By MIKE STOBBE, AP Medical Writer Mike Stobbe, Ap Medical Writer – Tue May 12, 5:44 pm ET
ATLANTA – Pregnant women should take prescription flu medicines if they are diagnosed with the new swine flu, health officials said
Tuesday. So far, the swine flu has not proven to be much more dangerous than seasonal influenza, and it's not clear whether or not
pregnant women catch swine flu more often than other people. But in general, flu poses added risks for pregnant women, said Dr. Anne
Schuchat of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Pregnancy weakens a woman's immune system, so that she's more likely to suffer pneumonia when she catches the flu. In earlier flu
pandemics, infection also raised the risk of a premature birth, said Schuchat.
Risks from the virus are greater than the unknown risks to the fetus from the drugs Tamiflu and Relenza, Schuchat said at a press
conference Tuesday.
"We really want to get the word out about the likely benefits of prompt antiviral treatment" for pregnant women, she said.
Still, the flu medicines' effectiveness is somewhat limited, studies have shown. They can relieve symptoms and shorten the disease by
about a day. They only work if started within 48 hours of first symptoms, and little is known about whether they cut the chances of serious
flu complications. Most people recover from the flu with no medical treatment.
But a pregnant Texas woman who had swine flu died last week, and at least 20 other pregnant women have swine flu, including some with
severe complications.
In total, about 3,000 U.S. cases of swine flu have been confirmed through lab testing so far, most of them ages 18 and under. Officials
think the actual number of infections is much higher, and that infections are still occurring.
CDC officials said the swine flu may seem to be mild now, but they worry the virus will mutate into something more dangerous. One
concern is that it will combine with the more deadly but less easily spread bird flu virus that has been circulating in Asia and other parts of
the world.
Another concern is that it will combine with the seasonal H1N1 virus that went around over the winter. That virus was not unusually
virulent, but it was resistant to Tamiflu — the current first-line defense against the new swine flu. If the two virus strains combine, it's
possible the swine flu will become resistant to Tamiflu as well, health officials worry.
ATLANTA – Pregnant women should take prescription flu medicines if they are diagnosed with the new swine flu, health officials said
Tuesday. So far, the swine flu has not proven to be much more dangerous than seasonal influenza, and it's not clear whether or not
pregnant women catch swine flu more often than other people. But in general, flu poses added risks for pregnant women, said Dr. Anne
Schuchat of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Pregnancy weakens a woman's immune system, so that she's more likely to suffer pneumonia when she catches the flu. In earlier flu
pandemics, infection also raised the risk of a premature birth, said Schuchat.
Risks from the virus are greater than the unknown risks to the fetus from the drugs Tamiflu and Relenza, Schuchat said at a press
conference Tuesday.
"We really want to get the word out about the likely benefits of prompt antiviral treatment" for pregnant women, she said.
Still, the flu medicines' effectiveness is somewhat limited, studies have shown. They can relieve symptoms and shorten the disease by
about a day. They only work if started within 48 hours of first symptoms, and little is known about whether they cut the chances of serious
flu complications. Most people recover from the flu with no medical treatment.
But a pregnant Texas woman who had swine flu died last week, and at least 20 other pregnant women have swine flu, including some with
severe complications.
In total, about 3,000 U.S. cases of swine flu have been confirmed through lab testing so far, most of them ages 18 and under. Officials
think the actual number of infections is much higher, and that infections are still occurring.
CDC officials said the swine flu may seem to be mild now, but they worry the virus will mutate into something more dangerous. One
concern is that it will combine with the more deadly but less easily spread bird flu virus that has been circulating in Asia and other parts of
the world.
Another concern is that it will combine with the seasonal H1N1 virus that went around over the winter. That virus was not unusually
virulent, but it was resistant to Tamiflu — the current first-line defense against the new swine flu. If the two virus strains combine, it's
possible the swine flu will become resistant to Tamiflu as well, health officials worry.
From Yahoo News
Flu drug advised for pregnant women with swine flu
Flu drug advised for pregnant women with swine flu
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applaud local women. The core of the magazine is our inspirational women's articles, most of which feature local women but occasionally we are
able to interview national women who we feel provide a unique inspiration for our readers. Our other articles cover topics of interest such as food
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