NOTICE:
THERE IS NO URGENT EPIDEMIC
AND THERE IS NO DANGEROUS OUTBREAK
IN SAN FRANCISCO.
San Francisco and San Franciscans are fine. Sure, some people have the flu and it is nothing unusual. H1N1 flu is pretty much no diferent than any other seasonal flu. It has an exotic origin, but it behaves no differently than the seaonsal flu.
Everything is business-as-usual. The cable cars are filled with visitors, The Ferry Building Marketplace is bustling. Every day thousands of people make the trip out to Golden Gate Park to see the new California Academy of Sciences or visit the deYoung Museum. People are gearing-up for Bay to Breakers and plans are being made to open the stunning Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs at the deYoung Museum in June.
Reservations are going fast for the famous elegant Mother's Day Sunday Brunch at the ornate Garden Court Restaurant at the historic Palace Hotel and work is moving foward in preparation for San Francisco's Pride 2009 celebration and parade.
All the hype about "swine flu" (which is properly and correctly referred to as H1N1 influenza) is overblown because of its exotic origin, not because of its danger to the community.
Reservations are going fast for the famous elegant Mother's Day Sunday Brunch at the ornate Garden Court Restaurant at the historic Palace Hotel and work is moving foward in preparation for San Francisco's Pride 2009 celebration and parade.
All the hype about "swine flu" (which is properly and correctly referred to as H1N1 influenza) is overblown because of its exotic origin, not because of its danger to the community.
But if you must track the H1N1 virus, here are all the tools you will need:
San Francisco Department of Public Health
April 27, 2009 (check for updates here)
As of April 27, 2009, 40 laboratory-confirmed cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) have been detected in California (7), Kansas (2), New York City (28), Ohio (1), and Texas (2). Other probable cases of swine flu are being tested.
Many of the newly reported cases recently traveled to Mexico, where 18 lab confirmed cases of swine flu and over 880 cases of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) have been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO). Confirmed cases have also been reported from Canada. No confirmed cases have yet been detected in Northern California. Because of the expanding outbreak, San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) is requesting additional clinician assistance to identify suspect cases of swine flu and test patients with ILI.
This Health Alert updates requested actions of clinicians in the April 24, 2009 Health Alert (www.sfcdcp.org/healthalerts)
Definitions:
ILI: fever (>37.8°C or 100°F), plus cough or sore throat.
Acute respiratory illness: Recent onset of at least two of the following: nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, fever or feverishness.
Close contact: within 6 feet of an ill person who is a confirmed or suspected case of swine flu
Confirmed case of swine flu: acute respiratory illness with lab-confirmed swine influenza A (H1N1) infection by one or more of the following tests: real-time PCR, viral culture, or 4-fold rise in swine influenza A (H1N1) virus specific neutralizing antibodies.
Suspected case of swine flu:
1. A person with an acute respiratory illness who was a close contact to a confirmed case of swine
influenza A (H1N1) virus infection while the case was ill OR
2. A person with an acute respiratory illness with a recent history of contact with an animal with
confirmed or suspected swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection OR
3. A person with an acute respiratory illness who has traveled to an area where there are confirmed cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) within 7 days of suspect case’s illness onset.
Actions requested of all clinicians:
1. LOOK for suspected H1N1 cases: ask all patients with acute respiratory illness if they had close contact to a confirmed human case of swine flu, contact with an animal with confirmed or suspected swine flu, or a history of travel to a swine flu-affected area within the 7 days preceding their illness onset.
2. Collect respiratory specimens from patients who
♦ Meet the definition of a suspected case of swine flu, in all clinical settings OR
♦ Have an ILI and are hospitalized with an undiagnosed acute respiratory illness or suspected or
confirmed seasonal influenza OR
♦ Have an ILI and are presenting to emergency rooms.
3. Report the following cases to SFDPH Disease Control ():
♦ Suspected cases of swine flu
♦ Fatal or severe (requiring ICU) cases of suspected or confirmed seasonal flu in adults and children
Additional Resources:
Respiratory specimen collection and submission instructions are posted at: www.sfcdcp.org/swineflu.html.
Interim Guidance on Infection Control for care of patients with confirmed or suspected H1N1 virus infection in a health care setting is posted at: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/guidelines_infection_control.htm
Updates on the ongoing investigations and new guidelines are frequently posted on at the CDC H1N1 webpage: (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swine/).
