The Center for Disease Control or CDC of the United States of America released a statement today, stating that the H1N1 virus or more commonly referred to as the ‘Swine Flu’ is evolving rapidly. The virus has some unique properties that might lead to an all year round flu season that would primarily effect young people in the US and primarily in the major cities.

According to the CDC, one of the crucial factors that have contributed in the spreading of this disease over a large area is the cool late spring. Such conditions are being considered vital for the growth of the virus and it might have devastating effects in some of the most populated metropolitan cities such as New York, and Massachusetts.

There has been a substantial increase in the reported cases of the H1N1 virus among the healthcare workers, which means that one of the primary sources for the spreading of virus are the workplaces, where people tend to interact with each other and unknowingly spread the virus. Also, as per the World Health Organization norms, the H1N1 virus or the ‘swine flu’ has been categorized as ‘global pandemic’ claiming 167 lives and with 40,000 confirmed cases all across the globe.

According to Dr. Daniel Jernigan (CDC);

“The fact that we are seeing ongoing transmission now indicates that we are seeing something different. And we believe that that may have to do with the complete lack of immunity to this particular virus among those that are most likely affected. And those are children. The areas of the country that are most affected, some of them have very high population densities, like Boston and New York. So that may be a contributor as well. Plus the temperature in that part of the country is cooler, and we know that influenza appears to like the cooler times of the year for making transmission for effective.”

The healthcare workers as of now are at a great risk of contracting this disease, as they come in direct contact with such patients on a daily basis. One of the steps that should be taken to ensure that the virus doesn’t spread from the healthcare centers, is to check such patients immediately for the H1N1 symptoms. Also, it should be ensured that all the volunteers and healthcare workers should protect themselves adequately by wearing gloves, masks and eye-wear to minimize the risk of contraction of the swine flu.

Via Reuters