Four Cases Of Suspected Swine Flu

There are four more suspected cases of swine flu in Worcestershire, the Health Protection Agency in the county says.

A 41-year-old woman from Redditch contracted the disease after visiting Mexico, Prime Minister Gordon Brown confirmed on Wednesday.

The West Midlands Health Protection Agency said the confirmed case in Redditch was only “a mild case”.

It said she was responding well to treatment at home and there was “no need” for other people to worry.

Raised alert

Five people the woman had been in contact with – including family members – have been given anti-viral drugs.

Five people in the UK, including a girl of 12, are known to have the virus, but all are responding well to treatment.

An advertising campaign promoting good hygiene to help combat the threat of swine flu has been launched in the UK.

The Department of Health’s Catch it, Bin it, Kill it! adverts urge people to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues, throw them away and wash their hands.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised its alert to level five – one short of a full-blown pandemic.

Dr David Kirrage, director of the Health Protection Agency for Worcestershire, has issued advice to residents in the area.

He said: “(We should do) things like hand washing, making sure that we use handkerchiefs or tissues and dispose of those tissues if we are sneezing.

“(Also we should be) cleaning work surfaces, not obsessively, but making sure that particularly (on) those work surfaces which might be used by a large number of people we keep up the normal cleaning regime.”

Dr Richard Harling, director of public health for Worcestershire, has said: “Symptoms of infection include fever, cough, runny nose, limb or joint pain and headache.

“People who develop symptoms and who have returned from Mexico or the US within the last seven days should stay at home and contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647.

“We will then make arrangements to come and assess them and provide treatment if necessary. They are asked not to go to their GP and not to go to hospital.”

Swine Flu: Your Health Questions Answered

Countries across the globe are on alert about the possible spread of swine flu from Mexico.

But how worried should you be about the illness?

Read our question and answer to find out more about the rare H1N1 influenza virus.

Q: What is swine flu?

A: Swine flu is the name being given to the outbreak of the H1N1 influenza virus, which is a mutated virus that has parts of swine, avian and human flus.

It is also the name commonly given to the strain of more common influenza that usually infects pigs.

It is caused by type A influenza viruses and there are many different types of swine flu.

Q: How do humans catch it?

A: While humans do not catch the more common forms of swine flu, this current strain of the H1N1 virus does infect humans because during mutation it was combined with parts of a human flu virus.

The original change to the virus is thought to have happened inside a pig, which was then caught by someone in close contact with it in Mexico.

But the World Health Organisation has now confirmed this strain of swine flu can spread from human to human, raising fears of a global pandemic.

Doctors don’t yet know how easily the virus spreads between people, but experts believe it spreads in the same way as seasonal flu – through coughing and sneezing.

Q: What are the symptoms?

A: The symptoms of swine influenza in people are similar to the symptoms of a regular human seasonal influenza infection and include fever, fatigue, lack of appetite, coughing and a sore throat.

Some people with swine flu have also reported vomiting and diarrhoea.

It may have more severe symptoms in some victims because the virus is so new that it is very unlikely that we will have natural immunity to it.

Doctors have found some antiviral drugs to have helped control symptoms with the new form of swine flu, as they prevent the virus from spreading into cells within the body.

Q: I’m experiencing flu-like symptoms. What should I do?

A: If you’ve recently been in the affected areas of Mexico and the USA, and are experiencing symptoms, stay at home and limit contact with other people.

You should look at the NHS Direct symptom checker online, contact your GP by phone or call NHS Direct on 0845 4647.

Q: Have humans been infected with swine flu in the past?

A: Cases of swine flu in humans usually occur after a history of exposure to pigs. For example, direct or close contact with infected pigs.

Cases of person-to-person transmission have been previously reported but are rare.

There have been no cases identified in the UK for at least 10 years.

A single case of swine flu was reported in November 2008 in Spain. The person only had mild symptoms.

