.
Exercise on a regular basis and get plenty of rest.
top of page
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Get Informed
Knowing the facts is the best preparation. Identify sources you can count on for reliable information. If a pandemic occurs, having accurate and reliable information will be critical.
Reliable, accurate, and timely information is available at www.pandemicflu.gov.
Another source for information on pandemic influenza is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Hotline at: 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636). This line is available in English and Spanish, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. TTY: 1-888-232-6348. Questions can be e-mailed to cdcinfo@cdc.gov.
Look for information on your local and state government Web sites. Links are available to each state department of public health at www.cdc.gov/other.htm#states.
Listen to local and national radio, watch news reports on television, and read your newspaper and other sources of printed and Web-based information.
Talk to your local health care providers and public health officials.
As you begin your individual or family planning, you may want to review your state's planning efforts and those of your local public health and emergency preparedness officials. Many of the state plans and other planning information can be found at pandemicflu.gov/plan/state/index.html.
top of page
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Community Guidance
Interim Public Health Guidance for the Use of Facemasks and Respirators in Non-Occupational Community Settings during an Influenza Pandemic (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Provides information on influenza transmission and gives recommendations on when to use masks and respirators in public settings and communities. Gives additional actions to reduce the possibility of infection.
Community Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Mitigation (PDF - 10.3 MB)
CDC guidelines on actions, designed primarily to reduce contact between people, that community government and health officials can take to try to limit the spread of infection should a pandemic flu develop. Appendix 9 contains information for individuals and families.
Plan Now to Be Ready for the Next Flu Pandemic
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Swine Flu Cases And How to Reduce Transmission
More imagesH1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
Last updated May 2, 2009, 12:30 pm ET
U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection
(As of May 2, 2009, 11:00 AM ET) States # of
laboratory
confirmed
cases Deaths
Arizona 4
California 24
Colorado 2
Connecticut 1
Delaware 4
Florida 2
Illinois 3
Indiana 3
Kansas 2
Kentucky* 1
Massachusetts 8
Michigan 2
Minnesota 1
Missouri 1
Nevada 1
New Jersey 7
New York 50
Ohio 1
South Carolina 13
Texas 28 1
Virginia 2
TOTAL (21) 160 cases 1 death
International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization
*Case is resident of KY but currently hospitalized in GA.
CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to an expanding outbreak caused by H1N1 (swine flu).
CDC’s response goals are to:
Reduce transmission and illness severity, and
Provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this emergency.
CDC continues to issue and update interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation. This includes guidance on when to close schools and how to care for someone who is sick at home. Supplies from CDC’s Division of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) are being sent to all 50 states and U.S. territories to help them respond to the outbreak. In addition, the Federal Government and manufacturers have begun the process of developing a vaccine against this new virus.
Response actions are aggressive, but they may vary across states and communities depending on local circumstances. Communities, businesses, places of worship, schools and individuals can all take action to slow the spread of this outbreak. People who are sick are urged to stay home from work or school and to avoid contact with others, except to seek medical care. This action can avoid spreading illness further. More on the Situation
Reports & Publications
Press Briefings
Past Updates on the Situation
General Info on H1N1 Flu
H1N1 Flu & You
Antiviral Drugs
Taking Care of a Sick Person
Facemask & Respirator Use
Images of the Virus
Audio & Video
Info for Specific Groups
Guidance for Professionals
Parents & Caregivers
Child Care Providers
K-12 Schools
Colleges & Universities
Travelers & Travel Industry
What You Can Do to Stay Healthy
Stay informed. This 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.
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.
Call 1-800-CDC-INFO for more information.
Additional Links
PandemicFlu.gov
WHO - Influenza-Like Illness in the United States and Mexico
FDA Press Release: FDA Authorizes Emergency Use of Influenza Medicines, Diagnostic Test in Response to Swine Flu Outbreak in Humans
WHO - Protocol for antiviral susceptibility testing by pyrosequencing
WHO - Sequencing primers and protocol
WHO - CDC protocol of realtime RTPCR for swine influenza A(H1N1)
GenBank Influenza Virus Resource (swine influenza A (H1N1) sequences)
NOTE: This is a rapidly evolving situation and current guidance and other web content may contain variations in how this new H1N1 virus of swine origin is referred to. Over the coming days and weeks, these inconsistencies will be addressed, but in the interests of meeting the agency's response goals, all guidance will remain posted and new guidance will continue to be issued.
Last updated May 2, 2009, 12:30 pm ET
U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection
(As of May 2, 2009, 11:00 AM ET) States # of
laboratory
confirmed
cases Deaths
Arizona 4
California 24
Colorado 2
Connecticut 1
Delaware 4
Florida 2
Illinois 3
Indiana 3
Kansas 2
Kentucky* 1
Massachusetts 8
Michigan 2
Minnesota 1
Missouri 1
Nevada 1
New Jersey 7
New York 50
Ohio 1
South Carolina 13
Texas 28 1
Virginia 2
TOTAL (21) 160 cases 1 death
International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization
*Case is resident of KY but currently hospitalized in GA.
CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to an expanding outbreak caused by H1N1 (swine flu).
CDC’s response goals are to:
Reduce transmission and illness severity, and
Provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this emergency.
CDC continues to issue and update interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation. This includes guidance on when to close schools and how to care for someone who is sick at home. Supplies from CDC’s Division of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) are being sent to all 50 states and U.S. territories to help them respond to the outbreak. In addition, the Federal Government and manufacturers have begun the process of developing a vaccine against this new virus.