San Francisco-specific information will be posted to: http://www.sfcdcp.org/swineflu.html
.
For continuously updated information about the H1N1 influenza outbreak please use the following resources:
1) For updated statements from the San Francisco Department of Public Health go to: www.sfcdcp.org/healthalerts.html
(Also read the official notice, below)
2) The U. S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Internet information center for the H1N1 outbreak: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/
3) World Health Organization (WHO) Epidemic and Pandemic Alerts and Responses: http://www.who.int/csr/don/en/
4) California Department of Health H1N1 Outbreak Information: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/default.aspx
1) For updated statements from the San Francisco Department of Public Health go to: www.sfcdcp.org/healthalerts.html
(Also read the official notice, below)
2) The U. S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Internet information center for the H1N1 outbreak: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/
3) World Health Organization (WHO) Epidemic and Pandemic Alerts and Responses: http://www.who.int/csr/don/en/
4) California Department of Health H1N1 Outbreak Information: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/default.aspx
San Francisco Department of Public Health
HEALTH ALERT – H1N1 "Swine Flu"
UPDATED INSTRUCTIONS FOR SURVEILLANCE, TESTING AND REPORTING
UPDATED INSTRUCTIONS FOR SURVEILLANCE, TESTING AND REPORTING
April 27, 2009 (check for updates here)
As of April 27, 2009, 40 laboratory-confirmed cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) have been detected in California (7), Kansas (2), New York City (28), Ohio (1), and Texas (2). Other probable cases of swine flu are being tested.
Many of the newly reported cases recently traveled to Mexico, where 18 lab confirmed cases of swine flu and over 880 cases of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) have been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO). Confirmed cases have also been reported from Canada. No confirmed cases have yet been detected in Northern California. Because of the expanding outbreak, San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) is requesting additional clinician assistance to identify suspect cases of swine flu and test patients with ILI.
This Health Alert updates requested actions of clinicians in the April 24, 2009 Health Alert (www.sfcdcp.org/healthalerts)
Definitions:
ILI: fever (>37.8°C or 100°F), plus cough or sore throat.
Acute respiratory illness: Recent onset of at least two of the following: nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, fever or feverishness.
Close contact: within 6 feet of an ill person who is a confirmed or suspected case of swine flu
Confirmed case of swine flu: acute respiratory illness with lab-confirmed swine influenza A (H1N1) infection by one or more of the following tests: real-time PCR, viral culture, or 4-fold rise in swine influenza A (H1N1) virus specific neutralizing antibodies.
Suspected case of swine flu:
1. A person with an acute respiratory illness who was a close contact to a confirmed case of swine
influenza A (H1N1) virus infection while the case was ill OR
2. A person with an acute respiratory illness with a recent history of contact with an animal with
confirmed or suspected swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection OR
3. A person with an acute respiratory illness who has traveled to an area where there are confirmed cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) within 7 days of suspect case’s illness onset.
Actions requested of all clinicians:
1. LOOK for suspected H1N1 cases: ask all patients with acute respiratory illness if they had close contact to a confirmed human case of swine flu, contact with an animal with confirmed or suspected swine flu, or a history of travel to a swine flu-affected area within the 7 days preceding their illness onset.
2. Collect respiratory specimens from patients who
♦ Meet the definition of a suspected case of swine flu, in all clinical settings OR
♦ Have an ILI and are hospitalized with an undiagnosed acute respiratory illness or suspected or
confirmed seasonal influenza OR
♦ Have an ILI and are presenting to emergency rooms.
3. Report the following cases to SFDPH Disease Control ():
♦ Suspected cases of swine flu
♦ Fatal or severe (requiring ICU) cases of suspected or confirmed seasonal flu in adults and children
Additional Resources:
Respiratory specimen collection and submission instructions are posted at: www.sfcdcp.org/swineflu.html.
Interim Guidance on Infection Control for care of patients with confirmed or suspected H1N1 virus infection in a health care setting is posted at: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/guidelines_infection_control.htm
Updates on the ongoing investigations and new guidelines are frequently posted on at the CDC H1N1 webpage: (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swine/).
San Francisco-specific information will be posted to: http://www.sfcdcp.org/swineflu.html
.
0 comments:
Post a Comment