Swine Influenza (2009)

Influenza A (H1N1)

Lecture presented byDr Ghassan Awar02 May 2009

Wednesday (29/4/09):

• WHO raised the pandemic threat level to 5 on a six-step scale.

• The level 5 designation means infection from the outbreak that originated in Mexico has been jumping from person to person with relative ease.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Swine flu

• Swine flu is a contagious respiratory disease that affects pigs and can jump to humans.

• Symptoms include fever, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Swine flu

• The 2009 H1N1 virus is a hybrid of swine, avian and human strains

Influenza A (H1N1)

Swine flu

• "The entire purpose is to limit exposure“

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hopes to have a vaccine to manufacturers within a month, said Michael Shaw, lab team leader for the H1N1 response at the CDC.

Swine flu

• "In times of difficulty, we've always come together,“ Mexican President Felipe Calderon said. "Together we will overcome this disease."

Swine flu

• "If you have a fever and flu-like symptoms, you should not be getting on an airplane. That is part of being a responsible part of our community," Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said. "You don't want to put people at risk."

Swine flu

Five-year-old Edgar Hernandez, known as "patient zero," survived the earliest documented case of swine flu.