Swine Flu

India has reported 1000 cases of swine flu (H1N1) virus, including 59 deaths which occurred this spring 2012 and the number of cases is expected to grow because of dry weather in Central and South Central India.

Which are the most affected with swine flu virus states in India? Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka Rajashthan are among 13 states affected with the virus H1N1, which have contributed most to the numbers and are known to have dry weather.

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad provided this report and said that the deaths from swine flu occurred despite government efforts to restrain the swine flu (H1N1).

Most affected with swine flu states in India are: - Maharashtra reported the maximum number of 487 cases and 20 deaths; - Andhra Pradesh reported 115 cases and 12 deaths; - Rajasthan reported 116 cases with 12 deaths; - Karnataka had 171 cases were reported, including eight deaths.

The Union government has directed Indian states to follow special instructions on categorization, triage and testing of patients in 45 laboratories.

Pharmaceutical companies have decided to start again the production of the swine flu (H1N1) medication Oseltamivir, which they had stopped last year due to very few cases of swine flu comparing to the last year when the swine flu (H1N1) pandemic was at its height.

Swine flu (H1N1) was declared a pandemic by the WHO in 2009 and this status still continues to exist. Though it is considered that swine flu (H1N1) is spreading more in dry climate, scientists must establish a connection between climate and spread of swine flu virus.

Although Indian state health authorities said that swine flu (H1N1) was under control, they announced about another death in Davangere.

Along with this case, the swine flu virus has claimed 7 cases from January 2012 — 2 from Kolar, 2 from Bangalore, 1 from Chickballpur, 1 from Tumkur.

Besides this, 11 people tested positive for swine flu this week, so the total number of confirmed swine flu cases is 107. Private hospital in Davangere, where the death was reported, was yet to send the death report.

Sporadic cases are reported from the city of Davangere and from across it. This is because there is more awareness about swine flu (H1N1) today. Eight positive cases of 46 suspected samples have been reported and treated in Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases.

The situation is much better this time in comparison with last year when people in panic overfilled hospitals.

Specialists say that sudden changes in weather help H1N1 virus to spread.

Although cold weather was favorable for H1N1 virus to thrive, more cases were reported from across the world this summer because of sudden changes in temperature.

There is no evidence to show any mutation of H1N1 virus.

During 2009 - 2010 swine flu (H1N1) pandemic caused mild sneezing and coughing in some individuals and ended up with death for others. It rises up a question - why are some individuals are more resistant to swine flu than others?

American and British scientists found out the answer. In famous journal called Nature, scientists say that they have found a gene that has its impact on human vulnerability to influenza. The gene called IFITM3 is crucial first line of defense against influenza.

IFITM3 protein prevents influenza virus from multiplying in cells, sending them to waste disposal. If a man has a high amount of IFITM3, he is lucky, because it weakens the spread of influenza virus. Low amount of IFITM3 can lead to more fast viral multiplication, causing severe influenza symptoms.

Scientists found that gene IFITM3 played a role in resistance to influenza and other viruses.

In the experiment participated 53 patients who were hospitalized with influenza in 2009 - 2010. Scientists found that these patients were more likely to have a variant of the IFITM3 gene that codes for shortened version of the protein (this makes people more vulnerable to influenza) compared with healthy people. About one in 400 individuals carry this IFITM3 variant.

Scientists claim that several factors (not only IFITM3) contribute to a person’s vulnerability to influenza. However, results of the study show that it may be possible to screen individuals for the IFITM3 gene variant and send them to vaccinations or preventive treatments during influenza epidemics.

In the wake of increasing number of swine flu (H1N1) cases in India, health care providers  told that Pali , Churu, Jaipur, Jodhpur districts are most vulnerable to this type of influenza. Two more people tested positive for swine flu (H1N1, thus the number of cases has increased to 12 in Jaipur, of whom 2 people have died.

Rajkumar Sharma, minister of India for health, visited Sawai Man Singh hospital to familiarize with the aids to detect and numerate the swine flu (H1N1). Megh Singh, a resident of Sirsi Road was tested positive for swine flu along with 5-year-old Vansh, a resident of Bani Park.

The health department held a meeting on which was presented swine flu (H1N1) review. This meeting was visited by chief health secretary BN Sharma along with health director BR Meena and other department functionaries. The department presented crews to control the situation, which should control the increasing number of influenza cases in 4 districts. The department constituted 60 teams for Jaipur, which would inspect different parts of the city for 15 days.

