Swine flu: light at end of tunnel
By Stephanie Nebehay |
December 4, 2009, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SWINE flu had not peaked but seemed to be waning in Canada and the United States, signalling that the end of the pandemic may be on the horizon, the World Health Organization said yesterday.
A third wave of infections may be ahead, said Keiji Fukuda, the WHO's top flu expert. But there was no sign of widespread resistance to Tamiflu, the main drug used to treat H1N1.
"I think it's fair to say that we still haven't fully gotten through the pandemic and it is possible that there could be unexpected events which occur," Fukuda told a news conference in Geneva.
"It is quite possible to have a pandemic on the milder side. And if we are experiencing that and the number of serious cases is kept down, then it is something again for which we should all be thankful."
H1N1, which emerged in March, causes moderate symptoms in most patients but poses greater risks to pregnant woman, young people and patients with underlying health problems.
The WHO declared a full-blown pandemic - at six on its six-point scale - on June 11. The flu strain has caused at least 7,826 deaths worldwide as of November 27.
New flu strains which spark pandemics typically cause large outbreaks and then go through a transition period when the virus essentially becomes the seasonal influenza virus, according to Fukuda.
The WHO and its advisory committees were gathering scientific data to assess the possible end of the pandemic, Fukuda said, telling reporters: "I anticipate that at least some time in 2010 we will be discussing this in formal settings, in more concentrated ways.
"Again, I think it's a little bit early to begin those discussions now because we are still in a period where some countries are increasing in terms of infections."
Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 viruses have not spread to hospital staff or beyond despite spreading among two clusters of patients in Britain and the US, the WHO said in a statement issued overnight.
The Netherlands reported its first death yesterday of a patient suffering from a drug-resistant strain of H1N1.
The patient had been treated with Tamiflu but developed resistance to the drug.
A third wave of infections may be ahead, said Keiji Fukuda, the WHO's top flu expert. But there was no sign of widespread resistance to Tamiflu, the main drug used to treat H1N1.
"I think it's fair to say that we still haven't fully gotten through the pandemic and it is possible that there could be unexpected events which occur," Fukuda told a news conference in Geneva.
"It is quite possible to have a pandemic on the milder side. And if we are experiencing that and the number of serious cases is kept down, then it is something again for which we should all be thankful."
H1N1, which emerged in March, causes moderate symptoms in most patients but poses greater risks to pregnant woman, young people and patients with underlying health problems.
The WHO declared a full-blown pandemic - at six on its six-point scale - on June 11. The flu strain has caused at least 7,826 deaths worldwide as of November 27.
New flu strains which spark pandemics typically cause large outbreaks and then go through a transition period when the virus essentially becomes the seasonal influenza virus, according to Fukuda.
The WHO and its advisory committees were gathering scientific data to assess the possible end of the pandemic, Fukuda said, telling reporters: "I anticipate that at least some time in 2010 we will be discussing this in formal settings, in more concentrated ways.
"Again, I think it's a little bit early to begin those discussions now because we are still in a period where some countries are increasing in terms of infections."
Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 viruses have not spread to hospital staff or beyond despite spreading among two clusters of patients in Britain and the US, the WHO said in a statement issued overnight.
The Netherlands reported its first death yesterday of a patient suffering from a drug-resistant strain of H1N1.
The patient had been treated with Tamiflu but developed resistance to the drug.
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