Road Town, Tortola - The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared that the 2009 H1N1 pandemic has effectively ended, and that the world has entered a post pandemic phase characterised by traditional seasonal patterns of influenza.
In a communiqué that was issued last week WHO Director General Dr. Margaret Chan said the new H1N1 virus has largely run its course: “During the pandemic, H1N1 crowded out other influenza viruses to become the dominant circulating virus; this is no longer the case.”
Her announcement followed a meeting of the Emergency Committee of the International Health Regulation that is made up of leading experts on influenza who provide advice to the WHO.
Dr. Chan said the advice to declare an end to the global H1N1 pandemic took into account influenza activity in several countries, and was based on the worldwide situation.
Factors considered included the fact that influenza outbreaks around the world have returned to levels of intensity that are characteristic of normal influenza seasons; that H1N1 is no longer the dominant influenza virus, but is part of a mix of circulating viruses; and that large numbers of people now have some immunity to the H1N1 virus due to infection, exposure, or vaccination campaigns.
However, the WHO Director General is advising continued to ensure the H1N1 virus does not re-emerge unexpectedly as a threat: She said, “We expect the virus to continue to circulate for some years to come.”
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Irad Potter responded to the WHO announcement by saying, “H1N1 was a very dangerous strain of the influenza virus, and thousands of lives were lost around the world as a result. Fortunately for us, here in the British Virgin Islands, no lives were lost as a result of H1N1. To a large extent that was due to the coordinated response of our local health and disaster management authorities.”
He further noted active local surveillance for influenza will continue, and that medical practitioners are required to report cases weekly to the Surveillance Unit in the Ministry of Health and Social Development.
Dr. Potter said, “Persons are still encouraged to practice good hand and respiratory hygiene as these measures are very effective at reducing ones overall risk for infections like influenza.” There were 59 total suspected cases of H1N1 in the Territory and of the 59 suspected cases 25 were laboratory confirmed by the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre.
The Ministry of Health and Social Development aspires to provide leadership that promotes health, social wellbeing, and a safe environment as positive resources for living and sustainable development of the Territory.
British Virgin Islands News