Global's H1N1 Update - 05/25/10

The next update will be on Thursday, May 27th, at 0830 hrs PST.

The WHO Pandemic Alert level remains at Phase 6

Influenza A (H1N1) Cases and Deaths*

*Cases reported by The World Health Organization (WHO) are as of May 9, 2010

International News

Brazil's Health Ministry last week announced plans to extend its H1N1 vaccination campaign by almost 2 weeks, to June 2, according to China's news agency Xinhua. Since March, the country has vaccinated more than 61 million people, about 70% of the campaign's goal. The ministry also decided to broaden vaccination to include children 2 to 5 years old, which will require almost 11 million additional doses. Xinhua

A study of hospital patients in Singapore in the first 3 months of the pandemic showed that H1N1 patients were younger but had fewer symptoms, on average, than those with seasonal flu. Of 547 patients with novel H1N1 flu, 42% were age 6 to 18, 35% were 19 to 35, and just 6% were 51 or older. In 193 patients who had seasonal flu, the respective numbers were 16%, 21%, and 23%. Fever was more common in those with seasonal flu, but cough, sore throat, and muscle aches were more common with H1N1. Arch Intern Med

Veterinary officials in South Korea and the Netherlands recently reported low-pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks, South Korea H7N7 and the Netherlands an H7 subtype, according to reports recently submitted to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). In South Korea, an H7N2 outbreak struck two duck farms in Cholla Namdo on the southwestern coast. Between the two farms, 53,330 birds were culled to control spread of the disease. Meanwhile, an outbreak in the Netherlands occurred at a poultry farm in Deurne, North Brabant province, located in the southern part of the country. The report said the birds showed no symptoms. Authorities culled 28,000 free-range layer hens to control spread of the virus. CIDRAP

Global's Daily Influenza A (H1N1) Update - May 25, 2009

GMS INFLUENZA A (H1N1) Daily Update as of May 25, 2009(830 HRS PST)

The WHO Pandemic Alert level remains at Phase 5.

Influenza A (H1N1) Cases and Deaths by Country (as of 8 AM PST, May 25th)

Lab confirmed cases and deaths have been provided by the WHO’s Influenza A (H1N1) – Update #38.

Local/National News

• On May 25th, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) announced that no new cases of influenza A (H1N1) had been confirmed in the country. PHAC releases revised case totals Monday , Wednesday, and Friday.

International News

• The World Health Organization said on Monday the H1N1 flu strain has spread to Taiwan, Kuwait, Iceland, Switzerland, and Honduras. The WHO said that the airborne virus has been detected in 46 countries around the world, in all regions except for Africa. Reuters


• Eighteen US soldiers have tested positive for swine flu at an American military base in Kuwait and have left the Gulf emirate, a Kuwaiti health official said on Sunday. According to Yussef Mendkar, the deputy chief of Kuwait's public health department, "All the 18 soldiers have left Kuwait. They had normal symptoms of the disease and were given the necessary medication." AP

Vaccine News

• Sanofi Pasteur, the world's largest vaccine maker, said Monday it has won a US$190-million order from the United States government to make an influenza A (H1N1) vaccine. The company said in a statement that it is "the first of what is expected to be a series of orders" from the U.S. government for a vaccine to help protect against the new virus. The company said it is awaiting receipt of the seed virus to be used in vaccine production from the U.S. CDC and could begin commercial production in June, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has certified the working seed. AP

Guidance from the WHO, US CDC, PHAC, and the BCCDC

• The U.S. CDC has released Interim Guidance for Correctional and Detention Facilities regarding the Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus. This document provides interim guidance specific for correctional facilities during the outbreak of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus to ensure continuation of essential public services and protection of the health and safety of inmates, staff and visitors.

Today’s Key Question

Where did Influenza A (H1N1) come from?

According to a report recently published in the journal Science, genes in the novel influenza A (H1N1) genome have been circulating undetected for an extended period of time, and several scenarios exist for the events leading to the origin of the virus.

In this study, researchers sequenced full or partial genomes of viral samples obtained in Mexico and the U.S., and found that combinations of the eight influenza gene sequences in this new strain of influenza had never before been described in human or swine flu viruses. The scientists found that all of the segments had originated in avian hosts, and had then entered into the swine population at various points between 1918 and 1998. The study did not reveal sequences of genes which have in the past been responsible for the high transmissibility and virulence of other influenza viruses, suggesting that newer, to-be-discovered sequences are responsible for influenza A H1N1’s ability to replicate and spread in humans. According to a senior author of the paper, and chief of Influenza Division at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “This study reinforces the fact that swine are an important reservoir for influenza viruses with the potential to cause significant respiratory outbreaks or even a possible pandemic in humans.”