Novel influenza A (H1N1) is a new flu virus of swine origin that was first detected in Mexico and the United States in March and April, 2009. The first novel H1N1 patient in the United States was confirmed by laboratory testing at CDC on April 15, 2009. The second patient was confirmed on April 17, 2009. It was quickly determined that the virus was spreading from person-to-person. On April 22, CDC activated its Emergency Operations Center to better coordinate the public health response. On April 26, 2009, the United States Government declared a public health emergency.
It’s thought that novel influenza A (H1N1) flu spreads in the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread; mainly through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus.
This virus was originally referred to as “swine flu” because laboratory testing showed that many of the genes in this new virus were very similar to influenza viruses that normally occur in pigs in North America. But further study has shown that this new virus is very different from what normally circulates in North American pigs. It has two genes from flu viruses that normally circulate in pigs in Europe and Asia and avian genes and human genes. Scientists call this a "quadruple reassortant" virus.
Dr. Anne Schuchat, the director of National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases with the CDC, stated in a news conference on June 4, 2009, "You know, the seasonal influenza viruses are estimated to cause 200,000 hospitalizations every year in the United States. And we estimate about 36,000 deaths in the U.S. each year from seasonal flu." Thus far, the WHO (World Health Organization) is officially reporting 19,273 of H1N1 cases in 66 countries.
Per the CDC, on June 5, 2009, "At this time, most people who have become ill with novel H1N1 in the United States have recovered without requiring medical treatment and have experienced typical flu symptoms."
No comments:
Post a Comment