Influenza:Tracking a Survivor


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Swine Influenza 2009 and ongoing

Casualty Count - 26 (officially confirmed)
165 (unofficially Known)

Convict: H1N1 Influenza type A virus

It is a mix of strains from human, avian and swine influenza.
Since its past is murky, blaming only the swine for the flu is a misnomer.
It is now referred to as the H1N1 virus.

March saw influenza-like outbreaks in Mexico. It was confirmed as a new strain on April 24th.

Is similar to the strain that caused the spanish flu in 1918.

WHO has raised the official alert level to phase 5, the last step before a pandemic.

And, WHO also informs that you can't catch the flu from eating pork

Modus Operandi:

The first to be infected were the people of Perote, a small village in Mexico.
People blamed the pig farms of Granjas Carroll, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork packer and hog producer.

The flu is spreading. Ten countries are witnessing new cases, everyday

The Mexican government has so far attributed only 8 deaths to the raging H1N1 Influenza But, international media claims a much higher toll of 165 dead people

Links

WHO website on Swine Influenza
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html

Swine flu in Mexico: Timeline of events

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	2003- 04: Fujian flu Casualty Count – 12 deaths Six children and two adults die in England and Scotland. Four children die in Canada Convict - H3N2 Influenza type A virus It is a Fujian bird flu strain of the H5N1 subtypes of the Influenza A virus. Modus Operandi - H3N2 surfaces in Fujian, ****(a coastal province of the People's Republic of China that is across the Taiwan strait from Taiwan)

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2002: Madagascar

Casualty count – 800
Convict- H1N3, closely related to the strain that caused the Spanish flu
Modus Operandi: H1N3 infects 27,000 in Madagascar

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	1997-H5N1 Pandemic Casualty Count - 263 deaths (cumulative) Convict: Avian Influenza A Virus Subtype H5N1 (similar to the strain that caused the Spanish flu) H5N1 distinguished itself by surpassing the need for an intermediate host, the pig and moving directly from Birds to Humans. Riding on the back of a large poultry and migratory bird population, H5N1 has become endemic in Asia. But people can’t catch it by eating meat. H5N1 is shed in bird droppings and saliva. When the droppings dry, they are ground into dust and can be inhaled Experts think the people most at risk are those involved in the butchering and preparation of infected meat. Modus operandi: H5N1 has been detected in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and China, Hong Kong, India ***(Southeast Asia) It has also been found in Nigeria and Turkey, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Djibouti (sub Saharan African nation), Lao People’s Democratic Republic And in Europe, including countries like Britain, Austria, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, France and Croatia, Germany

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	1976: Swine flu Casualty count – One dead soldier Convict: A swine influenza virus strain (H1N1) that possessed hem agglutinin and neuraminidase subtypes that had not circulated for more than 50 years. It was similar to Spanish flu strain. Modus operandi: On 27 January 1976, H1N1 killed one and sent four other soldiers to the hospital at Fort Dix in New Jersey, U.S.A Fearing a Pandemic, scientists called for a massive vaccination program. Between October 1 and December 16, more than 40 million civilians were vaccinated. In November 1976, many from Minnesota, U.S.A complained of paralysis and difficulty in breathing. They had been vaccinated. On 16 December 1976, the Assistant Secretary for Health announced the suspension of the swine influenza vaccination program.

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	1968- 1969: Hong Kong flu Casualty count – 700,000 Convict – Influenza A virus subtype H3N2 (evolved from H2N2 Asian flu strain via antigenic shift) It arose in pigs co-infected with avian and human viruses and soon shifted to humans. It is still active. Modus Operandi: September 1968 - H3N2’s first strike was detected at Hong By July 1968 - It reaches Vietnam and Singapore By September 1968 - It has traveled across India, Philippines, northern Australia and Europe. By 1969 - It sweeps through Japan, Africa and South America and enters U.S.A through the returning troops from Vietnam< Similar to the previous pandemic, schoolchildren suffered the highest attack rate. But fewer people died during this one. Why? Theory 1: Improved medical care Theory 2: Availability of effective antibiotics against secondary bacterial infections Theory 3: People fought back using antibodies retained against N2 in their systems from the 1957 influenza pandemic.

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	1956 – 1958: Asian flu Casualty count –2 million deaths Convict: Avian Influenza A virus subtype H2N2 (suspected of causing Russian flu virus) H2N2 is an avian influenza that was conceived between a strain that infects wild ducks and a pre-existing human strain It is now extinct in the wild but not before it replaced all H1 strains infecting people It later mutated into H3N2 and went on to cause the Hong Kong flu Since H2N2 has not circulated in humans since 1968, no one under 30 years old has immunity to this strain, now. Modus Operandi: Early 1956 – H2N2 starts with Ginzhou, china By February 1957 – It reaches Singapore By April 1957 – It reaches Hong Kong By June 1957 – It has spread to U.S.A H2N2 seemed to target the school children between the ages of 5 to 19. They, in turn spread the virus to their classmates, all of whom carried the virus back to their families. Infection rates were also high among young adults and pregnant women. But, the death rates were highest for the elderly.

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	1918- 1920: Spanish flu Casualty count: Up to 50 million Mortality rates by region 5 per 1000 in Europe and North America 9 per 1000 in Central & South America 15 per 1000 in Africa 20-34 per 1000 in Asia 12.5- 17 million die in India Influenza usually proves fatal for children and the elderly with weaker immune systems but H1N1 ‘s victims turned out to be young adults in the age group of 20- 40 years. It triggered the victim’s immune system to overreact. More host cells were killed than the virus. Stronger the immune system, stronger was the overreaction. Convict: H1N1 strain of influenza type A virus. (It is similar to the avian flu virus H5N1 and H5N2 of today) Modus operandi: On March 4, 1918 – H1N1 infects soldiers at Fort Riley in Kansas, U.S.A The First World War is on and the Fort Riley soldiers unwittingly carry H1N1 to their posts in different countries. By April 1918 – It spreads across the Atlantic to reach France, China and Japan. By May 1918 - It sweeps through Africa and South America. How could H1N1 cause such a major pandemic? Theory 1 – While moving through Asia, H1N1 assumed an unpredictable form by exchanging genes with strains that infect pigs and birds. Theory 2 – It jumped directly from birds to people, without traveling through pigs Theory 3 – Viral RNA fragments recovered from bodies buried under permafrost in Alaska reveal that though H1N1 may have some avian flu strains for ancestors, it spread the Spanish flu only through people and pigs.

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	1889-1890: Russian flu Casualty count: Up to 1 million Convict: Influenza A virus subtype H2N2 Modus Operandi: H2N2 begins with China, It later travels to Russia and then, spreads to entire Europe By December 1889 – It reaches North America And, by February 1890 - It reaches Latin America and Asia




	The flu tracker: 6,500 people affected in 33 countries Mouse over to find out who all succumbed to the flu

	About vaccine challenge for Influenza	Pictures: Watch Spanish flu as it happens

	Influenza genome sequencing project	2006: H5N1 spotted in Maharashtra

	WHO fact sheet on influenza	2008: H5N1 outbreak in West Bengal

	Total deaths since 2003 owing to H5N1 strain	Maps track the spread of H5N1 from 2007 to 2009

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