No Bird Flu In The Caribbean

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad CMC – The Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) says seasonal influenza affects many thousands of people in the Caribbean annually as residents in several Caribbean countries fear the outbreak of the deadly Bird Flu that was responsible for the deaths of several people in Asia recently.

“To date, the virus has been genetically stable and the actual activity recorded in the region is the expected seasonal activity without new pandemic potential,” it said.

Some Caribbean countries have reported deaths this year as a result of the Swine Flu influenza, with Trinidad and Tobago health authorities, for example, warning against a rush to health clinics for vaccines to treat the illness.

CARPHA said that the seasonal influenza is an infectious respiratory disease that is associated with the circulation of one or more of three influenza virus types: A, B and less commonly type C.

“Influenza viruses A and B cause seasonal epidemics yearly during autumn and winter in temperate regions. In some tropical countries, influenza viruses circulate throughout the year with one or two peaks during rainy seasons.

“Worldwide, annual epidemics can result in about three to five million cases of severe illness, and about 250,000 to 500,000 deaths. Most deaths associated with influenza occur among people aged 65 years and older,” CARPHA said.

It said that the seasonal influenza can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. It is characterized by symptoms such as a sudden onset of high fever, cough (usually dry), headache, muscle and joint pain, severe malaise (feeling unwell), sore throat and runny nose.

“Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to five to seven days after becoming sick. Most people recover from fever and other symptoms within a week without requiring medical attention.

“In some cases, illness can be severe resulting in hospitalizations and deaths, mainly among people at greater risk for serious complications if they become infected. This includes older people, young children, pregnant women, people with certain chronic health conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), and persons living in facilities like nursing homes.”

CARPHA said that influenza viruses are divided into different subtypes, and before 2009 the prevalent subtypes were influenza A(H3N2), and influenza A(H1N1).

It said early 2009 witnessed the emergence of a new influenza A virus subtype in the Americas, influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus (also referred to as 2009 H1N1 influenza virus). As the virus spread around the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a pandemic influenza virus.

“Because it was a new strain of influenza and because human populations had little or no natural immunity to this virus, it caused widespread illness,” CARPA said, noting that the WTO declared that the H1N1 pandemic over and the world had entered the post-pandemic period.

“This decision was informed by epidemiological evidence from around the world showing that the A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza virus was circulating at lower levels and behaving like a seasonal influenza virus. The Caribbean region recorded a high prevalence of this subtype in 2010, and since the end of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, the A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza virus continues to circulate in the Caribbean at low levels.”

CARPHA said that in 2011 and 2012, the A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza virus co-circulated with influenza A(H3N2) and influenza B viruses following the expected seasonal pattern. During 2013, the A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza virus has been the subtype of the highest prevalence in the Caribbean, Central and South American.