This isn't the first time the nation has been gripped by concern over swine flu. In 1976 a cluster of cases in and around Ft. Dix, New Jersey led to the mass immunization of Americans.
According to Dr. George T. DiFerdinando, Jr., a physican epidemiologist and professor at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey School of Public Health, the reaction to current and past outbreaks points out what can go right and what can go wrong in the face of a potential epidemic.
"None of us can really predict exactly what the impact will be," DiFerdinando said. "That is why public health officials constantly do surveillance to detect the presence of flu strains, and government devotes time and effort to isolating and identifying viruses. One of the lessons of history is that in the early days of an epidemic, public health officials may need to make potentially life and death decisions without the luxury of waiting weeks or months to gather and analyze evidence."
The 1976 virus caused severe respiratory illness in 13 soldiers with one death at Fort Dix.. Since the 1976 virus — A/New Jersey — was similar to the 1918–1919 pandemic virus, there was heightened concern and rapid outbreak assessment and enhanced surveillance were initiated.
The A/New Jersey virus was detected only from January 19 to February 9, 1976 and did not spread beyond Fort Dix.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the viruses in the current outbreak contain a combination of gene segments that "previously has not been reported among swine or human influenza viruses," which is the factor that is driving their concern at this point. The CDC also has identified concerns about possible human-to-human transmission and the potential ineffectiveness of this year's seasonal influenza vaccine against the new swine flu virus.
They're hoping that this year's swine flu quickly runs its course, as it did in 1976, and doesn’t turn into something worse.
Copyright 2009 consumeraffairs.com
