The severity of the 2017/2018 flu outbreak continues to increase in the US , UK , and Australia as we muddle through the second one-half of the flu time of year .
As with previous years , there are several unlike strains currently circulate that have evolved to be dangerous to humanity .
According to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC ) , most of the cases run into at hospitals thus far have been from the influenza case A H3N2 virus , though a few ( A)H1N1 – the infamous swine influenza – and some less virulent case B strain have also been describe . In Australia , an extreme version of the H3N2 computer virus has already infected more than 2.5 time as many people as were affected during the entirety of the 2016/2017 season , and over 300 have died .
Now , following an alarum from theChinese Centre for Health Protection(CHP ) in Hong Kong , it seem there is a new strain we must keep an eye on : H7N4 .
A woman in the Chinese metropolis of Changzhou was hospitalized on December 25 , 2017 , after contracting the first ever human infection from this A - type influenza , antecedently known to only infect birds . The 68 - year - one-time was apparently in liaison with live fowl before she fell ill . detail on her symptoms were not usable , but the statement notes that she was discharge on January 22 . official are on gamy warning signal for newfangled cases , yet none have been distinguish thus far .
“ The CHP ’s Port Health Office direct health surveillance measures at all boundary control points . thermic mental imagery system are in place for body temperature curb on inbound traveller , ” the agencystated . “ Suspected cases will be now referred to public hospitals for follow - up . ”
Of theestimated 144existing influenza A var. , some can opportunistically invade the resistant systems ofboth bird and mammal , whereas others are bound to only one animate being class or even a small subset of specie within that class . Every so often , however , viruses take the ability to infect a unexampled organism . This evolutionary event , calledviral boniface switch , can ultimately lead to the emergence of a pandemic within its fresh affected metal money . Human diseases that arose in this mode let in HIV , Ebola , and SARS .
But before a virus can give that level of devastation , it must advance the extra power to promptly disperse between phallus of its raw host species . Many avian strains of H5 , H9 , and H7 lineages are know to rarely taint people , but only after being channelize from a fowl host . transmittal from person to person remains very rare , meaning H7N4 and its family phallus are ineffectual to wreak orbicular mayhem – for now .
Meanwhile , health official are grimly monitor the spread of H3N2 .
“ In the retiring five time of year , influenza - similar sickness has been raise for between 11 and 20 hebdomad , and we ’re only at week 11 now , so we could potentially see several more weeks of activity , ” tell CDC Acting Director Dr Anne Schuchat at a February 9press briefing .
" Levels of grippe - like unwellness across the country are now as high as we observed at the peak of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic . This does n’t mean that we are having a pandemic , just that point of influenza - same malady are as mellow as what we hear during the peak of H1N1 . In addition , overall hospitalization are now significantly higher than what we ’ve seen for this time of twelvemonth since our current tracking system of rules set out almost a decade ago . "
