Posted on 12/29/2011 1:15:14 PM PST by tired&retired
— The number of reported cases of a novel swine influenza virus has risen to 12 since July, encompassing 5 states, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The virus includes a gene from the human pandemic strain and affects mostly children.
The infections in question involve a variant of the A(H3N2) virus that circulates among pigs. It contains a gene from the pandemic 2009 influenza A(H1N1) virus that codes for matrix proteins found in the viral shell.
In 3 of the 5 states where the A(H3N2)v virus has surfaced — Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Maine — patients became infected after direct or indirect contact with pigs. In Iowa and West Virginia, the other 2 states, the evidence suggests that the virus spread from human to human on a limited basis.
In 1 case, a girl in Pennsylvania came down with the infection after exposure to pigs at an agricultural fair on August 16.
The first likely instance of limited human-to-human transmission of the A(H3N2)v virus was described in an MMWR report published December 2. The virus was discovered in 3 children in 2 counties. None of them had had any recent exposure to pigs.
On December 23, the CDC published another MMWR report that brought the infection count up to 12 and described the 3 latest cases: another in Indiana and 2 cases in West Virginia. In Indiana, a man who had worked with pigs was hospitalized for 4 days in October. In contrast, 2 children under 5 years of age in West Virginia were infected with the A(H3N2)v virus without having come into contact with pigs or traveling recently. Both attended the same daycare center.
Another novel version of swine influenza is on the CDC's radar. In a recent post on its Web site, the agency reported the discovery of an A(H1N1) virus with genes from avian, swine, and human influenza genes. Like A(H3N2)v, it features the matrix gene from the pandemic 2009 influenza A(H1N1) virus, which probably was transmitted from humans to swine after the outbreak of the 2009-2010 pandemic. The novel virus, called A(H1N1)v, was detected in a Wisconsin man who had worked with pigs before getting sick.
As with A(H3N2)v, the current formulation of seasonal flu vaccine probably will not protect people from A(H1N1)v.
More information on the A(H1N1)v virus is available at the CDC Web site.
I've had worse, but not very often.
Stop reading and watch Kim Jong Il stills on TV. Even the Harlequin novellas could be dangerous.
Ping...
They sure it wasn’t an NT bug?
Ping
Thanks, Joe.
I saw this thread but it doesn’t look like this flu is spreading much. We’ll see.
There has been something going around in TX that has caused deaths in recent weeks.
Alrighty then.
Time for the preppers to take note.
I could go a LONG time without contact with the general public, if necessary.
I think I caught a mild form of this “novel virus”.
Slight temp, runny nose, felt a bit achey.
I think maybe it was an abridged version of the novel virus; just a touch of the “Cliff Notes virus”.
(Oooo, that was terrible! Can we zot him?)
Time to bump up the family’s D3 intake!
Is it a flu type illness? I was encouraged because I don’t know one person who has had the flu this year.
Grandson had intestinal flu over Christmas. 1st grade class has multiple cases of pneumonia. Warm weather a factor??? Location,Cape Cod MA.
Shopping malls and meeting Santa may be a factor.
H1N1 nearly killed me 2 years ago. From healthy to pneumonia in 3 days. It was scary.
Since then, I have learned how deficient we are in vitamin D, which is actually a hormone. I’ve discovered through blood testing how much I need to supplement to get my level over 60. And I have not been sick since. Last winter I was exposed to every flu, and was pregnant, and still caught nothing. I’m still scared of flus. But I am making sure my kids get enough D3 to not get sick. It’s amazing. But we often need a much, much higher dose than “recommended.”. Get tested. Stay well.
My two daughters had the stomach flu (Seattle Area) just before Christmas break - but not too many (or none?) of their classmates did. Hit hard the first 24 hours, rested on the 2nd day and made it 1/2 day of school. But then it hit again but not too strong. Spent the next 3-4 days at home feeling lousy, vomiting rarely, not eating, but not real sick though either.
Yes, it’s a flu of some sort. Two in our neighborhood have come down with it and both turned into pneumonia. One was middle aged and the other older. Two or three in a nearby nursing home had it and two died. A friend’s teen had it right before Christmas and I’ve heard there’s others around with it. I imagine it will spread when everyone gets back from Christmas trips and the kids get back into school.
Oh dear! I am not happy to hear this. I had a flu shot in Oct. but I am guessing if this is something new and different a flu shot won’t help. Yes you are correct, it always spreads after Christmas.
I forgot to say, you stay well!
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