According to the disease surveillance data compiled by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), the number of H1N1 influenza A cases has gradually increased.About 14% of the respiratory swabs collected from the community tested positive for influenza and 88% tested positive for the pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus.Further, the consultation rate to the emergency department and the outpatient clinic has also increased.Beginning July 1, 2009, 15 new cluster outbreaks of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) and 12 severe cases of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) have occurred. CECC pointed out that there are two reasons that account for the increase in the number of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) cases reported: the number of infection has increased and the overall awareness of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) among the public and the healthcare sector has increased.

Over thirteen hundred thousands cases of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) infection have been confirmed around the world, including 816 deaths. According to the disease surveillance data compiled by the World Health Organization (WHO), the pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus has not mutated since the beginning of the global pandemic.Although most cases experience mild symptoms and can recover quickly without special treatment, a few cases that occurred in healthy individuals aged below 50 years have progressed into severe pulmonary infection and multi-organ failure.Other known high risk groups that developed complications after infection include pregnant women, patients with chronic pulmonary diseases (including asthma), cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, and immuno-suppressed patients. CECC urged physicians, patients and the family members of the patients to increase their awareness about the disease.A pandemic influenza A (H1N1) patient or a suspected patient is urged to seek medical attention as soon as possible if he/she develops the following symptoms: shortness of breath, breathing difficulty, purple or blue discoloration of the lips, presence of blood in phlegm, chest pain, unconsciousness, high fever that lasts ups to three days, and low blood pressure.

In response to the pandemic (H1N1) 2009, CECC publishes “Taiwan Influenza Express” every Tuesday at noon to provide the public and medical personnel the latest development of the pandemic.For more information about “Taiwan Influenza Express” , please visit the Taiwan CDC web site at http://www.cdc.gov.tw.