NMI pandemic alert level remains at Phase 5

The pandemic alert level remains at Phase 5 in the CNMI as the Department of Public Health continues to its routine testing to identify flu illnesses.

As of yesterday afternoon, the DPH has found no traces of the H1N1 influenza virus, even as the number of areas in the United States affected by the virus keeps going up.

DPH said it is increasing its surveillance operations because this is a “rapidly evolving” situation and that current guidance and other content may contain variations in how this new H1N1 flu virus is referred to.

Since the CNMI Pandemic Alert Committee and the DPH Emergency Operations Center were activated, there have been two cases of flu reported but Public Health analyst Roxanne Diaz explained that these were just the results of routine flu testing.

The tests have already been sent to the U.S. mainland for further evaluation.

Formerly known as the swine flu, this new illness is now referred to as H1N1 flu.

DPH said its six sentinel sites—CHC clinics, Marianas Medical Center, Medical Associates of the Pacific, Tinian Health Center, and Rota Health Center—have not reported any suspicious 2009 H1N1 flu cases.

“All flu tests in the CNMI are sent for further laboratory testing and confirmation in San Antonio, Texas,” the DPH said.

In the past six weeks, hundreds worldwide have been infected by the new H1N1 flu.

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths: Austria (1), Canada (85), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Costa Rica (1), Denmark (1), France (2), Germany (8), Ireland (1), Israel (3),

Italy (1), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (4), Republic of Korea (1), Spain (40), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (15). Mexico has reported 506 confirmed human cases of infection, including 19 deaths.

As of May 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 226 confirmed human cases of H1N1 in the United States.

Human infections with this new virus have been confirmed in 30 states at this time, with one death.

The list of states with the numbers of people who are confirmed cases is updated daily at 11am at www.cdc.gov/swineflu.

DPH said the Commonwealth Health Center has received adequate supplies of medication to treat individuals who have severe flu.

It said that because this is a new virus, most people will not have immunity to it, so the illness may be more severe and widespread as a result.

DPH explained that there is no vaccine available for the H1N1 flu virus at this time.

“The H1N1 flu virus is not transmitted by food. You cannot get this H1N1 flu from eating pork and pork products,” DPH further explained.