Officials Continue Efforts to Control Swine Flu

Efforts by federal and Mississippi officials to control swine flu continue to increase, as do the number of confirmed flu cases in the US. In today's heath report, MPB's Stephen Koranda has more on the swine flu strain, and how officials are combating it's spread.

The swine flu virus is a new strain of influenza that appears to contain parts of swine and bird flu viruses. University of Southern Mississippi Biological Sciences Professor Bobby Middlebrooks says this likely happened when different strains of influenza were reproducing in the same animal.

“When that happens, a mix of genes from the pig and the birds can get used to make up a new virus. You could wind up with a virus that now has essentially a brand new combination of genetic elements”

Middlebrooks says that new combination of elements is what makes this strain dangerous.

“When you generate a new one like this, or a new combination that hasn’t been around in a long time, maybe only the very old people will still have antibodies and still have immune response against it. It will hit essentially a population of sort of the middle age group, which hasn’t seen this virus before.”

A lack of immunity gives this flu strain the potential to make many people sick. Newly confirmed federal Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sibelius... talked about the flu spreading on her first full day in office yesterday.

“While we still don’t know what this virus will do, we expect to see more cases , more hospitalizations and unfortunately, we’re likely to see additional deaths from the outbreak.”

One of the main ways the federal government is trying to combat the spread of the virus is by providing information. Centers for Disease Control Director Richard Besser is pushing a message of simple hygiene. Frequent hand washing and covering any sneezes or coughs with your sleeve can help stop the spread of influenza viruses. Besser says anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms should stay home from work or school, and other family members should also to take precautions.

“Family members who’ve been exposed, we want them to decrease the amount of contact they have with others in the community. Not because they’re definitely sick, but in an abundance of caution to try and reduce the likelihood that they would spread infection.”

Health officials haven’t confirmed a case of swine flu in Mississippi, but say it’s likely the virus will be found in the state. More than 20 samples from Mississippi patients have been tested by the department of Health. No swine flu has been found, but 2 people did test positive for another strain of influenza. Mississippi Epidemiologist Mary Currier told reporters yesterday even building a wall around the state wouldn’t stop the spread of swine flu.

“The states around the country that have had these diseases are not the states that are surrounding Mississippi, but as y’all know we’re connected to every place in the world through our airports, so that certainly doesn’t meant that we’re not going to have illness here.”

In preparation for the virus spreading, the federal government is sending Mississippi anti influenza medications like Tamiflu. It'll be enough for around 75 thousand patients, on top of the 300 thousand already on hand in the state. This may not seem like a lot compared to Mississippi’s 3 million population, but Currier says only around 1 in 10 people who contact someone with swine flu are likely to develop it.

“And then not everybody with an influenza-like illness needs Tamiflu, it’s certainly not something that’s just recommended to be given out willy nilly for anybody who has flu symptoms. It’s specifically recommended for people who are a high risk for complications, people who are more likely to have problems with influenza.”

Currier says people who are concerned about influenza should not try to stockpile anti-influenza drugs like Tamiflu.

“We don’t really advise that , because that can create a deficienc the stores, in the pharmacies. Just the same way we had a shortage of gas during Katrina, because it was all in those red gallon jugs instead of being in peoples’ cars.”

The Mississippi Department of Health has increased monitoring for swine flu. A confirmation of swine flu in Mississippi will only come from the health department, and officials say Mississippians shouldn't believe any rumors from other sources.