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Swine Flu runs rampant nation wide
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The Centers for Disease Control provided an update today on the Swine Flu pandemic in the United States. Along with the briefing the CDC released the weekly statistics for the week ending October 31.
The various state and Federal laboratories tested over 14,000 specimens in this week. 37% were positive for flu, with over 99% of them testing as type A, and 74% testing as pandemic H1N1. The CDC states that the vast majority of those specimens not testing as pandemic flu upon first testing do so on reexamination.
Since April 26, 2009, 129 pediatric deaths have been determined to have be Swine Flu related. 73 of those have occurred since August 30. Dr. Ann Schuchat reported the following at the CDC briefing:
More than half the hospitalizations are in people under 25. 90% of the deaths are in people under 65. A flip-flop from what we see with seasonal flu. The pediatric deaths are high. Children have died from flu where the typing wasn't done, but that's an increase from last week's number. Two-thirds of the children who died from the H1N1 virus have underlying condition that is increase their risk of this problem. The leading underlying conditions in children who have died are severe neurologic problems like cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy and asthma in terms of contributing to the severe outcomes. Fortunately, antiviral are effective treatment against flu, including the flu complications.
The Department of Defense is reporting on a cluster of Swine Flu cases among cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Increased numbers of influenza like illness are being noted world wide, but especially in Korea, Europe and Hawaii. In Southeast Asia and East Africa, Navy hospitals are finding uncreased numbers of seasonal flu viruses as well as the pandemic H1N1.
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