What is the new influenza A(H1N1)? This is a new influenza A(H1N1) virus that has never before circulated among humans. This virus is not related to previous or current human seasonal influenza viruses. Why are we so worried about this flu when hundreds of thousands die every year from seasonal epidemics? Seasonal influenza occurs every year and the viruses change each year - but many people have some immunity to the circulating virus which helps limit infections. Some countries also use seasonal influenza vaccines to reduce illness and deaths. But influenza A(H1N1) is a new virus and one to which most people have no or little immunity and,therefore,this virus could cause more infections than are seen with seasonal flu. WHO is working closely with manufacturers to expedite the development of a safe and effective vaccine but it will be some months before it is available. The new influenza A(H1N1) appears to be as contagious as seasonal influenza,and is spreading fast particularly among young people (from ages 10 to 45). The severity of the disease ranges from very mild symptoms to severe illnesses that can result in death. The majority of people who contract the virus experience the milder disease and recover without antiviral treatment or medical care. Of the more serious cases,more than half of hospitalized people had underlying health conditions or weak immune systems. Most people experience mild illness and recover at home. When should someone seek medical care? A person should seek medical care if they experience shortness of breath or difficulty breathing,or if a fever continues more than three days. For parents with a young child who is ill,seek medical care if a child has fast or labored breathing,continuing fever or convulsions (seizures). Supportive care at home - resting,drinking plenty of fluids and using a pain reliever for aches - is adequate for recovery in most cases. (A non-aspirin pain reliever should be used by children and young adults because of the risk of Reye's syndrome.) How do people become infected with the virus? The virus is spread from person-to-person. It is transmitted as easily as the normal seasonal flu and can be passed to other people by exposure to infected droplets expelled by coughing or sneezing that can be inhaled,or that can contaminate hands or surfaces. To prevent spread,people who are ill should cover their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing,stay home when they are unwell,clean their hands regularly,and keep some distance from healthy people,as much as possible. There are no known instances of people getting infected by exposure to pigs or other animals. The place of origin of the virus is unknown. For what purposes can antiviral drugs be used against influenza A(H1N1)? So far most people who have contracted the new A (H1N1) virus have experienced influenza-like symptoms (such as sore throat,cough,runny nose,fever,malaise,headache,joint/muscle pain) and recovered without antiviral treatment. Antiviral drugs may reduce the symptoms and duration of illness,just as they do for seasonal influenza. They also may contribute to preventing severe disease and death. Influenza A (H1N1) is a new virus and only a small number of people with the infection have been treated for it with antiviral drugs. WHO is in touch with public health authorities and clinicians in affected countries and is gathering information about how effective the drugs are. Under what circumstances should antiviral drugs be administered? Antiviral drugs are to be used according to national pandemic influenza preparedness plans. Public health authorities in some countries have decided to treat patients likely to have this disease as a part of public health measures. Where antiviral drugs are available for treatment,clinicians should make decisions based on assessment of the individual patient's risk. Risks versus benefits should also be evaluated on a case by case basis. Should I take an antiviral now just in case I catch the new virus? No. You should only take an antiviral if your health care provider advises you to do so. Individuals should not buy medicines to prevent or fight this new influenza without a prescription,and they should exercise caution in buying antivirals over the internet. What is WHO doing about getting antiviral drugs to countries as preparation for a pandemic? WHOs first priority is to provide an emergency stock of antiviral drugs to countries that have no or insufficient stock of the drugs and lack the capacity to procure these drugs themselves. WHO is also working with Member States,donors and other groups that have stockpiles and are willing to share these with WHO for distribution to countries in need. Which drug will be provided,and how much of it does WHO have available? WHO had a global stockpile of approximately 5 million adult treatment courses of oseltamivir. Part of this stockpile has already been distributed through the WHO Regional Offices,which are handling allocation and distribution. WHO is currently distributing the remaining 3 million adult treatment courses of this stockpile to developing countries in need. WHO continues to assess needs and to work with manufacturers to secure more donations of antivirals. More antiviral drugs will be distributed once these donations are received. Which countries will receive the drug,and how will they be selected? WHO has arranged the first deployment of antiviral drugs from the WHO stockpile to 72 countries. Priority was given to vulnerable countries,taking into consideration national manufacturing and procurement capacity. As necessary,other countries will be supported through regional office stockpiles. What if the initial emergency deployment turns out to be inadequate? WHO is in discussion with manufacturers regarding the potential need for scaling up production. It is WHOs understanding that manufacturers have plans for producing large numbers of treatments quickly. WHO will work on behalf of its Member States to secure further antivirals as needed,either through donations or purchase at the lowest possible price. What about severity? At this time,WHO considers the overall severity of the influenza pandemic to be moderate. This assessment is based on scientific evidence available to WHO,as well as input from its Member States on the pandemic's impact on their health systems,and their social and economic functioning. The moderate assessment reflects that: Most people recover from infection without the need for hospitalization or medical care. Overall,national levels of severe illness from influenza A(H1N1) appear similar to levels seen during local seasonal influenza periods,although high levels of disease have occurred in some local areas and institutions. Overall,hospitals and health care systems in most countries have been able to cope with the numbers of people seeking care,although some facilities and systems have been stressed in some localities. WHO is concerned about current patterns of serious cases and deaths that are occurring primarily among young persons,including the previously healthy and those with pre-existing medical conditions or pregnancy. Large outbreaks of disease have not yet been reported in many countries,and the full clinical spectrum of disease is not yet known. Is a vaccine against pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus available to immunize people? No,but work is well under way to develop such a vaccine. Making new influenza vaccines ready to immunize people generally takes five to six months after first identification of the pandemic virus. The pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 virus was identified at the end of April 2009. How quickly will pandemic influenza A (H1N1) vaccines be available for use? The very first doses of influenza A (H1N1) vaccine usable to immunize people,from one or more manufacturers,are expected as early as September 2009. What implications does the declaration of a pandemic (phase 6) have on influenza vaccine production? When the WHO Director-General declared the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic on 11 June 2009,she noted that production of seasonal influenza vaccines would be completed soon and that full industrial production capacity would then be available to ensure the largest possible supply of pandemic vaccine in the months to come. Will there be enough pandemic influenza A (H1N1) vaccine for everyone? When pandemic vaccine first becomes available,it is anticipated that the demand will be greater than the supply. This gap will narrow as more vaccine becomes available over time. Is it safe to eat pork and pork products? Yes. influenza A(H1N1) has not been shown to be transmissible to people through eating properly handled and prepared pork (pig meat) or other products derived from pigs. The influenza A(H1N1) virus is killed by cooking temperatures of 160°F/70°C,corresponding to the general guidance for the preparation of pork and other meat.
