New name, but the virus remains deadly: Pandemic H1N1 09

Dr. Keiji Fukuda, WHO’s (World Health Organization) Assistant Director-General for Health Security and Environment provided an update on the newly named: Pandemic H1N1 09. WHO has reported the virus is contagious, spreading easily from one person to another, and from one country to another. “We are now seeing 137 countries, 98,000 cases and over 440 deaths. The situation has evolved quite rapidly. ”

In June 2009, WHO raised the pandemic level from a phase 5 to a phase 6.  As defined by WHO:

“Phase 5 is characterized by human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region. While most countries will not be affected at this stage, the declaration of Phase 5 is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short. Phase 6 is pandemic phase, is characterized by community level (wide) outbreaks.

Fukuda added WHO will be issuing updated surveillance data in the next few days and is calling for changes in the surveillance approach in many affected countries. “Building a global system of effective in-country national indicators has been a major area of WHO’s preparedness activity,” he said. Two new national influenza centers were open today in Cameroon and the Ivory Coast.

In the past few weeks, there have been Tamiflu resistant cases reported in Denmark, Japan and Hong Kong. “We are continually monitoring the situation. We don’t want to see the start of widespread viruses,” Fukuda said.

WHO also reported “many, though not all, severe cases have occurred in people with underlying chronic conditions. Based on limited, preliminary data, conditions most frequently seen include respiratory diseases, notably asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and obesity.”

One third to half of the severe and fatal infections are occurring in previously healthy young and middle-aged people and pregnant women are at increased risk of complications.

For a full audio recording of the press conference go to:

http://terrance.who.int/mediacentre/audio/press_briefings/VPC_07JUL2009_Influenza_A_H1N1.mp3