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Death toll of H1N1 reaches 4,000 in the US

11/12/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

In a recent estimate by the Center of Disease Control, H1N1 flu claimed the lives of 4,000 people since the disease spread to the United States in April. The number was more than the 1,000 that was previously reported. The rise in mortality was explained by adding the deaths caused by flu complications such as pneumonia and other infections.

So far about 40,000 people stricken with the H1N1 virus have been treated in hospitals. Authorities believe that the swine flu will not cause deaths more than the ordinary seasonal flu which kills about 36,000 people in the US yearly. The World Health Organization has placed the death toll of H1N1 pandemic to 6,000 across the continents.

The vaccine for H1N1 is now available and being administered to vulnerable individuals including those with pre-existing medical condition such as asthma, end stage renal disease, diabetes, those undergoing chemotherapy and immunosuppression. (Photo Credit: Amadaruth) =0=

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Labels: CDC, death, H1N1 virus, Health, influenza virus, mortality, Swine flu, Totie Mesia, update, US, vaccination, vaccine

WHO declares H1N1 flu a pandemic; RP’s cases rise to 92

6/12/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

After weeks of weighing in the right time to declare a pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) finally ruled on Thursday, June 11, 2009 that the swine flu which caused illness and death to 27,737 and 141 people respectively, had reached pandemic level. It’s the first pandemic to be categorized in more than 40 years.

The new viral infection which has spread to 74 countries usually manifests as a mild illness and uncommonly cause death. Health authorities however emphasize the need for prevention and more caution. The virus is highly transmissible and quite unpredictable. It has a potential to transform and grow in virulence as it affects different populations of the world.

The decision to raise the disease to level 6 underscores the need for vigilance, prevention and control by various governments. The pandemic will spur the production of vaccines and drugs to fight the disease. It will require more money to keep the illness under control.

The raising the alert to the highest level coincides with the increase of cases in the Philippines to about 100, the highest number of those sickened so far by the swine infection in Southeast Asia. With the unpredictability the infection, one can just hope that the effort by the health authorities will lessen the incidence, mortality and morbidity of the pandemic in the country.

What is a pandemic?

A pandemic is a new infectious disease that spreads around the world.

The best recent example of a pandemic is AIDS, caused by a virus new to humans: HIV.

Seasonal flu viruses spread around the globe and cause 250,000 to 500,000 deaths each year -- including some 36,000 annual deaths in the U.S. But seasonal flu isn't considered a pandemic, even though the viruses that cause them change a little from season to season.

One of the seasonal flu viruses is a type A H1N1 virus. But the type H1N1 swine flu virus that appeared in 2009 is an entirely different virus. It carries genes from swine flu viruses from North America and Eurasia as well as genes from human and bird flu viruses.

Humans have never before been infected with this virus. That means that nobody is immune, although some people born before 1957 may have been exposed to an ancestor virus that could possibly give them a small degree of protection.

Because the vast majority of people are vulnerable to the 2009 H1N1 swine flu virus, because it spreads easily from person to person, and because the virus is spreading in communities in different parts of the world, the current swine flu has reached pandemic proportions.

Flu pandemics occur regularly. That's because there are many kinds of flu viruses in animals (mostly birds), but so far only a few have evolved the ability to infect humans. There were three flu pandemics in the 20th century: in 1918, in 1957, and in 1968. Source: WebMD (06/11/09, Daniel J. DeNoon; Louise Chang, MD)

What is WHO doing to respond?

"WHO continues to help all countries respond to the situation. The world cannot let down its guard and WHO must help the world remain and become better prepared.
WHO's support to countries takes three main forms: technical guidance, materials support, and training of health care system personnel.

WHO's primary concern is to strengthen and support health systems in countries with less resources. Health systems need to be able to prevent, detect, treat and mitigate cases of illness associated with this virus.

WHO is also working to make stocks of medicines (such as antivirals and antibiotics) and an eventual pandemic vaccine more accessible and affordable to developing countries.

Both antivirals and vaccines have important roles in treatment and prevention respectively. However, existing stocks of antivirals are unlikely to meet the demand. And vaccines may be developed, but it will some months.

Therefore, rational use of the limited resources will be essential. And medicines are only part of the response. WHO is also deploying diagnostic kits, medicines and masks and gloves for health care settings, teams of scientific experts, and medical technicians so countries in need can respond to local epidemics.

A pandemic sets national authorities in motion to implement preparedness plans, identify cases as efficiently as possible, and minimize serious illness and deaths with proper treatment.

The goal is to reduce the impact of the pandemic on society."---Source: www.who.int (Photo Credit: Amanda Ruth) =0=

RELATED BLOG: "Mitigation versus containment in the fight against the H1N1 flu" Posted by mesiamd at 6/09/2009

UDATE: June 14, 2009. Surveillance of H1n1 cases in the Philippines added more cases to the previous count---now totalling to 111 cases after a few grade school students in Nueva Ecija tested positive to the swine flu infection. =0=

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Labels: diseases, epidemic, Flu, H1N1 virus, Health, Influenza, Medicine, morbidity, mortality, pandemic, Swine flu, Totie Mesia, update, WHO

Mitigation versus containment in the fight against the H1N1 flu

6/09/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

The sudden rise of H1N1 flu cases in the Philippines to 46 had Dr. Francisco Duque III of the Department of Health (DOH) and his team to shift gear in the battle against the viral infection. Early on, containment was the goal to stop the spread of the swine flu at the bud, but the sharp increase of those stricken with the disease, made them to resort to “mitigation”----a lesser goal to reduce the outbreak’s spread and severity.

“As more and more cases were confirmed daily, Duque said health authorities were no longer doing contact tracing since the virus was being transmitted much faster than they could trace and quarantine all contacts of those infected with the virus.

"It offers little benefit to do extensive tracing of this virus when it is clear that the disease can be passed on to others at a rate faster than it will ever be humanly possible to find the contacts,” he said.

“This means that we only do early detection and aggressive treatment of cases as they come, especially for those with high-risk preexisting conditions. Those manifesting mild symptoms can be managed and monitored at home so that only patients at risk of developing complications ‘----PDI (06/08/09, Pazzibugan, D.)

What Dr. Duque says is that the illness is out of the genie box and absolute control is unrealistic. Minimization of the disease’ potential impact is the "better" course of action. Reducing the severity of exposure is now the strategy knowing that the exposed have become more difficult to track.

This comes at a time of the opening of classes. And rainy season is at hand. Dengue, another health hazard carried by mosquitoes is brewing in the air. In greater numbers, more people have become possible swine flu and dengue hemorrhagic fever carriers thus making more infections in the community possible.

To date, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified the Philippines to have the highest number of swine flu cases in Southeast Asia. As of its latest tally on June 8, 2009, WHO listed 73 countries affected by the swine flu with a total of 25,288 confirmed cases and 139 recorded deaths. (Photo Credit: CDC) =0=

UPDATE: June 9, 2009: Follow up update revealed 57 cases of swine flu in the Philippines. Many of the recently infected had been students in Manila and those with history of travel outside the country. Vigilance, personal responsibility, and self-help to prevent the disease are in order to limit the spread of the infection.

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Labels: dengue, diseases, DOH, Dr. Francisco Duque, epidemic, H1N1 virus, Influenza, Swine flu, Totie, update, WHO

UP Ibalon Bicol

Death toll of H1N1 reaches 4,000 in the US

WHO declares H1N1 flu a pandemic; RP’s cases rise to 92

Mitigation versus containment in the fight against the H1N1 flu

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