Chief health secretary BN Sharma told that crews would conduct house-to-house survey to detect people with symptoms of cold and cough. Also they would take swab specimen and screen these people to detect swine flu (H1N1) patients. The teams would inform people about swine flu and its signs and symptoms.

BN Sharma said medications used in swine flu (H1N1) treatment are available in large amounts at government district hospitals, community health centers and primary heath centers. Moreover, the department would provide free swine flu (H1N1) testing facility for children under 5 years, below poverty line families, pregnant women, disabled people, widows.

The flu season has finally begun and  this is the mildest influenza season.  The uncommonly warm winter in the USA this year might play a role, Flu viruses survive longer on surfaces in cold, dry weather, and cold weather makes men, women and children stay indoors, where they are more likely to transmit the flu.

Much fewer Americans than usually have been hospitalized with influenza, and there have been only  three confirmed flu deaths among children this season, compared with 122 last season and more than 200 during the swine flu pandemic of 2009 – 2010.

Only two American states  (Colorado , California) have reported wide-spread influenza activity on the agency’s weekly "FluView" report.  The C.D.C. declares a flu season officially started after 3 weeks in which more than 10% of all respiratory samples reported to it contain an influenza virus.

An unusual peculiarity of this season is that the great majority of those samples are of A (H3N2) influenza strain. The next most common are from the B group. In an ordinary American influenza  season, A (H1N1) is the most common strain, especially at the onset.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), B influenza is predominant in China. The 2009 pandemic strain A (H1N1) is prevalent in Southeast Asia and in Mexico.  Influenza shots among the Americans who belong to risk groups (pregnant women, young children)  have been trending upward slowly but steadily.

Studies showed that mixed treatment of swine flu with anti-viral drugs and steroids within a week improved body functions  n diseased people. People with severe infections of pandemic influenza A (H1N1),  pneumonia may have complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

The discovery was made in Buenos Aires (Argentina), where in reanimation department of a hospital were found 13 patients (average age 39) with a suspicion for swine flu, severe anoxia requiring artificial lung ventilation, and sepsis. Researchers evaluated responses on treatment with combination of oseltamivir and steroids as an addition to ordinary treatment with antibiotics.

Patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) got methylprednisolone (1 mg/kg daily), other patients got hydrocortisone (300 mg daily) for 21 days. Most patients (62%) received vasoconstrictors because of collapse.

In 12 of 13 patients researchers observed significant improvement of function of lungs and other organs by 7th day of treatment, later they were extubated and discharged from reanimation department. Five non-diabetic patients showed hyperglycemia and doctors prescribed them insulin. None of patients got digestive hemorrhage or neuro-muscular weakness.

Steroids do reduce inflammatory response which probably leads to deaths from swine flu (H1N1) in healthy people with strong immune system. Encouraging results of this study show that small doses of steroids may be beneficial for people with a suspicion for swine flu (H1N1). However, those patients require an attentive supervision because of possible side effects.

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Making lots of humans coughing and sneezing this winter, viruses thus are doing their dirty work, However few of them have influenza. Health experts must predict whether an influenza season will be mild or severe and when the disease will peak. In fact, there is no typical flu season, as we saw in 2009 when H1N1 swine flu pandemic spread the whole globe.

In 2011 pharmacies began offering flu shots in August, earlier than usual. Influenza has been slow to arrive. North Carolina saw a rise in flu-like illness around New Year's Day, followed by a modest drop. Health experts say, now the numbers are starting to rise again. Actual influenza cases are not counted.

The USA health experts keeps track of "influenza-like illness" by surveying more than 100 "sentinel sites," such as health departments and doctors' offices. For the second year in sequence health officials recommend to make vaccinations against influenza for people six months of age or older.

Modern 2012 vaccine contains the same 3 viruses as last year, including the swine flu (H1N1) strain.  However, health officials say that individuals should get vaccinated again because protection lasts for about a year.

Individuals 65 and older can get a high-dose shot that contains 4 times the amount of antigen as the typical shot. Study shows the vaccine produced higher antibody levels for a better response. However, it is not yet known whether that will lead to fewer individuals getting influenza.

