Published: Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Obesity a possible risk factor for flu
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Associated Press Math teacher Emelinda Mabulay places flowers in memory of Mitchell Wiener, assistant principal at IS 238 Susan B. Anthony School, in New York. Wiener died Sunday after contracting the swine flu virus.
WASHINGTON -- A survey of people hospitalized because of swine flu in California has raised the possibility that obesity is much of a risk factor for serious complications from flu as diabetes, heart disease and pregnancy, all known to raise a person's risk.
In all, about two-thirds of the California patients had some underlying medical condition, according to a report Tuesday in the weekly bulletin of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nationwide, 48 states have reported 5,469 cases and six U.S. deaths since the start of the outbreak in late April, according to CDC's count. One of the deaths occurred in Snohomish County, county health officials announced earlier this month.
On Tuesday, officials in Missouri reported a seventh U.S. death -- a 44-year-old man who had no underlying medical problems.
"We were surprised by the frequency of obesity among the severe cases that we've been tracking," said Anne Schuchat, one of the CDC epidemiologists managing the swine flu outbreak.
She said "we're looking into" the possibility that obese people should be at the head of the line along with other high-risk groups if a swine flu vaccine becomes available.
Some other studies have shown that pregnant women are also at higher risk for serious influenza infection, especially in the third trimester when the fetus and womb compress the lower regions of the lungs. This makes it harder to breathe deeply and cough forcefully; it may also alter blood flow in the chest. A similar thing may be occurring in severely overweight people, some experts speculated.
The average age of the 30 Californians hospitalized for swine flu was 27.5 years. Nearly three-quarters were women and 65 percent were Hispanic. Half lived in two counties bordering Mexico.
Of the 30 people, 11 had a lung ailment such as asthma or emphysema, six had an immune disorder, five had heart disease, five were pregnant, four had diabetes, and four were obese.
In Geneva on Tuesday, the World Health Organization urged drugmakers to reserve some of their pandemic swine flu vaccine for poor countries, but received few concrete offers as experts disclosed that an effective flu shot is still months away.
The global body wants companies to donate at least 10 percent of their production or offer reduced prices for poor countries that could otherwise be left without vaccines if there is a sudden surge in demand. But some are skeptical about what such a commitment could mean for their business.
The only major drugmaker that publicly agreed to the WHO request Tuesday was Britain's GlaxoSmithKline PLC, which said it would donate 50 million doses in a pandemic and offer more that WHO could buy at a discount for poor countries.
A second drugmaker with limited production capacity said it would share half of its vaccine doses. WHO officials declined to identify the company because the deal has yet to be signed.
In all, about two-thirds of the California patients had some underlying medical condition, according to a report Tuesday in the weekly bulletin of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nationwide, 48 states have reported 5,469 cases and six U.S. deaths since the start of the outbreak in late April, according to CDC's count. One of the deaths occurred in Snohomish County, county health officials announced earlier this month.
On Tuesday, officials in Missouri reported a seventh U.S. death -- a 44-year-old man who had no underlying medical problems.
"We were surprised by the frequency of obesity among the severe cases that we've been tracking," said Anne Schuchat, one of the CDC epidemiologists managing the swine flu outbreak.
She said "we're looking into" the possibility that obese people should be at the head of the line along with other high-risk groups if a swine flu vaccine becomes available.
Some other studies have shown that pregnant women are also at higher risk for serious influenza infection, especially in the third trimester when the fetus and womb compress the lower regions of the lungs. This makes it harder to breathe deeply and cough forcefully; it may also alter blood flow in the chest. A similar thing may be occurring in severely overweight people, some experts speculated.
The average age of the 30 Californians hospitalized for swine flu was 27.5 years. Nearly three-quarters were women and 65 percent were Hispanic. Half lived in two counties bordering Mexico.
Of the 30 people, 11 had a lung ailment such as asthma or emphysema, six had an immune disorder, five had heart disease, five were pregnant, four had diabetes, and four were obese.
In Geneva on Tuesday, the World Health Organization urged drugmakers to reserve some of their pandemic swine flu vaccine for poor countries, but received few concrete offers as experts disclosed that an effective flu shot is still months away.
The global body wants companies to donate at least 10 percent of their production or offer reduced prices for poor countries that could otherwise be left without vaccines if there is a sudden surge in demand. But some are skeptical about what such a commitment could mean for their business.
The only major drugmaker that publicly agreed to the WHO request Tuesday was Britain's GlaxoSmithKline PLC, which said it would donate 50 million doses in a pandemic and offer more that WHO could buy at a discount for poor countries.
A second drugmaker with limited production capacity said it would share half of its vaccine doses. WHO officials declined to identify the company because the deal has yet to be signed.
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