23rd MDG advises on H1N1 Influenza Published May 8, 2009 By Col. Loraine Anderson 23rd Medical Group commander MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- H1N1 Influenza, commonly known as swine flu, is a respiratory disease caused by type A influenza viruses. There have been 286 cases in the United States as of May 4 with one fatality, a 22-month old infant in Texas. The infant was from Mexico and was moved to better medical care in Houston, Texas. As of current, there are no cases in the Lowndes County region. However, a case was confirmed in a person visiting Northern Georgia who traveled to Mexico recently. There are five confirmed cases in Florida, one in Nevada and 17 in Arizona. The symptoms of H1N1 flu include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. In the past, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with swine flu infection in people. Like seasonal flu, H1N1 flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions. There is no vaccine available right now to protect against H1N1 flu. There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza. Take the following steps to help protect your health: - Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after using it. If there's no tissue available, cough or sneeze into the bend of your elbow, not your hands. - Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective. - Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth because germs are spread this way. - Try to avoid close contact with individuals who are sick. Keep a minimum 6 feet of space between infected and non-infected persons. - If you get sick with influenza, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends to stay home and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. Get permission from your supervisor before staying home. - Avoid travelling to areas where cases of swine flu has been identified. Social distancing refers to minimizing contact with crowds. The 23rd Medical Group is not currently recommending that you avoid doing things that you enjoy, but it is something to consider depending upon your personal situation. Critically think about the situation prior to exposing yourself to potential risk. Travel restrictions are already recommended by the Department of Homeland Security. The CDC recommends to avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico. Travel to high infection rate areas should be considered carefully by the individual. The Georgia South Health District is educating and interviewing migrant farm workers to identify individuals who may possibly be infected. Moody's 23rd MDG Public Health office is monitoring medical surveillance data systems to identify possible increases in reported respiratory illness conditions. For further info please refer to the following sites: Local: http://health.state.ga.us/swineflu National: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/swineflu_you.htm