Swine Flu Status and What You Can Do

Sunday 4/26/09, 8:00 PM:  The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised its Pandemic Alert Level to 3 due to the swine/bird/human flu virus (version of H1N1) that has been found in California, Texas, and Mexico.  There have been 20 illnesses in the U.S. in five states (CA, TX, NY, OH and KS) with zero fatalities, but Mexico has had 1,300 illnesses and 81 fatalities.  California has activated its Joint Emergency Operations Center and Mexico City has closed schools (K to post-secondary) and cancelled mass gatherings.

The WHO Pandemic Alert scale is from 1 to 6, so we are at the midpoint on the scale. 
This virus appears to respond to newer antiviral medications but is unaffected by the current vaccine.

Note that this flu is NOT a pandemic yet. The federal government has declared a “public health emergency” to allow additional federal resources and regulations to be put into place.

IUPUI is monitoring the situation and coordinating with IU Bloomington, the Marion County Health Department, and the Indiana State Department of Health.

Although no cases of this swine flu (a version of H1N1) have been found in Indiana, the CDC recommends that people should take everyday preventive actions.  These include washing hands frequently, staying home when you are sick, and avoiding close contact.

If you experience flu symptoms, and are on campus, please visit the IUPUI Health Services (http://health.iupui.edu/index.html).  If you are at home, please visit your regular physician.

For additional information, see:
World Health Organization: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/phase/en/index.html
Federal: http://www.pandemicflu.gov/
IU Bloomington: http://www.iub.edu/~prepare/flu.shtml
State: http://www.in.gov/isdh/23459.htm