kiwibird
Editor, Senior Moderator
H1N1 INFLUENZA: No fever, yet one can be ill
2010/03/25
By Annie Freeda Cruez
anniefc@nst.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: A person with influenza A (H1N1) need not necessarily have a fever.
Sungai Buloh Hospital's consultant infectious diseases physician Dr Suresh Kumar said yesterday there were people who came to the hospital with symptoms related to H1N1, such as sore throat, cough, body aches, runny or stuffy nose and breathing difficulties, but did not have a fever.
Yet throat swabs showed that many of them had the flu.
"We had lots of patients confirmed for H1N1, either as a outpatient or inpatient, but who had no fever."
This came as a surprise as the the Ministry of Health had all along emphasised that the symptoms for H1N1 were fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue and sometime diarrhoea and vomiting.
Giving a talk on H1N1 at the launch of the two-day Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine (MSPTM)'s annual scientific meeting at the Grand Season Hotel, Dr Suresh said people should seek treatment if they showed an influenza-like illness even if they had no fever.
"Prompt treatment reduces the severity of the illness and the need for hospitalisation."
Most of the confirmed cases of H1N1 in Malaysia are children, the elderly and those having hypertention and diabetes.
Dr Suresh said although the situation was under control in the country, the Sungai Buloh Hospital was seeing a slight increase in H1N1 cases.
"In Europe and the Americas the influenza activity is decreasing and is below the season baseline.
"But, south and southeast Asia, including Thailand, are seeing some heightened flu activity. The implication of this in the region is unknown. Whether there is a second wave is yet to be seen." ....snip
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/6fever/Article/index_html
2010/03/25
By Annie Freeda Cruez
anniefc@nst.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: A person with influenza A (H1N1) need not necessarily have a fever.
Sungai Buloh Hospital's consultant infectious diseases physician Dr Suresh Kumar said yesterday there were people who came to the hospital with symptoms related to H1N1, such as sore throat, cough, body aches, runny or stuffy nose and breathing difficulties, but did not have a fever.
Yet throat swabs showed that many of them had the flu.
"We had lots of patients confirmed for H1N1, either as a outpatient or inpatient, but who had no fever."
This came as a surprise as the the Ministry of Health had all along emphasised that the symptoms for H1N1 were fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue and sometime diarrhoea and vomiting.
Giving a talk on H1N1 at the launch of the two-day Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine (MSPTM)'s annual scientific meeting at the Grand Season Hotel, Dr Suresh said people should seek treatment if they showed an influenza-like illness even if they had no fever.
"Prompt treatment reduces the severity of the illness and the need for hospitalisation."
Most of the confirmed cases of H1N1 in Malaysia are children, the elderly and those having hypertention and diabetes.
Dr Suresh said although the situation was under control in the country, the Sungai Buloh Hospital was seeing a slight increase in H1N1 cases.
"In Europe and the Americas the influenza activity is decreasing and is below the season baseline.
"But, south and southeast Asia, including Thailand, are seeing some heightened flu activity. The implication of this in the region is unknown. Whether there is a second wave is yet to be seen." ....snip
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/6fever/Article/index_html