Australia:`Swine Flu’ 99% Of All Positive Lab Tests

 

 

# 3449

 

Here in the United States, during what should be the `off season’ for influenza, about 99% of all of the positive influenza samples being tested are coming from the novel H1N1 swine flu.

 

Since we normally wouldn’t expect to see much in the way of the traditional `seasonal’ flu viruses during the summer, this doesn’t necessarily tell us how this pandemic virus will behave when it is in competition with the `other’ H1N1 virus and H3N2. 

South of the equator, however, in countries like Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, and Australia we are seeing this new virus supplant the seasonal mix of influenza A viruses at an amazing rate.  

 

Whether that trend continues, and is seen in the northern hemisphere later this year, is something we’ll have to wait to see. 

 

Right now, though, it seems like a pretty good bet.

 

 

If you've got flu, you've got swine flu

Julia Medew

July 8, 2009

SWINE flu has become the dominant flu in Victoria, with research showing that 99 per cent of people testing positive for influenza have the H1N1 strain.

 

Head of epidemiology at the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Heath Kelly, said that of the 73 people who tested positive for influenza at clinics monitoring flu viruses during the last week of June, 99 per cent had H1N1 swine flu. "It's amazing, swine flu has taken over the flu season," he said. "If you've got the flu, you've almost certainly got swine flu."

 

The data, taken from 89 clinics participating in Victoria's sentinel surveillance system, showed the proportion of people with influenza who tested positive for swine flu increased from zero during the last week of April to 60 per cent during the last week of May, to 99 per cent in the last week of June.

 

The research, published in an online edition of the Medical Journal of Australia yesterday, also showed the median age of Victorians with the virus was 18 to 22 years.

 

It came as Victoria's deputy chief health officer, Dr Rosemary Lester, said children were among 17 Victorians with the flu in hospital intensive care units last night.

 

But she would not say how many children were in intensive care or where they were being treated.

<snip>

 

As of last night, Australia had 6353 laboratory-confirmed cases of swine flu and 13 people had died with the virus, including seven in Victoria.