Response actions are aggressive, but they may vary across states and communities depending on local circumstances. Communities, businesses, places of worship, schools and individuals can all take action to slow the spread of this outbreak. People who are sick are urged to stay home from work or school and to avoid contact with others, except to seek medical care. This action can avoid spreading illness further. More on the Situation
Reports & Publications
Press Briefings
Past Updates on the Situation
General Info on H1N1 Flu
H1N1 Flu & You
Antiviral Drugs
Taking Care of a Sick Person
Facemask & Respirator Use
Images of the Virus
Audio & Video
Info for Specific Groups
Guidance for Professionals
Parents & Caregivers
Child Care Providers
K-12 Schools
Colleges & Universities
Travelers & Travel Industry
What You Can Do to Stay Healthy
Stay informed. This 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.
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.
Call 1-800-CDC-INFO for more information.
Additional Links
PandemicFlu.gov
WHO - Influenza-Like Illness in the United States and Mexico
FDA Press Release: FDA Authorizes Emergency Use of Influenza Medicines, Diagnostic Test in Response to Swine Flu Outbreak in Humans
WHO - Protocol for antiviral susceptibility testing by pyrosequencing
WHO - Sequencing primers and protocol
WHO - CDC protocol of realtime RTPCR for swine influenza A(H1N1)
GenBank Influenza Virus Resource (swine influenza A (H1N1) sequences)
NOTE: This is a rapidly evolving situation and current guidance and other web content may contain variations in how this new H1N1 virus of swine origin is referred to. Over the coming days and weeks, these inconsistencies will be addressed, but in the interests of meeting the agency's response goals, all guidance will remain posted and new guidance will continue to be issued.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Swine Flu Pandemic Planning Checklist
Pandemic Flu Planning Checklist for Individuals and Families
You can prepare for an influenza pandemic now. You should know both the magnitude of what can happen during a pandemic outbreak and what actions you can take to help lessen the impact of an influenza pandemic on you and your family. This checklist will help you gather the information and resources you may need in case of a flu pandemic.
To plan for a pandemic:
Store a two week supply of water and food. During a pandemic, if you cannot get to a store, or if stores are out of supplies, it will be important for you to have extra supplies on hand. This can be useful in other types of emergencies, such as power outages and disasters.
Periodically check your regular prescription drugs to ensure a continuous supply in your home.
Have any nonprescription drugs and other health supplies on hand, including pain relievers, stomach remedies, cough and cold medicines, fluids with electrolytes, and vitamins.
Talk with family members and loved ones about how they would be cared for if they got sick, or what will be needed to care for them in your home.
Volunteer with local groups to prepare and assist with emergency response.
Get involved in your community as it works to prepare for an influenza pandemic.
To limit the spread of germs and prevent infection:
Teach your children to wash hands frequently with soap and water, and model the correct behavior.
Teach your children to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues, and be sure to model that behavior.
Teach your children to stay away from others as much as possible if they are sick. Stay home from work and school if sick.
Items to have on hand for an extended stay at home:
Examples of food and non-perishables
Examples of medical, health, and emergency supplies
Ready-to-eat canned meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, and soups
Prescribed medical supplies such as glucose and blood-pressure monitoring equipment
Protein or fruit bars
Soap and water, or alcohol-based (60-95%) hand wash
Dry cereal or granola
Medicines for fever, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen
Peanut butter or nuts
Thermometer
Dried fruit
Anti-diarrheal medication
Crackers
Vitamins
Canned juices
Fluids with electrolytes
Bottled water
Cleansing agent/soap
Canned or jarred baby food and formula
Flashlight
Pet food
Batteries
Other non-perishable items
Portable radio
Manual can opener
Garbage bags
Tissues, toilet paper, disposable diapers
Family Emergency Health Information Sheet
Emergency Contacts Form
For More Information
Visit: www.pandemicflu.gov
You can prepare for an influenza pandemic now. You should know both the magnitude of what can happen during a pandemic outbreak and what actions you can take to help lessen the impact of an influenza pandemic on you and your family. This checklist will help you gather the information and resources you may need in case of a flu pandemic.
To plan for a pandemic:
Store a two week supply of water and food. During a pandemic, if you cannot get to a store, or if stores are out of supplies, it will be important for you to have extra supplies on hand. This can be useful in other types of emergencies, such as power outages and disasters.
Periodically check your regular prescription drugs to ensure a continuous supply in your home.
Have any nonprescription drugs and other health supplies on hand, including pain relievers, stomach remedies, cough and cold medicines, fluids with electrolytes, and vitamins.
Talk with family members and loved ones about how they would be cared for if they got sick, or what will be needed to care for them in your home.
Volunteer with local groups to prepare and assist with emergency response.
Get involved in your community as it works to prepare for an influenza pandemic.
To limit the spread of germs and prevent infection:
Teach your children to wash hands frequently with soap and water, and model the correct behavior.
Teach your children to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues, and be sure to model that behavior.
Teach your children to stay away from others as much as possible if they are sick. Stay home from work and school if sick.
Items to have on hand for an extended stay at home:
Examples of food and non-perishables
Examples of medical, health, and emergency supplies
Ready-to-eat canned meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, and soups
Prescribed medical supplies such as glucose and blood-pressure monitoring equipment
Protein or fruit bars
Soap and water, or alcohol-based (60-95%) hand wash
Dry cereal or granola
Medicines for fever, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen
Peanut butter or nuts
Thermometer
Dried fruit
Anti-diarrheal medication
Crackers
Vitamins
Canned juices
Fluids with electrolytes
Bottled water
Cleansing agent/soap
Canned or jarred baby food and formula
Flashlight
Pet food
Batteries
Other non-perishable items
Portable radio
Manual can opener
Garbage bags
Tissues, toilet paper, disposable diapers
Family Emergency Health Information Sheet
Emergency Contacts Form
For More Information
Visit: www.pandemicflu.gov
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