Dallas Allergy

Each year, influenza (seasonal flu, “standard flu”) infects millions of Americans and causes thousands of deaths. Flu can be a particular problem for people with respiratory problems such as asthma and for people with immunodeficiencies. Seasonal flu usually begins in Southeast Asia and moves to the United States in two waves of infection. Each year’s flu typically shows up just before or just after Thanksgiving with relatively few cases and then quiets down until February when most of the infections occur.

In the spring of 2009, a new strain of flu that resembles the flu that caused a major, worldwide epidemic and caused 50 million deaths in 1918, appeared in Mexico. During the first several weeks of this out of season flu, there were many deaths in Mexico and health officials all over the world were very concerned. In the US, there were enough cases to close schools and summer camps. In the four months since this new strain, called Novel H1N1 or swine flu, appeared there have been more than one million cases and we have learned several things that are important to all of us:

• Novel H1N1 is very contagious, especially in groups of children such as schools and camps.
• For most people, Novel H1N1 causes relatively mild disease, similar to a cold that lasts three to five days.

               *Fatalities associated with H1N1 have occurred in people with severe
                underlying heart or lung disease AND in people who get a secondary
                infection. If a patient with influenza develops higher fever or
                worsened cough after the third day of illness, call immediately.

• At least some people who are treated with anti-viral drugs have had it twice.

We are learning more about the strain of flu every day. To help you stay informed, we have developed the Flu News webpage. We will do our best to keep it current. In general, we will link you to the best information available rather than rewrite what others have done. When we feel that there are special situations that may apply to our patients or that an interpretation is needed, we will post our own information or assessments. If you don’t find an answer to your question, email your physician. If you or your child is sick, call the phone nurse 972-566-6144.

Nana Mireku-Akomeah, MD
Robert W. Sugerman, MD
Richard L. Wasserman, MD, PhD

Flu and patients with Primary Immunodeficiency:
Because there are many different primary immunodeficiencies, it is not possible to make blanket recommendations that apply to everyone. If you or a family have a primary immunodeficiency, ask you doctor for specific recommendations regarding flu vaccines and treatment.