SA swine flu count rises

The number of cases of swine flu detected in SA has risen to 75. But the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said yesterday there was no need to panic as the novel A/H1N1 influenza was mild, and similar to many seasonal pandemics.

Prof Barry Schoub, executive director of the NICD, said during its national management planning session in Johannesburg yesterday the rise in new infections was mainly caused by the growing pool of infected people travelling across the globe.

He said although the H1N1 virus was mild, there was public concern about its effects.

"It seems now that (almost) every continent is affected," he said. But while 9000 people had been infected, fewer than 400 deaths had been reported globally.

Schoub said the virus had taken the institute "by surprise" and it was quite possible that the number would increase .

"After reaching 100 cases, we will move away from counting individual cases because that (would not be) doing any good ... in managing the virus." The virus might cause serious complications to patients with chronic illnesses, and they had to be immunised.

Dr Frew Benson, cluster manager of communicable diseases in the Department of Health, said since the World Health Organisation declared the H1N1 pandemic in June, countries were urged to update their plans and reactivate their rapid response teams.

"We have plans in place as a country, we are prepared to deal with the situation. There is no country ... that has claimed to have contained the virus," he said.

The department's focus was on reducing the effect of the virus and containing it through appropriate care of patients. It would also monitor and strengthen the surveillance system for early detection, changing its approach to case management as soon as the number of cases reached the 100 mark.

"Once we have reached 100 confirmed cases, we will change our strategy to focus on cluster cases, determining specific community outbreaks."

He said there would be a rational use of antivirals and antibiotics on patients showing complications.

"We are saying to patients diagnosed with the virus, they must stay indoors and limit their contact" with other people.

Benson said there was no global consensus about vaccination, but priority was to be given to carriers with chronic illnesses.

14.07.2009 Luphert Chilwane, Business Day