Q: Does current medication offer protection against swine flu?

A: Relenza and Tamiflu are not cures. The drugs lessen the effects of the symptoms, and can mean the difference between life and death in marginal cases.

Primary Care Trusts are supposed to have a two-week supply, from national stockpiles.

Q: How dangerous is it?

A: Thousands of people have been made ill by swine flu – with some cases proving fatal.

Tests show that the antiviral drugs oseltamavir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) appear to be effective against the human swine influenza H1N1 strain.

Q: Should we be worried about it?

A: No – but we should take sensible precautions. The World Health Organisation has warned that the outbreak has “pandemic potential” and countries have been advised to step up surveillance and preparation in case the infection spreads rapidly.

Flu viruses have the ability to change and mutate, making it difficult for drugs manufacturers to ensure effective vaccines are available.

The new version of the H1N1 virus is a mix of different animal and human versions of the disease. Mixing can lead to the development of changed viruses to which humans have little immunity.

Q: What is a pandemic?

A: If the flu spreads over a wide geographic area and affects a large proportion of the population it goes beyond an epidemic and becomes a pandemic.

According to the Health Protection Agency, an influenza pandemic is defined as a new or novel influenza virus that spreads easily between humans.

When new influenza viruses are introduced into the environment, humans do not have any natural immunity to protect against them.

Therefore, there is a risk that that new influenza viruses could develop into a pandemic, if the virus passes easily from human-to-human.

Q: What is the doctors’ definition of someone suffering from flu?

A: You have flu is you have a fever over 38 degrees centigrade and two or more of the following: cough, headache, runny nose, vomiting/diarrhoea.

Q: Do I need a mask to prevent getting an infection?

A: Standard issue surgical masks offer little if any protection against the virus. The best advice is to keep your hands clean, wash surfaces regularly and dispose of tissues as they are used.

NHS officials are being issued with special masks but these are only effective when used by trained personnel exposed to the virus – other precautions must be taken to prevent infection.

Q: In an emergency, what are the authorities’ legal rights?

A: Authorities can force people to be medically examined, removed and detained.

They can also: Forbid people from attending work or children from attending school; prosecute those who wilfully expose others to infection; and pass other emergency laws.

Q: Does swine flu pose a more serious threat to pregnant women?

A: All viruses are potentially dangerous to pregnant women as their immune systems are under extra strain – but they should be fine if they eat well and keep up essential minerals.

Q: What is being done in the UK to prevent the infection?

A: Seven people who were in contact with the two infected individuals in Scotland are being “appropriately cared for,” after showing “mild” symptoms which have not been confirmed as swine flu. They are receiving drugs at home, not in hospital.

The HPA has advised people to follow general infection control practices and good hygiene to reduce transmission of all viruses.

This includes covering their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, disposing of dirty tissues promptly and carefully, washing hands frequently with soap and water and cleaning surfaces which are regularly touched.

Q: How long does the flu virus survive on surfaces?

A: The flu virus survives for roughly 24 hours on hard surfaces, two hours on soft surfaces.

Q: Where can I find more useful health information?

A: There are many useful websites that provide extensive information about the outbreak and how to protect against it:

:: World Health Organisation: Swine flu information page.

:: Health Protection Agency: Information on the swine flu health measures.

:: NHS Direct: Swine flu symptom checker.

:: NHS Choices: Swine flu information portal.

:: Centre for Disease Control and Prevention: Advice on US swine flu outbreak.

NHS Symptom Checker

https://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/

WHO Fears Pandemic Is ‘Imminent’

Britain will see “many, many more cases” of swine flu but most of those affected will recover, the government’s chief medical adviser has said.

Sir Liam Donaldson told the BBC although some cases would be serious, the UK had a “clear plan” which would help mitigate the virus’s impact.

Five people in the UK, including a girl of 12, are known to have the virus, but all are responding well to treatment.

An advertising campaign to help prevent swine flu’s spread has been launched.

