Swine flu is back in the UK

The potentially deadly swine flu is back in the UK, following reports that 2 people have been hospitalised after contracting the virus, confirmed yesterday by health officials.

Both patients have been diagnosed has having the H1N1 strain of influenza, and are now being closely monitored at Wishaw General Hospital in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.

The virus was first identified in Mexico back in April 2009, and was first named ‘Mexican flu’. Mexico had 100s of non-lethal cases of the virus prior to the outbreak being officially discovered, with the country in the midst of a “silent epidemic”.

However, it later became labelled as swine flu due to the fact that the virus strikingly bore similarities to already known influenza viruses that cause illness in pigs.

The virus subsequently spread between countries, causing pandemonium as it was a new type of flu virus that barely anyone was immune to. According to the World Health Organization, there were 18,500 lab-confirmed deaths from swine flu in 2009 alone, and anywhere between 10-200 million people infected. Of the total deaths, 350 people died in the UK during the initial pandemic.

The flu jab covers the virus – which is free of charge on the NHS to people 65 years of age or over, pregnant women, those with certain medical conditions, people living in a long-stay residential care home or other long-stay care facility, anyone receiving a carer’s allowance, or the main carer for an elderly or disabled person who could be at further risk if the carer was to become ill and Healthcare workers with direct patient contact or a social care worker.

Children over the age of six months with a long-term health condition and those aged two, three and four plus children in school years one and two are also recommended as having the flu jab.

Health experts have commented that the apparent emergence of the virus was ‘not unusual’ because it never truly went away in the first place.

Leading flu expert, virologist Professor John Oxford, spoke to the MailOnline yesterday and said that the virus has been ‘moving around the community this year.”

“Every year there is three to four influenza viruses but there’s nothing unusual,” he said.
“I’m sure there would have been cases last year in the UK and around Europe. I’m a bit surprised that they have announced it.

“If you have had the flu jab then you wouldn’t expect to get it or the other types of flu.”

Professor Oxford said he predicts more cases of swine flu to emerge in the coming weeks as we enter the peak of the flu season, adding that the virus could be treated with Tamiflu (oseltamivir), and stressed how the most at-risk groups were children and people with underlying health conditions, if they have not been immunised.

The two cases in Scotland only came to prominence after someone had commented about being diagnosed with the virus on social media.

Dr Femi Oshin, consultant in public health medicine at NHS Lanarkshire, said: “Although there are low levels of influenza overall this winter, H1N1, also known as swine flu, is reported to be the main flu virus circulating in the community.

“It is, therefore, to be expected that we will see some cases of H1N1 in Lanarkshire at this time.
“The seasonal influenza vaccination is the best way to protect yourself against flu, including H1N1.
“The annual flu vaccine is available free to pregnant women as well as other eligible groups including people over 65, those who have certain health conditions, healthy children aged two, three and four plus children in school years one and two, and people who work in healthcare.”

Achoo! Do you have a cold or flu?

The winter season for the majority of the Northern Hemisphere is not a pleasant time. Temperatures often plunge into the minuses as snow makes a regular appearance, as does ice, resulting in inevitable pandemonium for vehicle drivers and walking pedestrians.

Also prevalent at this time of the year are a huge number of colds, cases of flu, and various respiratory illnesses. Contagious viruses are of course active throughout the year, but winter is when we are most vulnerable. When it is cold, many people understandably choose to stay indoors, meaning a virus can spread rapidly through households.

Flu is transmitted between people when the infected individual then sneezes or coughs, releasing droplets into the air. Even touching a surface where the virus has been deposited can you put at risk of developing said virus.

It is worth noting there is a difference between a ‘cold’ and the flu, although they have some of the same symptoms and thus, are often mistakenly self-diagnosed. It is thought that around a third of Brits assume they just have a ‘bad cold’, when it is in fact the flu. This is a worrying statistic as thousands die each year from complications arising from flu.

A runny nose, coughing, a sore throat and sneezing are characteristics most common in colds, and usually develop over one or two days, lasting no more than a few days. However, some colds may last for as long as two weeks.

