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Rural Health Clinics Technical Assistance Conference Call Presentation, March 29, 2006

Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


Slide 1: Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza

Niranjan Bhat, MD
Influenza Branch
Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases
National Center for Infectious Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


Slide 2: Impact of Influenza

  • An annual public health problem
  • Substantial health impact
    • 10-35% of children each year
    • 5-20% of adults each year
  • Substantial economic impact
    • Lost work / school days
    • Overwhelmed medical care systems
  • "A singular global infectious disease threat"
Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


Slide 3: What is Influenza?

  • The flu" = acute febrile respiratory illness
  • Caused by infection with an influenza virus
Classically
  • Fever (≥100.0 F) plus cough or sore throat
  • "Influenza-like Illness" ("ILI")

 

Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


Slide 4: Other Features

  • Headache, fatigue, body aches
  • Range of symptoms differ by age
    • Vomiting and diarrhea in children
    • Fever alone in infants
  • Often confused with other illnesses
    • "Viral illness"
    • "Cold"
    • "Stomach flu"
Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


Slide 5: Transmission

  • Highly contagious
  • Primarily person-to-person
  • Incubation period: 1-4 days
  • Subclinical infection can occur
Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


Slide 6: Transmission

Infectious period

  • May begin 1 day before symptom onset
  • Peak viral shedding on day 1 of symptoms
  • Adults shed for 4-6 days
  • Infants and children may shed longer
  • Immunocompromised patients can shed for months
Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


Slide 7: Influenza Morbidity and Mortality

  • Annual average of
    • >200,000 influenza-related hospitalizations
    • 36,000 influenza-related deaths
  • High rates in persons with chronic high-risk conditions in all age groups
  • Children:
    • Highest rates in young children <2 years
    • Children 2-5 years next highest
  • Adults:
    • Highest rates in persons 65 years
Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


Slide 8: Influenza Vaccination

  • Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
    • Persons aged:
      • ≥65 years
      • 6-59 months
      • 50-64 years
    • All high-risk persons ≥6 months of age
    • Household contacts of high risk persons and health care workers
Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


Slide 9: Influenza Antiviral Drugs

  • Treatment
    • 5 day course
    • Should be started <48 hours from illness onset
    • Shown to reduce symptoms by approximately 1 day
    • Reduces viral shedding
    • Chemoprophylaxis
      • 70 - 90% effective in preventing illness from influenza
      • Infection may still occur
    Examples:
    • For control of nosocomial outbreaks
    • For patients who cannot receive vaccine
    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 10: Influenza Antiviral Drugs

    • Amantadine, rimantadine
      • Influenza A only
      • Not currently recommended due to high frequency of resistance in circulating strains

       

    • Oseltamivir, zanamivir
      • Influenza A and B

    • Approved ages vary by drug and indication
    • No treatment or prophylaxis approved for children aged <1 year
    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 11: Influenza Testing

    • Viral culture (gold standard)
    • Serology (requires paired samples)
    • Immunofluorescence (IFA, DFA)
    • Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction
    • Rapid diagnostic testing
    • Specimens: nasopharyngeal swab is ideal
      • Also, nasal swab, NP or nasal aspirate
      • Best if close to illness onset (<4 days)
      • Optimal specimen site can differ for non-human influenza viruses
    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 12: Influenza Viruses

    • Illness caused by infection with an influenza virus
    • Primarily infects the upper respiratory tract
    • Negative single-stranded RNA virus
    • 8 gene segments code for 10 proteins
    • Influenza viruses classified into types A, B, and C

    Image: Illustration of a Flu Virus

    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 13: Influenza A Viruses

  • Influenza A viruses further categorized by subtype
  • Subtypes are determined by two surface glycoproteins
    • Hemagglutinin (HA)
      • Site of attachment to host cell surface receptors
      • Antibody to HA is protective
    • Neuraminidase (NA)
      • Takes part in the release of virions from the cell
    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 14: Influenza A HA and NA Subtypes

    Image: A Chart of Viral Subtypes and the Species Affected

    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 15: Avian and Human Influenza A viruses

    Avian Influenza A Viruses
    H1 - H16
    N1 - N9
    Image: A duck

    Human Influenza
    A Viruses
    H1 - H3
    N1 - N2
    Image: A human family

    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 16: Antigenic “drift”

    Minor antigenic changes to the hemagglutinin protein

    • Continuous process
    • Allows escape from population immunity
    • Can lead to a new replacement strain for a particular subtype
    • Antigenic drift leads to seasonal epidemics
    • Vaccine strains must be updated each year
      • Two type A strains (H1N1, H3N2), one type B strain
    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 17: Antigenic “shift”

  • Emergence of a novel human influenza A subtype:
    • Direct bird-to-human transmission
      • Through adaptation to a human host>br> or
      • Genetic reassortment between human and animal influenza viruses
        • Co-infection within a human host
        • Co-infection within an intermediate host (eg, swine)
    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 18: Direct Infection

    Image: Avian Reservoir to Direct Avian Human Infection to Human Virus

    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 19: Reassortment of Influenza A Viruses

    Image: Avian Reservoir to Other Animals to new Reassorted Virus to Human Virus

    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 20: Influenza Pandemics

    Requirements:
    Emergence of a novel human influenza A subtype (antigenic shift)
    AND
    Efficient human-to-human transmission
    Causes significant human disease

    A pandemic can result in:
    Increased overall morbidity and mortality
    Higher proportion of deaths in younger adults

    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 21: Impact of Influenza Pandemics

    1918-19 Spanish Flu (H1N1)
    20-50 million deaths worldwide
    >500,000 U.S. deaths

    1957-58 Asian Flu (H2N2)
    70,000 U.S. deaths

    1968-69 Hong Kong Flu (H3N2)
    34,000 U.S. deaths

    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 22: Estimated Impact of a Future Influenza Pandemic in the U.S.

