Published: July 09, 2009 08:44 pm      

Three new cases of swine flu since June

Three new cases of the Novel H1N1 virus were confirmed in Madison County during the month of June, bringing the county total to 11 cases.

The cases were found during routine flu checks, according to Christie Green, a spokesperson for the Madison County Health Department. All three cases were separate cases not related to any clusters or group living settings and were found in adults ages 35 to 45 having no risk factors for complications, she said.

The Kentucky Department for Public Health has directed local health departments to “limit follow-up and case investigates to those who might be of ‘epidemiologic significance,’” Green said.

This includes pregnant women, those living in institutional settings and those showing flu-like symptoms while in the hospital, Green said.

Instead of concentrating on routine individual cases, the health departments are now focusing their attention on “monitoring trends in the spread and character of the virus,” Green said.

The Obama administration on Thursday said swine flu vaccinations are likely to be ready this fall with the threat that the flu might return. The issue the administration is now facing is how to deliver the vaccine.

“We want to make sure we are not promoting panic but we are promoting vigilance and preparation,” President Barack Obama said in a phone call from Italy to the National Institutes of Health, where his Cabinet officials were leading a swine flu summit with 500 state and local officials.

No final decision has been made on vaccination, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said at the meeting. Pending the results in August of experimental new vaccines, some vaccine could be available in mid-October, she said.

There is a chance that a limited amount of vaccine will be available, Green said.

“We are keeping abreast of developments related to any change in the virus’ ability to cause severe illness, to anti-viral resistance that the virus might develop and to the process of making a vaccine available,” said Carol Gilliam, RN, MCHD’s regional preparedness planner. “So far, we have not seen a change in the severity of symptoms from this virus.”

The government estimates that 1 million Americans so far have been infected with the never-before-seen virus known formally by its scientific family name, H1N1.

While the hype has died down about swine flu, it is still a threat. Children are spreading it in summer camps — 50 outbreaks documented so far — and U.S. deaths have reached 170, the Associated Press reported Thursday.

It has spread worldwide, and is causing serious problems in parts of the Southern Hemisphere, where it currently is flu season.

In the U.S., even if the virus doesn’t mutate to become more dangerous, greater spread is considered inevitable as students return to crowded classrooms and temperatures drop — and regular winter flu makes its return.

“This fall, it’s daunting, all that will be required,” said Paul Jarris, executive director of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

At the top of his worry list is finding enough workers for two vaccination campaigns.

The 100 million-plus doses of regular winter flu vaccine are set for the usual October inoculation start. But those shots will not protect against swine flu.

Officials at Thursday’s summer asked people to consider now how their families would handle a disruption even bigger than what happened last spring when the outbreak began. To spur those discussions, HHS will host a contest — at http://www.flu.gov — for the best anti-flu video to turn into a national public service announcement.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Brittany Davenport can be reached at 624-6624 or news@richmondregister.com.