Flu usually strikes more suddenly than a common cold, symptoms are more serious and it lasts for a longer period of time. Flu symptoms include: sudden fever of 38-40°C (100-104°F), aches and pains in muscles and joints, sweats, a dry cough, headache and a feeling of exhaustion/needing to lie down.

One to three days following infection is the time when flu symptoms rear their ugly head, but many find they recover within one week, but a feeling of tiredness lingers for slightly longer than this. Severe colds may cause muscle aches and fever, which explains why many people struggle to differentiate the two.

Regardless of if it is a cold or flu you have, you must seek medical help if you also have chronic health condition such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease, or are experiencing a high fever, a severe headache, or abdominal or chest pain.

You can take preventative steps though to try and protect yourself and those around you by:

. Coughing or sneezing into a tissue.
. Disposing of used tissues straight away.
. Washing hands as soon as possible.
. Get an annual flu jab if you are in one of high-risk groups.
. Throwing a used tissue away as soon as possible.
. Washing your hands as soon as possible.
. Having a flu jab every year if you’re in an at-risk group (i.e. children under the age of 5, adults over the age of 65, pregnant women).

Painkillers, such as paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin, can help to ease your symptoms if you just have a cold – although aspirin should not be given to anyone under the age of 16. You should also rest, drink plenty of fluids, and eat healthily (a low-fat, high-fibre diet is generally advised).

You can usually treat yourself in the comfort of your own home if you have the flu. Make sure to get plenty of rest (most people know when they feel fit enough to carry on with their normal activities), keep yourself warm, and drink plenty of fluids.

Paracetamol or anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen can help to lower your high temperature and relieve aches if you are unwell with a fever.

Prescription antiviral medications such as Tamiflu (oseltamivir) are also widely used for both flu prevention and treatment.

Tamiflu stops the chemical neuraminidase – made by the influenzavirus – from having an impact that is. The virus relies on neuraminidase to spread in the airways, but because Tamiflu blocks neuraminidase from having an effect, the spread of the influenzavirus in the airways is reduced and the body’s immune system is more easily able clear-up the infection.

GPs can prescribe Tamiflu to fight influenza

The Health Protection Agency’s (HPA) recently released health data show that GP consultations for influenza have risen – particularly amongst children and young people.

The HPA figures show that for the week prior to Christmas, weekly primary care consultation rates across England had increased to 27.4 per 100,000 people. Encouragingly, other countries in the UK had witness similar increases for the same period, with a rate of 18.9 per 100,000 in Wales, 19.7 per 100,000 in Scotland and 25.5 per 100,000 in Northern Ireland.

Flu-like symptoms were predominantly reported in the 5-14 year olds – double those of overall levels. Other HPA information show that also in the week before Christmas, 45 acute respiratory disease outbreaks had occurred; 43 within schools and the other 2 in care homes.

Influenza or ‘flu’ as it is commonly known as is a respiratory illness associated with infection by influenza virus. Common symptoms usually make an appearance roughly 2 days after infection and include fever, headache, cough, sore throat, aching muscles and joints. The condition was first identified in 1933, and there are main three types determined: Influenza A, B, and C.

Dr Richard Pebody, head of seasonal flu surveillance at the HPA commented that the latest flu figures were ‘encouraging’, saying: “The latest vaccine uptake figures for one of the ‘at risk’ groups – the over 65 age group – are encouraging, with more than 70 percent taking up the offer of the flu vaccine. Among those in an ‘at risk’ group under 65 years of age, uptake is just under 50 percent and around 40 percent of pregnant women and healthcare workers have accepted the offer of vaccination this season.”

The HPA stats come in the same week that it emerged The Department of Health (DoH) have informed GPs they  can prescribe antivirals such as Tamiflu for influenza to the groups of people who are most at risk of developing complications from contracting flu. High-risk people include pregnant women and those over the age of 65.

However, according to The DoH, there is a ‘substantial likelihood’ that schoolchildren across the UK showing with influenza-like symptoms had the disease.  NHS chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies said: “The most recent surveillance data indicate that there is now a substantial likelihood that people, including children in schools, presenting with an influenza-like illness are infected with an influenza virus.”

