H1N1 influenza virus continues to spread in the United States,  (CDC)Advice To Keeping  “vigilant.”, Anne Schuchat From CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases said That “The H1N1 virus is not going away,”

H1N1 Flu

Also say That Influenza is unpredictable and we really need to stay attuned to that to be prepared for surprises in the days and weeks ahead

(CDC) by today is reporting 6 deaths from H1N1, with 22 states reporting widespread or regional influenza activity. Activity levels are highest in the Pacific Northwest and the Southwest areas of the United States.

About half of the current flu cases are considered to be novel H1N1. Currently, there is no evidence that H1N1 has mutated into a more virulent strain.

“Unfortunately, based on the trends we are seeing, we do expect more illness, more hospitalizations, and more deaths,” she said.

According to Dr. Schuchat, in New York, there have been a number of outbreaks in schools, and some have issued recommendations for school closures which “are consistent with the school guidance that we’ve updated, which suggests that there is a need for a localized response.”

Dr. Schuchat pointed out that levels of influenza-like illness are higher than is normal for this time of the year, with an abnormally high number of outbreaks in schools.

The fatality rate for the novel H1N1 strain is “likely a little bit higher than seasonal influenza but not necessarily substantially higher,” Dr. Schuchat said. “On the other hand, the hospitalizations that we’re tracking have this disproportionate occurrence among younger persons,” she said. “That’s very unusual to have so many people under 20 requiring hospitalization.”

According to Dr. Schuchat, the illness and hospitalizations are occurring primarily in younger people between the ages of 5 to 24 years, with very few hospitalizations in people older than 65 years. About 25% of cases have vomiting or diarrhea on presentation, and some data suggest that children are more likely to have vomiting and diarrhea compared with adults.

Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) is reporting 8480 cases in 39 countries. The pandemic alert level remains at phase 5 out of a possible 6.

The subject of the novel H1N1 strain is expected to dominate the conference discussion at the WHO’s 62nd World Health Assembly, which opened today in Geneva.

WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan noted during her address to the assembly that the world today is more vulnerable to the adverse effects of an influenza pandemic than it was in 1968, when the last pandemic began, according to a news release.

The increase in air travel since the last pandemic means that any city with an international airport is at risk for an imported case, Dr. Chan said. However, concerns about a pandemic should not overshadow or interrupt other vital health programs.