# 4257
While traditionally the flu season doesn’t begin in Australia until late April or May, the H1N1 virus has shown an ability to spread out-of-season in the Northern Hemisphere, particularly in places like schools and summer camps.
With classes resuming in a couple of weeks in Australia, public health officials are bracing for a new wave of flu.
One of the (many) unanswered questions we have about the H1N1 virus is the actual attack rate.
We know that some people who were exposed to the virus may have developed antibodies, even if they never fell sick themselves.
Between symptomatic infections, asymptomatic infections, vaccine uptake, and pre-existing immunity to this virus . . . it is difficult to know just how susceptible Australia’s population remains to this virus.
With the return of students to classes in a few weeks, however, public health officials may soon get a pretty good indication.
Swine flu looms with the return to school
- Drew Warne-Smith
- From: The Australian
- January 16, 2010 12:00AM
HEALTH experts are warning that Australians can expect a second wave of swine flu, possibly as early as the beginning of the school year just a fortnight away.
With a new report finding Australia's public health response failed to prevent the H1N1 pandemic last year -- and that mass casualties and a collapse of the health system would have resulted had it not been a benign strain -- the Australian Medical Association has said it is likely swine flu will strike again.
AMA vice-president Steven Hambleton, a member of the national pandemic planning committee, said yesterday it would be difficult to prevent a "second wave" as the virus was again sweeping the northern hemisphere.
It has also overtaken all other strains of the virus as the dominant variety of influenza.
Overseas H1N1 comprises 99 per cent of all flu strains, while in Australia that figure is about 80 per cent.
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