April 29, 2009
Information Crucial in Fight Against Swine Flu
While local health officials are taking a strong proactive approach to the five cases of swine flu diagnosed in Imperial County, the county's chief health officer says more information is needed to determine the extent of the outbreak and the severity of the disease.
“Swine flu and seasonal flu look the same in the patient, you can't tell by examining the patient, it is only when you get the lab results back that you can tell the difference between them.” - Dr. Stephen Munday, Health Director, Imperial County Department of Public HealtAfter addressing the Imperial County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday regarding the swine flu situation here, Dr. Stephen Munday, Health Officer for the Imperial County Department of Public Health, said that while the death rate from an Influenza-Like-Illness (ILI) in Mexico City is significant, health officials won't know how many of those deaths are due to swine flu, or to other strains of influenza until lab tests can confirm that information.
“There's a lot of people who are ill, but we don't know for sure how many of those people have swine flu,” said Munday.
All five people in Imperial County who have been diagnosed with the disease have recovered.
Munday cautioned that people with flu-like symptoms could have a strain of the flu that is not swine flu. Several cases of an ILI have been reported in Mexicali, but Munday said lab results are the only way to determine if the swine flu virus is present.
“Everybody is making all these assumptions - maybe it is swine flu, but we don't know yet,” said Munday. “It has symptoms that are suggestive of influenza, but until you get a laboratory confirmation, you don't know for sure that it is influenza.”
But he added that health officials around the world are still very concerned about the swine flu virus, and he spelled out the reasons for the concern.
“The reason that it's a concern is because at some point in time a new flu comes along, gets into people, and then it's spread from person to person. That's why we are seeing this now,” Munday said. “This one somehow got into people, we don't know exactly how yet, and probably a few cases occurred early on, but those people recovered without really infecting anybody else. This one clearly now can go from person to person because we are seeing what we call secondary cases. That's what makes us worry about epidemics and pandemics because the new one comes along, it can now go person to person, and ... we don't have immunity against this, and therefore it is more likely it will be spread to large numbers of people."
Munday added the swine flu virus symptoms are similar to other strains of the flu, so that unless an individual sees a doctor to get tested, it would difficult for a person to know it they had the disease.
“Swine flu and seasonal flu look the same in the patient, you can't tell by examining the patient, it is only when you get the lab results back that you can tell the difference between them,” said Munday.
“The incubation period in the United States appears to be about two to seven days, which is typical for what you see with an influenza virus." - Dr. Richard Besser, Acting Director, Center for Disease Control and PreventionWhile Imperial County officials continue to respond to the situation here, more documented cases of the disease are surfacing around the world.
According the the World Health Organization Web site, seven countries have now officially reported cases of swine influenza A/H1N1 infection. The U. S. has reported 91 laboratory confirmed human cases, with one death. A 22-month-old child from Mexico died in Texas on Monday.
Mexico has reported 26 confirmed human cases of infection including seven deaths. Those totals may rise as lab tests are completed.
To view the WHO Web site, click HERE
According to Dr. Richard Besser, the acting director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, after exposure to the virus, symptoms usually appear within a week.
“The incubation period in the United States appears to be about two to seven days, which is typical for what you see with an influenza virus.” Besser said in a press conference.
The CDC also issued a warning advising against any non-essential travel to the country of Mexico. It has also advised anyone who does have to travel to Mexico who has a high risk for severe illness from influenza (such as persons with chronic conditions such as diabetes, lung disease, heart disease, or the elderly) to take antiviral medications while they are traveling.
For the latest information on the swine flu investigation, and a list of swine flu symptoms from the Center for Disease Control, Click HERE
Health officials say if an individual is exhibiting symptoms of the disease, they should take the following precautions:
- Stay at home to avoid spreading the disease.
- Cover the mouth and nose when sneezing, and safely dispose of used tissues.
- Wash hand thoroughly and often with soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Get rest, eat a balanced diet, and make sure to drink an adequate amount of water.
