April 30, 2009
Thursday

(SitNews) - As of Wednesday, April 29th, there have been no confirmed cases of swine flu, HINI influenza A, in Alaska according to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. The Center for Disease Control reported 109 cases of swine flu in the United States with one death in Texas as of today.

Nine countries have officially reported 148 cases of swine influenza A/H1N1 infection on Wednesday according to the World Health Organization. Mexico has reported 26 confirmed human cases of infection including seven deaths. The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (13), Germany (3), Israel (2), New Zealand (3), Spain (4) and the United Kingdom (5).

The World Health Organization on Wednesday raised the swine flu pandemic threat level to level 5 of 6. The Alaska Department of Health and Socal Services Emergency Operation Center announced it is staffed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays to organize the medical response to this outbreak.

The state of Alaska has about 80,000 courses of antiviral medications in a state stockpile at this time. The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services had already sent around 10,000 of those courses to 22 acute-care hospitals throughout the state in preparation for a possible flu outbreak. These hospitals are located throughout the state, from the North Slope to Western Alaska to Southeast Alaska.

The department plans to begin shipping additional supplies of antiviral medications in the next day or two, with shipments arriving in Alaska communities within the week. Finally, DHSS has ordered approximately 20,000 additional courses of antiviral medications to be shipped to Alaska from the Strategic National Stockpile. This supply should arrive in about a week.

Who will be the first to get these antiviral medications? DHSS will work with local governments throughout Alaska to dispense the antiviral medications. The medications will be used primarily for Alaskans who are sick with flu-like symptoms. The medications may also be used to prevent flu in exposed essential personnel. Tamiflu and Relenza are available only with a prescription; they are not sold over-the-counter.

If you have not received a flu shot during this flu season, should you get a flu shot now? According to information provided by Alaska Health and Social Services, there is no evidence that this year's flu shot offers any protection against swine flu.

What can you do to prevent getting swine flu, should it be detected in Alaska? Health officials recommend following the same advice given for preventing seasonal influenza:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available.
• Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. Cough or sneeze into a tissue or inside your elbow. Then wash your hands or use hand sanitizer.
• Stay home if you are sick. If you have flu symptoms such as fever, body aches and cough, stay home from work or school and avoid public activities for at least five days (seven for children) to prevent spreading the disease to others.
• If you have a trip planned to Mexico, should you go ahead with that trip at this time?
  Federal officials are recommending that people do not travel to Mexico at this time unless absolutely necessary. Alaska DHSS health officials support that travel warning.
• Where can you find more information about swine flu and Alaska's response to the public health emergency? DHSS will update its Web site http://www.pandemicflu.alaska.gov/ with state, national and international information about swine flu. This Web site is an ongoing Web site about preparing for pandemic influenza; it is NOT meant to be an announcement that the swine flu cases reported in multiple countries have risen to the level of being called a pandemic.

The World Health Organization advises no restriction of regular travel or closure of borders. It is considered prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention, in line with guidance from national authorities.

On the Web:

U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection
http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

Information about swine flu and Alaska's response
http://www.pandemicflu.alaska.gov/

World Health Organization: Influenza A(H1N1) - update 5
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_04_29/en/index.html

Sources of News:

Alaska Department of Health and Social Services
www.hss.state.ak.us

World Health Organization
http://www.who.int

Center of Disease Control
www.cdc.gov

 

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