This follows action from The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, who last Friday extended the use of Tamiflu to children as young as 2 weeks old who have shown flu symptoms for no more than two days. The U.S. approval means that Tamiflu is the only prescription oral antiviral medication approved to treat patients of all ages; infants two weeks of age all the way to the elderly
Roche’s Tamiflu works at lessening the duration and severity of influenza by blocking the virus from replicating within the body. It belongs to a group of medicines named ‘neuraminidase inhibitors’.

These medicines prevent the influenza virus from spreading inside the body and so help to ease or prevent the symptoms arising from the influenza virus infection. Tamiflu was first given FDA approval in the United States back in 1999, so its existence is not a new revelation. However, the drug came to worldwide prominence a decade later in 2009 due to the deadly H1N1 swine flu epidemic, hitting peak sales of an incredible $3 billion because of the epidemic.

Tamiflu is available today through Medical Specialists Pharmacy from as little as £21.98 per pack after we dramatically lowered the price of Tamiflu earlier in the year to help out new and existing patients during this difficult recession.

Animal owners warned they could pass the flu to their pets

With the weather starting to change as we approach the winter months, temperatures are noticeably dropping, scarves and gloves are being dusted off for use and unfortunately many of us will be struck down with colds and influenza.

If you are unwell then there is a good chance you will possibly want to get cosy in front of your fire and cuddle up to your pet dog or cat, however – think again. Scientists in the United States are now claiming that humans could pass on their flu infection to our furry friends. Though the risk is relatively small, they say that awareness needs to be raised about the generally unknown condition ‘reverse zoonosis’, but it has caused some degree of concern amongst health experts and veterinarians.

Influenza is a respiratory illness, more serious than a typical common cold. People are at risk of getting the flu throughout the year, but are more at risk during the winter months, hence where the name ‘seasonal flu’ is spawned from. The symptoms of the condition include aching muscles and joints, coughing, fever, headache and a sore throat. Flu can be so debilitating that often the sufferer is confined to their bed for a few days due to exhaustion.

In the UK alone there are an estimated 600 deaths annually due to complications arising from seasonal flu. This figure can skyrocket to about 13,000 fatalities during an epidemic, such as the swine flu outbreak of 2009.

The swine flu was a new variant of the common H1N1 virus (responsible for the majority of flu cases) and was so deadly partly because people didn’t have much of an immunity to it as it had not previously been discovered in humans or pigs. The pandemic was curbed to a massive extent with the wonder medication Tamiflu, which prevents influenza virus from spreading inside the body and helps to ease or prevent the symptoms arising from the influenza virus infection.

It is also the H1N1 flu strain that is being seen in human to pet transmissions. Christiane Loehr, an associate professor at Oregon State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, says that ever since the 1970s experts have been aware that cats are at risk of catching the flu and in the year 2000 it became apparent that dogs could get it as well. Despite this, there was incredibly little in the way of reported instances of such occurrences happening.

Approximately 80 to 100 million households in the U.S. have a cat or dog, and 20 million in the UK. With such a high number of pets, researchers warn it may be best to distance ourselves from our pets when we next get struck down with symptoms of the flu.

The first confirmed case of a fatal human to cat transmission happened in Oregon in 2009 says Professor Loehr, with the pandemic H1N1 virus being the culprit. The cat’s owner had become seriously unwell from the flu and had to be taken to hospital. Whilst in hospital, her cat also became ill with the flu and subsequently died due to pneumonia caused by the H1N1 virus.

Since this tragic event, health experts have witnessed 13 cats and one dog with pandemic H1N1 infection during 2011 to 2012 that came about from human transmission. Even some pet ferrets have been found to be infected and a few died.

Professor Loehr is currently conducting further research into reverse zoonosis. She says, “We worry a lot about zoonosis, the transmission of diseases from animals to people. But most people don’t realize that humans can also pass diseases to animals, and this raises questions and concerns about mutations, new viral forms and evolving diseases that may potentially be zoonotic. And, of course, there is concern about the health of the animals. It’s reasonable to assume there are many more cases of this than we know about, and we want to learn more. Any time you have infection of a virus into a new species, it’s a concern, a black box of uncertainty. We don’t know for sure what the implications might be, but we do think this deserves more attention.”