With the proliferation of pharmacy clinics offering flu vaccine, traditional vaccine providers have seen a decline by 25% in demand.

Influenza prevention tips:

1) wash your hands frequently with soap

2) avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes.

3) cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue

4) stay home when you are sick and until you are fever-free for at least 24 hours

5) get enough sleep

6) reduce stress

7) eat healthy diet to maintain a strong immunity

Could the mild winter weather be keeping influenza at length? Did people follow health care providers advice and get vaccinations? Probably, the influenza has not arrived yet in Illinois. Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta (Georgia) says that Illinois is one of ten states in the USA with no influenza activity. CDC’s most recent influenza map shows most other states reporting sporadic flu activity, and only Colorado shows outbreaks.

Specialists say that his has been a very mild flu season so far. Usually, influenza peaks occur between mid-January and early February. It is known that influenza viruses tend to thrive in cold weather.

The warm weather could prevent traditional outbreak of influenza. Some specialists are suggesting influenza vaccination administered this year appears to be a good match for the viruses. The vaccinations are made 6 - 8 months before influenza season.

The CDC recommends a yearly influenza vaccination as the first and most important step to protecting against flu viruses. Anyone six months old and older should be vaccinated. High-risk groups include pregnant women, children under 5 (especially children younger than 2 years old), people 65 and older, and those with chronic medical conditions. Once vaccinated, it takes 2 weeks for the body’s immunity to build a resistance to the influenza viruses. Most pharmacies still have flu vaccines available,

Remember that both the whooping cough (pertussis) and the influenza are very contagious. To avoid both illnesses, people should follow next rules: 1) wash your hands 2) cover your cough 3) stay home when you are sick

A baby from USA (Minnesota) has developed a very rare strain of swine flu called the H1N2 virus which is common in pigs in the Upper Midwest. The boy is the second human who contracted H1N2 ever.

How did the baby-boy caught the H1N2 virus? Not because of anything he did, neither he nor his family had direct contact with pigs. This case is a rare mutation of the influenza virus.  While Minnesota health officials said that there is no reason to worry, they also said the boy is living proof of how difficult it is to manage the flu virus.

Generally influenzas change a little bit, When the virus changes substantially, that is when a pandemic can occur and that is what happened in 2009. Up to 6,000 humans died in the USA in 2009 during a 7-month outbreak of the H1N1 swine flu virus.

This boy's strain of H1N2 is not as serious, because the boy quickly recovered, and the virus does not spread as easily.  There were not observed any additional cases in the USA.

The boy was diagnosed with virus in October and since then he has recovered.  H1N2 is not protected against by influenza shot, which does cover the H1N1 virus.

A new swine influenza strain has infected ten people in the USA since summer 2011 and this made health authorities around the world to be on the alert for more new cases.  New influenza strain includes parts of influenza virus H3N2 circulating in USA pigs, and the H1N1 virus from the 2009 worldwide influenza outbreak.

New influenza strains develop when flu viruses combine in new ways. They can present health risks because humans haven’t yet developed immunity to them.

Since July, 9 children and a 58-year-old man in the USA were diseased with new swine flu strain, which took up a gene from the H1N1 swine flu pandemic of 2009, according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

The new swine flu strain has aroused a certain interest because none of the Iowa children diseased with it last month, nor their families, had known contact with pigs. That’s the mystery of it. Influenza is unpredictable. That is one of annoying characteristics of the virus. However, the virus has not shown any sustained human-to-human transference.

Dr. Keiji Fukuda, WHO assistant director-general for health security and environment, said that WHO wants to be prepared, but doesn’t want to cause excessive alarm when global spread isn’t a certainty. International health officials need to strike a delicate balance: If they warn of pandemics that don’t pan out, as when the 2009 H1N1 pandemic nearly affected Europe, they risk criticism for inciting panic and look ineffectual.

CDC scientists said they expected this years’ seasonal influenza vaccine to protect adults from the new influenza virus, but that it wouldn’t help children. They recommended that doctors who suspect swine flu infections in their patients treat them with Tamiflu, get nose and throat probes and then send them to state public health laboratories, which should report them to CDC.

You should know that CDC recommends farmers and everyone who has contact with pigs and experiences  flu-like symptoms  to make tests.  The most important things individuals should do are wash their hands with warm soap and water,  Avoid touching your eyes or mouth with your hands, as that can spread germs.