Sir Liam told BBC Breakfast: “What we will see is many, many more cases, and inevitably some serious cases – but on the whole people make a good recovery from flu.”

It was impossible to predict how many deaths there could be in the UK until more was known about the strain of the swine flu virus, he said.

‘Not alarmed’

But certain groups would be more vulnerable than others, such as the elderly and very frail, he explained.

However, Sir Liam said the UK was well prepared for the spread of swine flu and that he was “concerned, but not alarmed” about the situation.

CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES Mexico: 168 suspected deaths, eight confirmed US: One death, at least 91 confirmed cases Canada: 19 confirmed cases New Zealand: 13 confirmed cases Spain: 10 confirmed cases UK: Five confirmed cases Germany: Three confirmed cases Israel, Costa Rica: Two confirmed cases each Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Peru: One confirmed case each

“I’m in a position where I feel we can reassure the public that we know what we are doing, we have a clear plan in place and we will do everything possible to mitigate the impact of this,” he said.

“We can’t make it go away, lots of people will become ill, but we hope we will be able to deal with the problem in an orderly and organised way.”

Sir Liam had earlier ruled out screening all British travellers returning from Mexico, saying it was more important to “concentrate the public health attention” on those showing symptoms.

On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised its alert to level five – one short of a full-blown pandemic.

The Department of Health’s Catch it, Bin it, Kill it! adverts urge people to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues, throw them away and wash their hands.

“When you cough or sneeze, your germs go everywhere. Fast. And once they’ve hit a surface, they can survive for hours,” warns the Department of Health’s print advert.

“Covering your mouth and nose with your hand won’t stop them. But a tissue will.”

School closed

Five cases of swine flu have been confirmed in the UK – all in people who have recently returned from Mexico, where there have been almost 160 suspected deaths.

A 41-year-old woman from Redditch, Worcestershire, a 22-year-old from Barnet, north London, a couple from near Falkirk and a 12-year-old from Devon have all been diagnosed with swine flu.

The schoolgirl had been on the same flight home as the first patients confirmed in the UK, Iain and Dawn Askham, from Polmont, near Falkirk, who have now been released from hospital.

The girl is being treated at home and her condition is said to be “improving”.

Her school, Paignton Community College, has been closed for at least seven days and pupils are being offered anti-viral drugs.

The Health Protection Agency said some 340 courses of treatment had so far been given out to the 267 pupils in the girl’s year group and associated staff.

Meanwhile, hundreds of British tourists are flying home on special charter flights from Mexico, where the outbreak started.

Announcing the level five alert on Wednesday, WHO director general Margaret Chan urged all countries to activate their pandemic plans, including heightened surveillance and infection-control measures.

She said action should be undertaken with “increased urgency”, adding: “It really is the whole of humanity that is under threat in a pandemic.”

The move followed the death of a 23-month-old Mexican child in Texas, US – the first death from swine flu outside Mexico.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown told a news conference on Thursday the government was taking “all the steps that are necessary to prepare and to protect the population” from the effects of the swine flu.

SWINE FLU ADVICE Use clean tissues when you cough or sneeze Bin tissues after use Wash hands with soap, hot water or gel Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader

He had previously told the House of Commons this included enhanced airport checks, expanding anti-viral stocks from 35 million to 50 million by the end of May, ordering extra face masks and printing an information leaflet for every family.

Supplies of antibiotics are to be increased to deal with any complications arising as a result of flu infections.

The government’s emergency committee Cobra, which was meeting again on Thursday morning, is also considering possible restrictions to large gatherings like concerts and sporting events.

NHS Direct has taken thousands of calls about swine flu this week, while daily visits to its website have reached 85,000, compared with about 55,000 a week earlier.

More than 70 people in the UK are currently being tested for the virus, with 20 possible cases in Wales and 32 in Scotland.

No suspected cases have yet been reported in Northern Ireland.