H1N1 Flu (swine flu)
H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Swine flu viruses cause high levels of illness and low death rates in pigs. Although swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans, Human cases of swine influenza A have now been identified in the United States and internationally.
On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6 in response to the ongoing global spread of the novel influenza (H1N1) virus. A phase 6 designation indicates that a global pandemic is underway. At this time, it is a reflection of the geographical spread of the virus and does not reflect a change in the severity of the virus or illness. While it is still uncertain how serious or severe this novel H1N1 pandemic will be in terms of how many people infection will develop more serious complications or die from the infection.
The viruses contain a unique combination of gene segments that have not been reported previously among swine or human influenza viruses in the U.S. or elsewhere. For clinicians, it is important know that this virus is resistant to amantadine and rimantadine. At this time, the CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment of infection with H1N1 viruses. It is not anticipated that the seasonal influenza vaccine will provide protection against H1N1.
The symptoms of H1N1 flu in people are expected to be similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza and include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some have also reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. H1N1 Flu viruses are not transmitted by food or by eating pork or pork products. Viruses can be directly transmitted from pigs to people and from people to pigs. Human infection with flu viruses from pigs are most likely to occur when people are in close proximity to infected pigs. Human-to-human transmission of H1N1 Flu can occur, much like the way seasonal flu occurs in people, which is thought to spread is from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. This can happen when droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person are propelled through the air and deposited on the mouth or nose of people nearby. Influenza viruses may also be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets on another person or an object and then touches their own mouth or nose (or someone else’s mouth or nose) before washing their hands.
CDC GUIDANCE RESOURCES FOR CLINICIANS
Clinician Guidance for Patients
Clinician Guidance for Specific Audiences
Screening & Specimen Collection
Treatment Guidance
CDC Recommendation – “Swine Flu Parties” "Swine flu parties" are gatherings during which people have close contact with a person who has novel H1N1 flu in order to become infected with the virus. The CDC does not recommend "swine flu parties" as a way to protect against novel H1N1 flu in the future. For more information from the CDC, visit: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm#d.
AHRQ Tools and Resources for Influenza Preparedness - The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), working together with other U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) agencies, provides the following information and resources to support efforts to address this outbreak.
AHRMM – The Association for Healthcare Resource and Materials Managers provides pandemic flu resources, including Pandemic Flu Guidelines for Materials Managers, helpful links and slides from their recent Pandemic Preparedness Update webinar.
Fraudulent 2009 H1N1 Influenza Products - The FDA and FTC have alerted the public to be wary of Internet sites and other promotions for products that claim to diagnose, prevent, mitigate, treat, or cure the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. The FDA H1N1 website contains a section concerning Health Fraud which allows the public to report fraud and lists websites and products that have been reported.
The Lancet H1N1 Flu Resource Centre - The Lancet's H1N1 Resource Centre is the result of a collaborative effort by the editors of over 40 Elsevier-published journals and 11 learned societies who have agreed to make freely available on this site any relevant content.
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Review - The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (please put this under the CDC resources for Clinicians)
NEW! Pandemic Flu: Lessons from the Frontline - Trust for America's Health (TFAH), the Center for Biosecurity, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) analyze the initial response to the H1N1 outbreak. The report discusses how U.S. officials executed strong coordination and communication and an ability to adapt to changing circumstances and reviews how quickly the nation's core public health capacity would be overwhelmed if an outbreak were more severe or widespread.
NEW! U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Offers one-stop access to U.S. Government H1N1, avian and pandemic flu information
Administration on Aging (AoA): HHS Declares Public Health Emergency for Swine Flu - AoA monitoring the situation closely
World Health Organization (WHO) Resources and Information - WHO is coordinating the global response to human cases of H1N1 Flu and monitoring the corresponding threat of an influenza pandemic. The WHO site tracks the evolving situation and provides access to both technical guidelines and information useful for the general public.
The Wall Street Journal H1N1 Flu Page: This site provides updated information and offers live blogs that allow you to track developments related to swine flu throughout the day.
The information provided above has been provided based on published information from the Centers for Disease Control. For additional information on this rapidly evolving situation, please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu.
MedAssets Supply Chain Systems is monitoring the rapidly evolving situation as a result of the Swine Influenza A (H1N1) virus. MedAssets has created a webpage in CDQuick with background information about the virus, links to the CDC, antiviral treatment recommendations for the swine flu and critical preparedness and planning information from MedAssets’ contracted supplier partners. MedAssets Supply Chain Customers can find out more by logging on to CDQuick and visiting the MedAssets Swine Influenza webpage.