H1N1 Pandemic Influenza Update 9/15/09

This morning I had the opportunity to attend another H1N1 Information session. The main speaker was Dr. David Suarez from the Southeast Poultry Research Lab in Athens. Dr. Suarez went into a little more depth about H1N1 than other presenters that I have heard. Below is my summary of the key points of Dr. Suarez’s presentation.

There are three types of flu. Type A affects humans, swine, horses, dogs, birds and other animals. It has two common subtypes. These are H3N2 which has been present in humans since 1968 and H1N1 which has been present in humans since 1918 with a 20 year absence. All Type A influenzas come originally from wild birds. Type B and Type C influenza only affect humans. Seasonal flu in humans is most often comprised of H1N1, H3N2 and Type B. The seasonal flu vaccine is prepared to address these three strains of the flu. The flu virus is susceptible to detergent and easy to kill with soap and water due to the fat layer that provides a protective layer for the virus. The fat layer can be destroyed with common cleaning fluids and soap and water. Influenza viruses can easily mix and match and produce new offspring with characteristics that may be different from the original virus. The current Novel H1N1 virus has 8 genes. Six of these genes are ones with which researchers are familiar. Two of these genes have not been recognized before and this makes the Novel H1N1 a new virus. Although it was first recognized in Mexico no one knows where it originated. The terms Pandemic H1N1, Novel H1N1 and swine flu all refer to the same illness and can be used interchangeably.

The CDC routinely tracks a group of illnesses that have similar symptoms. These are called Influenza Like Illness (ILI). These illnesses have common symptoms such as fever, cough, nasal congestion, body aches, headaches, sore throat and possibly vomiting and diarrhea. A person does not have to have all these symptoms to have the flu. The flu itself is rarely severe or fatal. The primary cause of death in these situation is bacterial infections that are secondary to the flu or pneumonia.

The word pandemic is a misunderstood term. Pandemic refers to a worldwide epidemic of a new virus. It is not an indicator of severity. The current Pandemic Flu is not more severe than seasonal flu. The concern is that since it is new everyone is susceptible to it. Some predictions are that as many as 30% of the population with get Pandemic H1N1 flu. More than 98% of flu cases at the present time are Pandemic H1N1 flu. There have been 4 human pandemics, including the current one, in the last 110 years each about 30-40 years apart.

The flu is transmitted from person to person in two main ways. One way is through person to person contact. To transmit the flu in this way one person would come into contact with infected droplets from a person’s cough or sneeze. This can only happen if someone is within a few feet of the person who coughs or sneezes. The most likely way to transmit the virus is indirect contact. This is where the virus is picked up from surfaces than contain the virus and then the person touches his/her eyes, nose or mouth. In the summer the virus can only live on surfaces for a short period of time. The best way to avoid becoming infected with the virus from indirect contact is to thoroughly wash your hands before eating or touching your face.

Dr. Suarez mentioned a few websites with good information about preventing the spread of the flu virus. I will try to locate these resources and provide links in the next few days. He also answered a few questions from the audience.
1. Should I get the seasonal flu vaccine? Yes
2. Should I get the H1N1 flu vaccine? Yes!!! It is not yet available but when it is he would recommend everyone who has not already had Novel H1N1 get it.
3. Can I get sick from the vaccine? Not likely. In the mid 70s there were about 500 cases out of millions of vaccines given in which children developed Guillain-Barre Syndrome. The rate was about 1 in a million and would be less likely today because the vaccines are more pure.
4. Is it safe to eat pork? Yes, the virus is a respiratory virus and never gets in the meat.
5. Is H1N1 hard to kill? No – It is the same as seasonal flu and easy to kill with common cleaning materials and techniques. Do not use high levels of bleach where kids are present.
6. What do I do if I think I have H1N1? Call your doctor for guidance.
7. Is the virus likely to mutate? We can’t predict. The severity does not seem to be increasing.
8. Can you get both seasonal flu and H1N1 flu? It is possible but unlikely.
9. Is a fever always present with the flu? No
10. What advice do you have for pregnant women? Get the vaccine to prevent illness. If you get sick first then sick treatment immediately.
11. How long does the virus live on surfaces? It is very variable. Indoors it lives for only a few days. Outdoors in the winter it can live for months. Heat and sunlight tend to deactivate the virus.
12. Have there been enough time to test the H1N1 vaccine? The H1N1 vaccine will receive the same amount of testing that other flu vaccines receive before being approved.

Steven Dumpert from the Northeast Georgia Health District was also present to explain current plans in the district to disperse H1N1 vaccinations. All potential providers including local health departments must register to provide H1N1 flu shots. The local health district does not currently plan to distribute the H1N1 vaccine through schools. However, in some cases schools may be used as a distribution site but not during normal school hours. The flu vaccine will be free but providers may charge up to $14.75 as an administration fee.

This is all for today. I will participate in a conference call tomorrow and will provide a summary as soon as possible.