Members of the public who have questions related to swine influenza can call the Imperial County Department of Public Health at 760-482-4968.
To view the Imperial County Department of Public Health Web site, Click HERE
“Swine flu and seasonal flu look the same in the patient, you can't tell by examining the patient, it is only when you get the lab results back that you can tell the difference between them.” - Dr. Stephen Munday, Health Director, Imperial County Department of Public HealtAfter addressing the Imperial County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday regarding the swine flu situation here, Dr. Stephen Munday, Health Officer for the Imperial County Department of Public Health, said that while the death rate from an Influenza-Like-Illness (ILI) in Mexico City is significant, health officials won't know how many of those deaths are due to swine flu, or to other strains of influenza until lab tests can confirm that information.
“There's a lot of people who are ill, but we don't know for sure how many of those people have swine flu,” said Munday.
All five people in Imperial County who have been diagnosed with the disease have recovered.
Munday cautioned that people with flu-like symptoms could have a strain of the flu that is not swine flu. Several cases of an ILI have been reported in Mexicali, but Munday said lab results are the only way to determine if the swine flu virus is present.
“Everybody is making all these assumptions - maybe it is swine flu, but we don't know yet,” said Munday. “It has symptoms that are suggestive of influenza, but until you get a laboratory confirmation, you don't know for sure that it is influenza.”
But he added that health officials around the world are still very concerned about the swine flu virus, and he spelled out the reasons for the concern.
“The reason that it's a concern is because at some point in time a new flu comes along, gets into people, and then it's spread from person to person. That's why we are seeing this now,” Munday said. “This one somehow got into people, we don't know exactly how yet, and probably a few cases occurred early on, but those people recovered without really infecting anybody else. This one clearly now can go from person to person because we are seeing what we call secondary cases. That's what makes us worry about epidemics and pandemics because the new one comes along, it can now go person to person, and ... we don't have immunity against this, and therefore it is more likely it will be spread to large numbers of people."
Munday added the swine flu virus symptoms are similar to other strains of the flu, so that unless an individual sees a doctor to get tested, it would difficult for a person to know it they had the disease.
“Swine flu and seasonal flu look the same in the patient, you can't tell by examining the patient, it is only when you get the lab results back that you can tell the difference between them,” said Munday.
“The incubation period in the United States appears to be about two to seven days, which is typical for what you see with an influenza virus." - Dr. Richard Besser, Acting Director, Center for Disease Control and PreventionWhile Imperial County officials continue to respond to the situation here, more documented cases of the disease are surfacing around the world.
According the the World Health Organization Web site, seven countries have now officially reported cases of swine influenza A/H1N1 infection. The U. S. has reported 91 laboratory confirmed human cases, with one death. A 22-month-old child from Mexico died in Texas on Monday.
Mexico has reported 26 confirmed human cases of infection including seven deaths. Those totals may rise as lab tests are completed.
To view the WHO Web site, click HERE
According to Dr. Richard Besser, the acting director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, after exposure to the virus, symptoms usually appear within a week.
“The incubation period in the United States appears to be about two to seven days, which is typical for what you see with an influenza virus.” Besser said in a press conference.
The CDC also issued a warning advising against any non-essential travel to the country of Mexico. It has also advised anyone who does have to travel to Mexico who has a high risk for severe illness from influenza (such as persons with chronic conditions such as diabetes, lung disease, heart disease, or the elderly) to take antiviral medications while they are traveling.
For the latest information on the swine flu investigation, and a list of swine flu symptoms from the Center for Disease Control, Click HERE
Health officials say if an individual is exhibiting symptoms of the disease, they should take the following precautions:
- Stay at home to avoid spreading the disease.
- Cover the mouth and nose when sneezing, and safely dispose of used tissues.
- Wash hand thoroughly and often with soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Get rest, eat a balanced diet, and make sure to drink an adequate amount of water.
Members of the public who have questions related to swine influenza can call the Imperial County Department of Public Health at 760-482-4968.
To view the Imperial County Department of Public Health Web site, Click HERE