US swine flu victims had chronic health problems By MIKE STOBBE – 7 hours ago ATLANTA (AP) — Health officials have released details about the chroni

US swine flu victims had chronic health problems
By MIKE STOBBE – 7 hours ago ATLANTA (AP) — Health officials have released details about the chroni

With mostly mild cases of swine flu in the United States, swine flu fears are lessening. But viruses have a way of re-appearing. While nobody has a crystal ball, here are some thoughts about what the 2009 H1N1 virus might do in the months to come.

Don't pack your face masks just yet. Public health officials expect the 2009 H1N1 virus to linger a while.

1. Is the swine flu outbreak in the United States winding down?

Not yet. Health officials expect to see more cases.

However, there are two reasons to think the 2009 H1N1 outbreak will wind down in the coming weeks. First, cases of influenza tend to dwindle when the weather gets warmer. Second, the 2009 H1N1 virus outbreak in Mexico has reached its peak, and numbers there are going down. It is expected that same pattern could happen in the United States. For the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, click here. Look at a map of swine flu cases »

2. So does this mean 2009 H1N1 will be gone for good?

No. Andrew Pekosz, associate professor of immunology and microbiology at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, says it's important to keep in mind that the 2009 H1N1 virus is new, which means no one has immunity to it. He points out that the three outbreaks in the last century that were caused by new viruses -- in 1918, 1957 and 1968 -- started with a mild wave followed by more severe waves months later. Scientists dig for lessons from past pandemics

3. If swine flu comes back, when would it return?

"H1N1 flu could die down soon and return later again this fall when the flu season enters back in full swing," says Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. "This is always a concern with a new strain of a flu virus." Watch more answers to your swine flu questions »

Napolitano adds that public health officials will be keeping a close eye on the Southern Hemisphere, where flu season starts soon. "We'll be working very closely with the international community to understand what happens to this virus over the next few months as flu season begins in the Southern Hemisphere," she says. "That will tell us a lot about whether the virus is changing, whether it's becoming more severe and what measures we might want to take in the fall." For the latest comments from Napolitano, click here.

US swine flu victims had chronic health problems

US swine flu victims had chronic health problems
By MIKE STOBBE – 7 hours ago

ATLANTA (AP) — Health officials have released details about the chronic health problems suffered by the two people who died from swine flu in the United States. The Mexican toddler who died in Texas suffered from chronic muscle weakness, a heart defect, a swallowing problem and lack of oxygen. The 33-year-old Texas woman had asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, a skin condition and was 35 weeks pregnant.

The details were included in a study done by scientists at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that was released Thursday by the New England Journal of Medicine.

The elderly, young children and people with chronic illnesses are at greatest risk for severe illness from the flu.

H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)

Site last updated May 6, 2009, 11:00 AM E

More images

The ongoing outbreak of novel influenza A (H1N1) continues to expand in the United States. CDC expects that more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths from this outbreak will occur over the coming days and weeks.

CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to the expanding outbreak. CDC’s response goals are to reduce spread and illness severity, and provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this emergency.

CDC is issuing updated interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation.

School Guidance

This includes updated interim guidance for schools and childcare facilities on preventing the spread of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus. At this time, CDC recommends the primary means to reduce spread of influenza in schools focus on early identification of ill students and staff, staying home when sick, and good cough etiquette and frequent hand washing. Decisions about school closure should be at the discretion of local authorities based on local considerations.

Increased Testing

CDC has developed a PCR diagnostic test kit to detect this novel H1N1 virus and has now distributed test kits to all states in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The test kits are being shipped internationally as well. This will allow states and other countries to test for this new virus. This increase in testing capacity is likely to result in an increase in the number of reported confirmed cases in this country, which should provide a more accurate picture of the burden of disease in the