    Deaths 89,000-207,000
    Hospitalizations 314,000 - 734,000
    Outpatient visits 18 - 42 million
    Additional illnesses 20 - 47 million
    Economic impact $71.3 - 166.5 billion
    Population affected 15-35%
    (U.S. population: 290 million)


    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 23: Pandemic Influenza

    Compared with avian influenza A(H5N1)
    Clinical features
    Diagnosis
    Treatment
    Prevention
    Control

    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 24: HHS Pandemic Influenza Plan

    Supports the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza

    Outlines planning assumptions and doctrine for health sector pandemic preparedness and response

    Public Health Guidance for State and Local Partners

    11 Supplements with detailed guidance

    www.pandemicflu.gov

    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 25: Pandemic Plan Objectives

    Prevent or at least delay introduction into the United States
    May involve travel advisories, exit or entry screening
    For first cases, may involve isolation / short-term quarantine of arriving passengers

    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 26: Pandemic Plan Objectives

    Slow spread, decrease illness and death, buy time
    Antiviral treatment and isolation for people with illness
    Quarantine for those exposed
    Social distancing
    Vaccine when available
    Local decisions

    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 27: Pandemic Plan Objectives

    Clearly communicate to the public
    Prepare people with information
    Encourage action steps to prepare now
    Provide updates when new information emerges
    Use trusted messengers
    Coordinate to ensure consistent messages
    Address rumors and inaccuracies

    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 28: Pandemic Vaccine

    Expand production of current vaccine

    Evaluate dose-sparing technology

    Accelerate development of modern (non-egg) vaccines

    Target new antigens

    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 29: Antivirals

    Stockpile
    Oseltamivir (Tamiflu)
    Zanamivir (Relenza)
    Goal: quantity to treat 25% of the U.S. population
    Distribution?

    Strategy
    Initial containment
    Treatment
    Prioritization – science and values, public engagement
    Preserve societal functioning
    Protect those most at risk

    New antiviral candidates

    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 30: Funding

    $350 million for state and local response capacity

    $100 million has been awarded to
    All 50 states
    7 territories; Puerto Rico; Washington, DC; New York City; Chicago; Los Angeles County
    Allocated according to a base + population formula

    $250 million to be awarded later this year

    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 31: Network of Responsibilities

    Local - state - federal
    Domestic – international
    Public – private
    Multi-sector
    Non-partisan
    Animal – human
    Health protection – homeland security – economic protection

    www.pandemicflu.gov

     

    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 32:
    Pandemic Influenza Checklists

    State and Local
    Business
    Preschool
    Schools (K-12)
    Colleges & Universities
    Faith-based & Community Organizations
    Travel Industry

    Physician Offices and Ambulatory Care
    Home Health
    Emergency Medical Services

    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 33: State and Local Public Health

    Community Leadership and Networking
    Surveillance
    Health System Partnerships
    Infection Control and Clinical Care
    Vaccine Distribution and Use
    Antiviral Drug Distribution and Use
    Community Disease Control and Prevention
    Communications
    Workforce Support

    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 34: Medical Offices and Clinics

    Start a planning committee
    Develop a plan
    Surveillance and detection
    Communication - With public health, other facilities, staff, patients
    Education and training
    Triage, management, infection control
    Occupational health and surge capacity
    Antiviral and vaccine planning

    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 35: Individuals

    Store a supply of water and food
    Have nonprescription drugs and other health supplies on hand
    Pain relievers, stomach remedies, cough and cold medicines, fluids with electrolytes, vitamins
    Talk about what will be needed to care for family members in the home
    Get involved in the community; volunteer with local groups to prepare

    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 36: Future Directions

    More detailed guidance
    Universal preparedness
    Exercises
    Integration
    Updates and Adaptation

    “Preparedness, not panic”
    “Inform, not inflame”

    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 37: Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza

    Seasonal influenza viruses
    A public health problem every year
    Circulate throughout the human population
    Spread easily from person to person

    Avian influenza A (H5N1)
    Devastating global outbreak in poultry
    Rare but severe human infections
    Does not spread easily from person to person

    Pandemic influenza viruses
    Appears in the human population periodically
    H5N1 is a likely candidate, but is not a pandemic virus yet


    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 38:
    Note

    Please be aware that the findings, opinions, and conclusions in these presentations represent the state of our knowledge as of March 29, 2006, and that information regarding avian influenza will likely change over time. In addition, some recommendations presented here may become inconsistent with the rapidly evolving policies and approaches of CDC or other U.S. government agencies. Finally, the findings and conclusions in these presentations have not been formally disseminated, and should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy. Please contact Influenza Branch personnel for the most current information regarding avian influenza A (H5N1).

     

    Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza TOP


    Slide 39: Thank You

    Questions?

    Other resources:
    pandemicflu.gov/
    www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/index.htm
    www.cdc.gov/flu/
    www.usda.gov/
    www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/
    www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/en/

      


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