Certain Age Groups Hit Hard By H1N1

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By: Admin on 2009-06-18
WISN 12 News

MILWAUKEE—H1N1 flu has an explosive effect in certain age groups, according to an infectious disease specialist who 12 News spoke to Wednesday at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.For those with mild cases, some need antiviral medication; most go home and get better.“The flu itself we are seeing is milder,” said Dr. Michael Chusid of Children’s Hospital, “But there is a small group of individuals - mostly healthy people - who seem to react violently to it.“While the seasonal flu targets the very young and very old, this strain of flu has been striking a notably different age range.“When we look the positive tests we get the vast majority of individuals who are five to 18 years of age,” said Chusid.Contrary to more typical outbreaks, the H1N1 flu has experts exploring why it is more difficult for the healthier victims with stronger immune systems to fight the virus.“Their immune system is robust and when they get this relatively mild infection, at least mild for many people,” Chusid said. “They over react and the inflammation and this inflammation over reacts and produces causes a tremendous pneumonia and this is what is making them so sick.“The concern is about what currently is happening with this flu strain and what could happen next.“With the really big ones, there has been a small wave maybe like this—six months to two years—before the big tsunami of lots of infection,” said Chusid.He said it is also possible people who got flu strains back in the 1950s and 1960s have built up antibodies protecting them from this strain. Copyright 2009 by WISN.com. All rights reserved.

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