What are the signs and symptoms of H1N1 flu in people?
· Fever  ·  Sore Throat  ·  Body Aches  ·  Fatigue   ·   Cough  ·  Headache  ·  Chills
· Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with H1N1 flu.
· Like seasonal flu, H1N1 flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.

How does H1N1 flu spread?
· Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza.
· Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

How long can an infected person spread H1N1 flu to others?
· Infected people may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and remain contagious as long as they are symptomatic
  and possibly for as long as 7 days following illness onset.
· Children, especially younger children, may be potentially contagious for longer periods.
· Stay home for at least 24 hours once symptoms are gone.

What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?
· Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.  Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
  Cough in your upper sleeve, not your hands if tissue not available.
· Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze.  Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
· Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.  Germs spread this way.
· Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
· If you get sick with influenza, the CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Are there medicines to treat H1N1 flu?
·The CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for treatment and/or prevention.
· If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness less severe and make you recover faster.
· For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms).

What surfaces are most likely to be sources of contamination?
· Germs can be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets from another person on a surface like a desk and then touches his/her own
  eyes, mouth or nose before washing their hands.
· Viruses and bacteria can live 2 hours or longer on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and desks.

Can I get H1N1 influenza from eating or preparing pork?
· H1N1 influenza viruses are not spread by food.  You cannot get H1N1 influenza from eating pork or pork products.
  Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe.

 

Sanofi Pasteur Notified the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the antigen content in one lot of pediatric syringes that had been distributed was later found to have dropped below a pre-specified limit.  As a result of the findings, Sanofi Pasteur tested additional lots and found that three other lots that had been distributed also had an antigen content that had fallen below pre-specified limits.

 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office @ 308 696 1201 ext 223

 

Shannon Vanderheiden, Director

The public health clinical case definition for influenza is: