News

BODE up-to-date

New influenza: highest level of pandemic alert

The World Health Organization (WHO) raised the level of the influenza A/H1N1 pandemic alert from phase 5 to phase 6 and thus declared the swine flu pandemic.
The sixth and highest level of pandemic alert denotes a worldwide human-to-human spread of a virus.

1968/69 was the last time the WHO raised the level of pandemic alert to phase 6 – that was because of the Hong Kong flu. The current decision was made in view of the rapid and increasing global spread of influenza A/H1N1. According to the WHO, 27,737 cases have been confirmed in 74 countries up to now, 141 people have died. Particularly the indigenous spread of the virus played an important role in the decision to trigger the highest level of pandemic alert, i.e. the virus is not introduced from a foreign country but spread among the population of a respective country.

Also in  Germany the new influenza A virus continues to spread. In Germany, for example two schools and one kindergarten has been closed temporarily due to infections. The course of the disease itself is relatively mild and can usually be controlled by medicines. In face of the increased risk of infection the German RKI points to the importance of hygiene measures.

First scientific reviews on the structure and behaviour of the enveloped virus type A/H1N1 also prove that the efforts to control the virus may not be reduced. To the estimation of the World Health Organization (WHO) humans apparently do not have – or only have limited – immunity to the new influenza virus. Additionally, there are findings that the influenza viruses, subtype A in particular, constantly change their genetic make-up. From the virologist's point of view a further spread of the A/H1N1 virus holds the risk of a recombination with other viruses – especially in the southern hemisphere where the regular influenza season just begins. This might give rise to the development of an influenza variant being dangerous for the human. 

Current estimations of the German Robert Koch-Institute, concrete recommendations for the prevention and for the proceeding in case an infection with A/H1N1 is suspected can be retrieved at www.rki.de.

(Status: 11.06.2009)