Unseasonal influenza on the rise... Lake County identifies its first H1N1 case.
Lake County, California - June 29, 2009. Lake County identified its first case of H1N1 influenza A. The illness occurred in a 39 year old woman who developed symptoms on June 20 and is currently recovering. She did not require hospitalization.
Lake County Health Officer, Dr. Karen Tait says that finding a local H1N1 case is “not a surprise.” The H1N1 influenza A virus is now recognized to be causing a worldwide outbreak, known as a pandemic. Closer to home, surrounding counties have noted abrupt increases in the detection of H1N1 in the past 3 weeks. Dr. Tait suggests that there have probably been other cases of H1N1 illness in Lake County, but identification of the virus requires specialized laboratory testing, which is conducted on a limited basis for purposes of tracking the outbreak. Once the virus is known to be in the community, most illness will be diagnosed based on symptoms.
Although the severity of illness of H1N1 has largely resembled the ordinary seasonal “flu,” the H1N1 virus is showing a propensity to spread during the summer months when we normally experience a break from influenza.
As a “new” virus arriving on the scene, H1N1 can easily infect most people when they are exposed. In the majority of cases, illness has been mild and able to be treated at home. Like seasonal influenza, the infection can be severe in some cases and occasionally results in death. As of June 25, in California 1,519 cases of confirmed and probable H1N1 influenza were reported, with 142 requiring hospitalization and 17 resulting in death.
Because specialized confirmatory testing is done on only a subset of patients, statistics that tabulate reported cases underestimate the actual number of H1N1 cases. Currently, testing is being done mainly on hospitalized patients, which emphasizes the number of more severely ill patients.
Basic precautions are the most effective means of guarding against infection. These include regular hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when ill. Precautions should be emphasized throughout the summer months in addition to the usual influenza season.
Lake County Public Health is working with health providers and others to monitor local influenza activity, which has not so far shown the increases observed in nearby counties. “To some extent, we may benefit from our relatively sparse population and outdoor lifestyle,” notes Dr. Tait. “Nonetheless, we should still take measures to limit the spread of this infection.”
A vaccine for the H1N1 influenza A virus is under development and likely to be available by Fall.
Additional information can be found at:
www.co.lake.ca.us
www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/discond/Pages/SwineInfluenza
www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu