Prevent Swine Flu

Posts Tagged ‘swine flu’

The ongoing outbreak of novel influenza A (H1N1) continues to expand in the United States and internationally. CDC expects that more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths from this outbreak will occur over the coming days and weeks.

CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to an expanding outbreak caused by novel H1N1 flu.

CDC’s response goals are to:

1. Reduce transmission and illness severity, and
2. Provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this emergency.

CDC is issuing updated interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation. This includes updated interim guidance for clinicians on how to identify and care for people who are sick with novel H1N1 flu now that more widespread illness has been detected in the United States. CDC recommends that testing and antiviral treatment be prioritized for those with severe respiratory illness and those at highest risk of complications from seasonal influenza. This includes children younger than 5 years old, pregnant women, people with chronic medical conditions and weakened immune systems, and people 65 years and older. In addition, CDC has provided information for the public on what to do if they develop flu-like symptoms.

CDC has completed deployment of 25 percent of the supplies in the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) to all states in the continental United States. These supplies and medicines will help states and U.S. territories respond to the outbreak. In addition, the Federal Government and manufacturers have begun the process of developing a vaccine against the novel H1N1 flu 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.

Joe Raedle / Getty

Since this global swine flu issue is taking off in the media and by word of mouth nearly everywhere you turn, there’s no wondering why so many people may easily panic and overact to even the smallest sign that they feel ill right now. Because of this terror instilled in people, some are going so far as to pour into emergency rooms in many states across our country; they fear they have this horrifying disease. It is strongly urged that people DO NOT rush to the emergency room if they start feeling the tiniest inkling that they have contracted swine flu. Like, “oh, my throat hurts…”, or “I feel more tired than i usually do”, or “what’s with my coughing and sniffling?, that can’t be good!”

It also burdens hospitals, the more that “just paranoid” people that start rushing to ER.  Having to examine people who aren’t really sick puts a toll on the already strained/stressed hospitals that are trying to prepare for a pandemic. Additionally, going to an emergency room without just cause may even put you further in harms way and risk your health. In past outbreaks, including SARS in 2003, hospitals were actually breeding grounds of infections — all those sick people in close proximity — and the same could be true of swine flu.

“If you actually have flu-like symptoms — a fever above 100° F, headache, sore throat, body aches, chills or fatigue — and you live in an area where there have been confirmed swine flu cases, by all means report to your doctor. Otherwise, leave the hospital to the sick people.”

ARTICLE FEATURED ON TIME.COM

Check out this handy PowerPoint presentation on Swine flu Prevention measures.

Overnight reports filtered in from Louisiana state government officials that confirm 62 cases of suspected N1H1 Swine Flu have been sent to the CDC for strain testing.

We will update this as the virus spreads across Texas and Louisiana.

People around the world are trying to get their hands on more information about the newest crisis headlining the news, swine flu. One source, the Wikipedia site has posted the following information in regard to the swine flu outbreak touching countries around the world:

“The 2009 swine flu outbreak is the spread of a new strain of H1N1 influenza virus that was first detected by public health agencies in March 2009. Localized outbreaks of influenza-like illness were detected in three areas initially in Mexico and soon after in the United States and Canada. Following the discovery of the new strain in the United States, its presence was quickly suspected on most continents, with over 1,800 candidate cases by April 27. Because it is not possible to confirm every one of such cases as being caused by an influenza virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) refers to them collectively as influenza-like illnesses (ILI).

The new strain is derived in part from human influenza virus A (subtype H1N1), and in part from two strains of swine influenza as well as an avian influenza. In April both the WHO and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expressed serious concerns about this novel strain, because it apparently transmits from human to human, has had a relatively high mortality rate in Mexico, and because it has the potential to become a flu pandemic.

On April 25, 2009, the WHO determined the situation to be a formal “public health emergency of international concern”, with knowledge lacking in regard to “the clinical features, epidemiology, and virology of reported cases and the appropriate responses”. Government health agencies around the world also expressed concerns over the outbreak and are monitoring the situation closely.”

Normally found in pigs, swine flu is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease.  It spreads through tiny particles in the air or by direct contact.  According to the World Health Organization (WHO) it has a tendency to infect large numbers of the pig population.   Not every animal infected displays symptoms but the flu kills between 1 and 4 percent of those affected.  Humans usually become infected through contact with pigs; though in some cases human-to-human transmission has been reported.

The recent swine flu outbreak appears to have caused fatalities in humans in Mexico as well as nonfatal cases in the United States. WHO has urged countries around the world to be alert for dubious cases of influenza.  Comparisons with the 1918 epidemic are premature, but WHO Chief Margaret Chan says the global body is taking the outbreak very seriously. Serious study and monitoring is needed and preventing the spread of swine flu is key to stopping it from becoming an pandemic.

Since the swine flu outbreaks in Mexico and U.S. were first noted, the risk of a pandemic has grown.  Health officials worry the swine flu might progress into a variety more easily spread among humans.  Experts worry that it is more likely a pandemic strain will emerge the more the virus circulates.  Though there is no way to accurately predict when and if that will happen.

Swine flu is considered widespread in the United States even though in North America pigs are routinely vaccinated for swine flu.  There is no vaccine for humans at this time.  The flu virus evolves quickly, making vaccines obsolete as almost as soon as developed.  There is no implication that the vaccine prepared for seasonal flu will defend against swine flu according to health officials.

Good hygiene is necessary in terms of prevention. Regular hand-washing and staying a safe distance from those infected are advised.  Q-Based Healthcare offers a variety of products to help with disinfecting needs.   PuraCleenRx READY-TO-USE Disinfectant Spray is designed specifically as a general non-acid cleaner and disinfectant for use in homes, hospitals, nursing homes, patient rooms, operating rooms, ICU areas, schools, transportation terminals, office buildings, manufacturing facilities, lodging establishments, retail businesses, veterinary clinics, pet shops, animal life science laboratories and athlete/recreational facilities where housekeeping is of prime importance in controlling the hazard of cross contamination.