cHeroKee
09-13-2009, 09:52 AM
H1N1 flu virus spread quickly after onset (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-flu-closer_latsep13,0,580885.story)
Severity of illness for most no worse than seasonal flu
By Jill U. Adams Tribune newspapers September 13, 2009
In early April, a 10-year-old San Diego (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/us/california/san-diego-county-%28california%29/san-diego-%28san-diego-california%29-PLGEO100100106010000.topic) boy was found to be infected with a novel flu (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/health/diseases/flu-HEDAI0000047.topic) virus (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/health/diseases/viral-diseases-infections-HEDAI0000071.topic). The virus, identified as an H1N1 (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/health/diseases/swine-flu-HEDAI0000067.topic) strain, was soon matched to samples from Mexico (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/intl/mexico-PLGEO00000613.topic), which had suffered a series of flu outbreaks leading to a large number of deaths and hospitalizations.
Because of its virulence and low resistance amid the general population, global and U.S. public health officials quickly recognized that the new virus strain could become a pandemic, which it eventually did.
Here's a closer look at the flu outbreak's progression :
April/May: In late April, the Mexican government closed the nation's schools. Eat-in restaurants in Mexico City (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/intl/mexico-city-PLGEO100100602011284.topic) were shut down to curb transmission. Fear of flu led several cruise-line companies to suspend stops.
In the U.S., the disease spread quickly. By the end of April, five states had confirmed cases. A New York City school was the focus of that city's outbreak after some students returned from spring break trips to Mexico.
The spread of the virus in the Northern Hemisphere continued through May, as seasonal flu cases receded. A 33-year-old woman in Texas (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/us/texas-PLGEO100104600000000.topic) was the first U.S. citizen to die of the disease. Swine flu also crossed oceans, with early cases appearing in Europe (Spain and France), Asia (South Korea and Hong Kong) and the Southern Hemisphere (New Zealand).
By mid-May, H1N1 flu arrived on mainland China and in Japan. Later in the month, the illness began to show up in South America. On May 29, Egypt (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/intl/egypt-PLGEO00000078.topic) ordered the slaughter of 300,000 pigs because of swine flu fears.
June/July: At the beginning of June, 62 countries had confirmed cases of H1N1 infection. Although hospitalizations and deaths were being reported, for the most part, the novel H1N1 flu seemed to be rather mild.
Egypt reported its first case June 8 -- the first on the African continent.
As the epidemic continued well past the normal flu season, 3,000 to 4,000 probable cases were reported a week, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/health/diseases/u.s.-centers-for-disease-control-prevention-ORGOV000011.topic) said. An estimated 1 million people in the U.S. had been infected by the end of June.
The big question for the early summer months was: What would happen in the Southern Hemisphere as that part of the globe entered its traditional flu season? A recent report at flu.gov said four Southern Hemisphere countries had disease activity that was mostly novel H1N1 flu and dropped off after mid-July -- similar to their typical flu seasons.
The U.S., meanwhile, saw outbreaks at camps and military academies and in jails. As of July 23, California (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/us/california-PLGEO100100100000000.topic) had 583 hospitalizations and 61 deaths from H1N1 flu, the majority occurring in the previous four weeks.
August/September: In mid-August, President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica contracted swine flu. At the end of the month, President Alvaro Uribe (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/politics/alvaro-uribe-PEPLT007497.topic) of Colombia was diagnosed. In early September, the chief of the Ecuadorean presidential security detail died of the H1N1 flu.
Chile reported Aug. 28 that H1N1 had jumped to birds. Two turkey farms were placed under quarantine.
Widespread outbreaks also occurred in the southeastern U.S. in August, coinciding with the return to school. Deaths in school-age children have been reported in Mississippi (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/us/mississippi-PLGEO100103000000000.topic), Alabama (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/us/alabama-PLGEO100101300000000.topic) and Tennessee (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/us/tennessee-PLGEO100104500000000.topic).
Around the world, the illness still looks quite similar -- in terms of severity -- to what the U.S. experienced in the spring, said Ira Longini, a professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at the University of Washington (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/us/washington-PLGEO100104900000000.topic) in Seattle (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/us/washington/king-county/seattle-PLGEO100101101011245.topic). It means that for most people infected with the H1N1 virus, illness will be no worse than seasonal flu.
