Valley has first confirmed case of H1N1

WASILLA — The H1N1 influenza pandemic has hit the Mat-Su Valley with the announcement of the first confirmed case in Wasilla.

A North Slope worker tested positive for the virus commonly known as swine flu, the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services said Thursday. The patient, from Wasilla, is a male in his 30s and has no history of recent out-of-state travel. Officials have no information about where he may have contracted the virus. He is the 13th confirmed case of H1N1 in Alaska, and 21 cases were confirmed by the time Health and Social Services closed on Friday.

Dr. Beth Funk, a medical epidemiologist for the state Department of Public Health, said the state is not following the details of each individual because they are eventually expecting hundreds of cases. However, she did not believe the patient from Wasilla was treated because his symptoms had cleared up by the time the test results were confirmed.

“That’s what we’re seeing here. The cases are similar in severity to seasonal influenza,” Funk said. “Currently, we have nobody hospitalized for H1N1.”

The news of the Valley’s first case came on the same day the World Health Organization raised its alert level for the H1N1 virus to the pandemic or phase 6 level. This is the highest alert level, but it reflects the spread of the disease, not the severity, according to the WHO.

Asked how the virus is going to be spread in Alaska, Funk said, “That’s the thing about influenzas. There are certain patterns being observed, but it’s pretty unpredictable.”

Funk said the state has had a public health emergency preparedness group for some years now. The group has met with health care providers and city leaders around the state to develop community response plans for dealing with pandemics. Plans include how to distribute antiviral medication, what to do if hospitals get swamped with patients, and how to keep medical personnel and utility operators healthy.

“Basically, it is about meshing emergency preparedness stuff with pandemic influenza treatment plans,” Funk said. “I think we are in pretty good shape to implement the plans if needed.”

Funk said a portion of the state’s stockpile of antivirals have already been distributed, and hospitals have increased their own inventories. She also said the system is in place to distribute the vaccination throughout the state once it is created and if it becomes necessary.

One of the problems health officials are running into, Funk said, is the H1N1 virus causes a wide spectrum of symptom severity. People with minor sore throats and coughs could have something very benign, but these are the symptoms of H1N1 as well. Many people with these symptoms refuse to stay home from work, potentially spreading their virus around their office, Funk said.

“We have to change that culture, and hopefully people will think about it more,” Funk said. “If your healthy and see someone coughing and sneezing, give them a wide berth. You could even gently suggest they might want to go home.”

For more information about H1N1, call the borough’s incident information hotline at 761-3790 or go to the state’s pandemic flu webpage at www.pandemicflu.alaska.gov/.

Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or (907) 352-2252.