GMS INFLUENZA A (H1N1) Update as of June 17, 2009
(0830 HRS PST)
The next update will be on Thursday, June 18, at 08:30 PST
The WHO Pandemic Alert level remains at Phase 6
Influenza A (H1N1) Cases and Deaths by Country (as of 8 AM PST, June 12th)
*This case map has been provided by the WHO’s Influenza A (H1N1) – Update #48.
- On Monday, the World Health Organization released its latest case count for novel H1N1 influenza worldwide: 35,298 cases and 163 deaths in 76 countries, up 5,834 cases and 18 deaths from Friday's numbers (above). Countries reporting the greatest increase in laboratory-confirmed cases since yesterday were the United States (4,638), United Kingdom (404), Australia (221), China (100), Germany (75), and Japan (56). WHO
Local/National News
- Two people in Manitoba have died after contracting H1N1 flu virus, including a man who had no underlying medical conditions, provincial health officials said Tuesday. Quebec also reported two deaths related to H1N1 flu on Tuesday, bringing the total number of reported deaths in Canada to at least 11. CBC
- On June 15th, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) announced that the number of confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1) since June 12th has risen to 4049 from 2978. Ontario has the most cases in Canada (1907), followed by Quebec (971), Saskatchewan (327), Alberta (264), British Columbia (172), Nunavut (164), Manitoba (154), Nova Scotia (81), PEI (3), New Brunswick (2), Northwest Territories (2), Newfoundland (1) and the Yukon (1). PHAC
International News
- Five countries (Qatar, Yemen, Jordan, Sri Lanka, and Somoa) have reported their first cases of novel H1N1 flu. These countries are not reflected in the WHO case totals above. Reuters
- On Monday, Dr. Margaret Chan, the head of the World Health Organization warned that the H1N1 flu pandemic will demonstrate "in extremely tragic ways" the consequences of the failure to promote public health and ensure basic care during pregnancy and childbirth in developing countries. She said that developing countries are most vulnerable to the global H1N1 flu epidemic, the financial crisis, food shortages and climate change — and much more must be done to urgently strengthen their health care systems. AP
- The WHO’s June 11 pandemic declaration did not prompt new worries about novel H1N1 in the United States, according to a Gallup poll conducted just after the announcement. Only 8% of Americans said they worried "yesterday" about getting the novel flu, down from 13% in mid-May and 25% in late April. Gallup said Americans have had 2 months to assess the effects of the disease, which appears to be similar to seasonal flu. Gallup poll
- Yesterday, an official with the World Organization for Animal Health said It will be difficult to boost surveillance of hogs for the new pandemic strain of H1N1 flu unless farmers are confident they won't be penalized if the disease is found in their barns. Reuters
- According to a report by the US Government Accountability Office many US agencies are not ready for a pandemic. The report found that many had planned for a pandemic but few agencies had actually tested plans such as telecommuting. Reuters
Vaccine News
- US schoolchildren may be first in line for H1N1 flu vaccine this fall — and might even be able to get the shot right at school. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is taking that possible scenario to school superintendents around the country, urging them to spend the summer planning what to do if the government decides it needs their buildings for mass vaccinations. "If you think about vaccinating kids, schools are the logical place," Sebelius told The Associated Press Tuesday. AP
Today’s Key Question
Is the H1N1 flu hitting First Nations in Manitoba harder?
According to Dr. Joel Kettner, Manitoba’s chief medical officer of health, it appears there is an overrepresentation of aboriginal and First Nations falling ill with the H1N1 flu. According to Kettner, two-thirds of the Manitobans in intensive care units fighting H1N1 flu last week were First Nations people. This is despite the fact that First Nations people only make up between 10 and 15 percent of the province’s population.
The average age of those in this intensive care unit cohort was 35 years old, an unusually young age for anyone to require intensive care for influenza. Moreover, very few people in the intensive care unit are over 55 or are infants; which is also unusual as the elderly and the very young are usually the populations at highest risk from complications due to influenza.
Some might argue that the disproportionately high numbers of Manitoban First Nations falling ill with the virus, may reflect the fact that more aboriginal people have been infected to date. Kettner also stated “It could be that crowded housing conditions and small communities promote faster spread and faster exposure.” However, Kettner does not believe that this accounts for the whole story.
Kettner asserts that his staff are currently using epidemiological analysis to try and make sense of some of the details, in order to discern exactly what is going on. Kettner believes that understanding whether or not First Nations people are more susceptible to swine flu is necessary to understanding the virus.
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