Flu bug that is not to be sneezed at

It’s never too late to vaccinate

FLU HAS hit Durban schools this season with many reporting high absenteeism while others saying it was no more than usual.

Both strains – influenza A and influenza B – have done their rounds in the past month, according to doctors.

Absenteeism hit Umbilo’s Hoerskool Port Natal last Friday when 80 pupils were absent, although a stomach bug had added to the problems, said a source. Staff had also been ill.

Kloof High School principal Dawn Lefort reported a marginal increase.

“We’ve had 91% attendance (this flu season) when it’s usually 94%,” she said.

Boys’ schools Glenwood and Westville said they had not been badly hit.

Sparkport pharmacies director Goolam Mahomed said the group had sold a higher than average amount of medication for coughs and colds at its pharmacies around the city.

“People have also been buying nebulisers,” he said. “It has been quite severe over the past couple of weeks,” adding that the epidemic now appeared to be at its tail end.

Tafta social services manager Femada Shamam said the bout had kept nursing sisters who call in at the institution’s building busy over the past three months.

“The elderly are vulnerable,” she said. “They have been ill for increased periods and it has been recurring with intensity.”

While a number of doctors said there had been more flu infections than last year, pulmonologist Anish Ambaram said laboratory data showed that the number of detected seasonal influenza cases this year were no more than last year.

Commenting on repeat infections, Ambaram said it was unlikely people would suffer a repeated “attack” of the same virus in the season.

“The more likely scenario is infection with a different virus that presents with similar symptoms. There are a few different strains of influenza.

“Influenza A is currently more common than influenza B.

Distinction

“The distinction is not necessary in clinical practice as they are both treated in the same way. Remember that other viruses such as adenovirus and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) can present with similar symptoms and are often labelled as ‘flu’.”

Another pulmonologist, Dr Sabeer Abdool-Gaffar said it had been a harsh flu season with some acute attacks of chronic lung conditions such as asthma and persistent obstructive pulmonary disease.

“Many of these patients have required hospitalisation and specialist care,” he said. “Secondary bacterial infections have been observed, in particular pneumonia.”

He said they might mimic a relapse of the patient’s condition “although this is not a true relapse of the influenza per se”.

Lancet Laboratories’ Dr Abdool Peer said this year’s flu season appeared to have started late.

“This year it started late, in early July. Usually it starts in March or April.

He added that one was more prone to catching flu living in crowded conditions than due to pollution in the air.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases said the primary means for preventing seasonal influenza was vaccination.

“It’s never too late to vaccinate as long as the influenza virus is still circulating,” said the institute’s Dr Sibongile Walaza. “In addition, general preventative precautions such as hand washing, cough hygiene and avoiding contact with people who are ill should also be considered.

“Bed rest, drinking plenty of fluids and treatment of symptoms (cough, fever, nasal congestion) is advised,” he said.

However Nicole Jennings, spokesperson for pharmaceutical company Pharma Dynamics said the overall flu season has been mild to moderate

“The most predominant flu strain this year has been influenza A (H3N2), which was detected in 87% of patients with a positive influenza result.

“Influenza A (H1N1) pdm09, known as swine flu, was the second most prevalent this season.

“It was also the virus that emerged in 2009 which caused severe illness among children and adults, but was only detected in 8% of patients (this year).

“Influenza B– a type of flu that presents similar symptoms to influenza A – accounted for the rest. While there were many reports of severe flu symptoms, the overall flu season has been mild to moderate.”