TWO WOMEN have died in the last week after contracting the H1N1 swine flu virus, the Department of Health has confirmed.
The women, both adults from the west and east of the country, had underlying medical conditions and most likely contracted the virus in the community, deputy chief medical officer Dr John Devlin said.
The fatalities bring the number of deaths from swine flu in the State to four.
Dr Devlin also revealed yesterday that GPs would be given €10 for each patient vaccinated under the swine flu vaccination programme.
A letter had been sent to GPs across the country asking them to participate in the programme.
“I hope we get full participation as these recent deaths show how important it is to vaccinate at risk groups as early as possible,” he said.
But Dr Ronan Boland, chair of the Irish Medical Organisation’s GP committee, said it was “regrettable” that there was little contact between GPs and the HSE before the letter was issued.
He said the role of the IMO was to put in place arrangements for the delivery of services and that this generally consisted of clarifying administrative, legal and indemnity issues. “On other occasions when a national service was rolled out these would be agreed on,” Dr Boland said.
“What’s clear on initial perusal of the letter is that there are very clear medical indemnity issues that would make it difficult for GPs to fulfil the responsibilities the HSE is bestowing on them.”
On the latest fatalities, Dr Devlin extended sympathy to the women’s families on behalf of the department and the Health Service Executive (HSE) and said no further information about the deaths would be provided for reasons of privacy.
In July, a young woman with cystic fibrosis became the first swine flu fatality in the State and, in August, a man in his mid-50s with a history of heart disease died from the virus.
Speaking at a briefing in Government Buildings, Dr Devlin said the deaths were a “major disappointment” and that “given the nature of a pandemic it is always very likely fatalities will occur.”
However, he stressed that the deaths did not mean the virus had become more severe and most people who contracted swine flu recovered at home without requiring hospital care.
Dr Devlin said the occurrence of swine flu in the community rose marginally last week to 76.3 cases per 100,000 of population, which is the equivalent of about 3,500 infections across the State.
He said he hoped this represented a “stabilisation” of the spread of the virus, which almost doubled to 72.2 cases per 100,000 of population from 40 cases per 100,000 the previous week.
The rate of infection was still considerably lower than that recorded during last winter’s seasonal flu outbreak, when an incidence of 120 cases per 100,000 of population was recorded.
To date, a total of 183 people have been hospitalised here, having contracted swine flu and currently 28 are hospitalised, 10 of which are in intensive care units receiving hospital treatment.
Dr Devlin said the swine flu vaccination programme will begin later this month and that about 400,000 people from at risk groups would receive the vaccine first. He said frontline healthcare staff would not yet be vaccinated, despite initial plans, because of a shortage of the vaccine.
Piggery staff should wear protective masks to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus, one of Ireland’s top health experts said yesterday. Prof Patrick Wall said this would protect both the human and pig populations.
He was speaking following confirmation of the first confirmed case of the virus in a piggery at Kilworth, Co Cork where 40 animals were found to have caught the disease, probably from a worker.
The Department of Agriculture and Food is continuing its investigations at the plant concerned and has advised all other piggery operators in the area to increase biosecurity at their premises.
Strain of virus no more deadly than seasonal influenza
A DOUBLING in the number of deaths in the Republic of people with pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza may, at first, appear to be a cause for concern.
The two women who died in the past week both had an underlying medical condition, which meant they were in a high-risk category for developing complications from swine flu.
The most likely complication is pneumonia, which if severe, can lead to a condition called acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Treatment includes ventilation and round-the-clock critical care. Influenza rarely causes meningitis and it can trigger an inflammation of the brain tissue (encephalitis), both of which have the potential to be fatal. Myocarditis – inflammation of the heart’s muscle – may also occur, triggering heart failure.
Despite yesterday’s unwelcome news, it does not mean the pandemic flu has become more serious. With a confirmed mortality rate of 0.3 – 0.4 per cent, the swine flu is no more deadly than seasonal influenza.
Nor has there been any surge in the number of cases being seen by GPs in the week to September 27th. The majority of patients they are treating have mild flu and do not require anti-viral medication.
Some 28 people are in hospital with swine flu. The latest figures show 15 people with the virus have required admission to an intensive care unit.
Most of those who do require hospital care because of complications such as pneumonia will leave hospital after treatment. However, a small number of people will continue to die from H1N1 influenza.
The single best preventive measure everyone should take is to observe strict hand hygiene and to use disposable tissues when sneezing and coughing.
The next phase in tackling the pandemic will involve mass vaccination.
Unfortunately, the low fee on offer to GPs relative to the work involved in identifying those who are at high risk of developing complications may mean low vaccine coverage for this vulnerable group.
DR MUIRIS HOUSTON