Severity of illness for most no worse than seasonal flu
By Jill U. Adams Tribune newspapers September 13, 2009
In early April, a 10-year-old San Diego (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/us/california/san-diego-county-%28california%29/san-diego-%28san-diego-california%29-PLGEO100100106010000.topic) boy was found to be infected with a novel flu (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/health/diseases/flu-HEDAI0000047.topic) virus (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/health/diseases/viral-diseases-infections-HEDAI0000071.topic). The virus, identified as an H1N1 (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/health/diseases/swine-flu-HEDAI0000067.topic) strain, was soon matched to samples from Mexico (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/intl/mexico-PLGEO00000613.topic), which had suffered a series of flu outbreaks leading to a large number of deaths and hospitalizations.
Because of its virulence and low resistance amid the general population, global and U.S. public health officials quickly recognized that the new virus strain could become a pandemic, which it eventually did.
Here's a closer look at the flu outbreak's progression :
April/May: In late April, the Mexican government closed the nation's schools. Eat-in restaurants in Mexico City (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/intl/mexico-city-PLGEO100100602011284.topic) were shut down to curb transmission. Fear of flu led several cruise-line companies to suspend stops.
In the U.S., the disease spread quickly. By the end of April, five states had confirmed cases. A New York City school was the focus of that city's outbreak after some students returned from spring break trips to Mexico.
The spread of the virus in the Northern Hemisphere continued through May, as seasonal flu cases receded. A 33-year-old woman in Texas (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/us/texas-PLGEO100104600000000.topic) was the first U.S. citizen to die of the disease. Swine flu also crossed oceans, with early cases appearing in Europe (Spain and France), Asia (South Korea and Hong Kong) and the Southern Hemisphere (New Zealand).
By mid-May, H1N1 flu arrived on mainland China and in Japan. Later in the month, the illness began to show up in South America. On May 29, Egypt (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/intl/egypt-PLGEO00000078.topic) ordered the slaughter of 300,000 pigs because of swine flu fears.
June/July: At the beginning of June, 62 countries had confirmed cases of H1N1 infection. Although hospitalizations and deaths were being reported, for the most part, the novel H1N1 flu seemed to be rather mild.
Egypt reported its first case June 8 -- the first on the African continent.
As the epidemic continued well past the normal flu season, 3,000 to 4,000 probable cases were reported a week, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/health/diseases/u.s.-centers-for-disease-control-prevention-ORGOV000011.topic) said. An estimated 1 million people in the U.S. had been infected by the end of June.
The big question for the early summer months was: What would happen in the Southern Hemisphere as that part of the globe entered its traditional flu season? A recent report at flu.gov said four Southern Hemisphere countries had disease activity that was mostly novel H1N1 flu and dropped off after mid-July -- similar to their typical flu seasons.
The U.S., meanwhile, saw outbreaks at camps and military academies and in jails. As of July 23, California (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/us/california-PLGEO100100100000000.topic) had 583 hospitalizations and 61 deaths from H1N1 flu, the majority occurring in the previous four weeks.
August/September: In mid-August, President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica contracted swine flu. At the end of the month, President Alvaro Uribe (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/politics/alvaro-uribe-PEPLT007497.topic) of Colombia was diagnosed. In early September, the chief of the Ecuadorean presidential security detail died of the H1N1 flu.
Chile reported Aug. 28 that H1N1 had jumped to birds. Two turkey farms were placed under quarantine.
Widespread outbreaks also occurred in the southeastern U.S. in August, coinciding with the return to school. Deaths in school-age children have been reported in Mississippi (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/us/mississippi-PLGEO100103000000000.topic), Alabama (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/us/alabama-PLGEO100101300000000.topic) and Tennessee (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/us/tennessee-PLGEO100104500000000.topic).
Around the world, the illness still looks quite similar -- in terms of severity -- to what the U.S. experienced in the spring, said Ira Longini, a professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at the University of Washington (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/us/washington-PLGEO100104900000000.topic) in Seattle (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/us/washington/king-county/seattle-PLGEO100101101011245.topic). It means that for most people infected with the H1N1 virus, illness will be no worse than seasonal flu.