Calif. dialysis clinic reports suspected case of swine flu

Calif. dialysis clinic reports suspected case of swine flu
4/28/2009 4:40:55 PM

A dialysis patient in California who recently returned from Mexico is being tested for the swine influenza, the first suspected case reported by dialysis providers in the United States.
The patient receives dialysis treatment at a clinic in Mission Hills near San Diego.

During a daily conference call today organized by the Kidney Community Emergency Response Coalition, health officials from New York, where 28 cases of swine flu have been confirmed, said dialysis clinics should turn to their county and state health departments to obtain swine flu test kits, and suggested that dialysis staff urge patients to continue to report for treatments. Dialysis providers should report confirmed cases to their ESRD networks.

The National Kidney Foundation is preparing a letter to patients about the signs of swine flu, and plans are to have the letter translated into Spanish as well (information in Spanish about swine flu is available at www.espanol.pandemicflu.gov).

The KCER daily conference calls are open to dialysis providers, ESRD networks, government agencies, and emergency responders, and are held at 2:00 pm eastern time. Contact Sherilyn Burris, sburris@nw7.esrd.net for dial-in information.

Originated in Mexico
An outbreak of swine flu was first reported by Mexico last week, where the Ministry of Health has identified 1,324 suspected cases with influenza-like illnesses, and reported 81 deaths. On Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the alert level from Phase 3 to Phase 4 for the swine flu outbreak. The change to a higher phase of pandemic alert indicates the likelihood of a pandemic has increased. In the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services has declared a national public health emergency.

As of Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 40 human confirmed cases of swine influenza in the United States, seven in California, two in Texas, 28 in New York, two in Kansas, and one in Ohio. The first confirmed case of the virus in Europe was reported on Monday with one case reported in Spain, and unconfirmed reports of suspected swine flu cases have been identified in eight countries. In Canada, six confirmed cases of swine flu have been reported, four in Nova Scotia and two in British Columbia. All cases were mild with no deaths.

All U.S. cases have displayed relatively mild symptoms, and no deaths have been reported. The virus appears to be treatable with antiviral drugs. There have been no unusual swine illnesses reported in the United States and no evidence that swine in the United States are infected with this virus (In Mexico, health authorities believe the flu was transmitted to workers at a pig farm).

Those in the renal community interested in updates on the swine flu outbreak can visit the Kidney Community Emergency Response Coalition Web site at www.kcercoalition.com. The site includes links to the CDC, state health departments, and hotline numbers for all the major dialysis providers.

http://www.nephronline.com/news.asp?N_ID=2843