Jun 12, 2009 2:24 pm US/Eastern
Bioterror Monitoring System Keeping Track Of H1N1
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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DNA test kits of the the influenza A(H1N1) or Swine Flu virus prepared by PrimerDesign Ltd are displayed at the company laboratory in Southampton on May 2, 2009.
Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images
Medical surveillance systems originally developed to detect bioterrorism have recently been put to a more practical task: tracking the swine flu pandemic.
Ever since the virus was first discovered, health officials in New York have been using the high tech tools to look for clues as to where and how fast the virus is spreading.
The monitors work by collecting data electronically from hospital emergency rooms on the number of patients coming in with flu-like symptoms.
The systems were initially deployed to help authorities quickly detect unusual increases in the number of patients turning up with illnesses possibly caused by biological weapons.
Over time, authorities also began using them to monitor more mundane illnesses, like flu.
Fifteen New Yorkers have died from swine flu, more than half the total reported 27 deaths in the United States. The Health Department says that hundreds of thousands of city residents may have contracted the illness.
The Health Department said most of the patients hospitalized with swine flu belonged to groups that had a higher risk of severe illness or complications from influenza, including:
- People who are over 65, under age 2, or pregnant
- People with chronic lung problems, such as asthma or emphysema
- People with chronic heart, kidney, liver or blood disorders
- People with neurological disorders that can cause breathing problems
- People with diabetes
- People whose immune systems are weakened due to illness or medication
- People under 18 years who are on long-term aspirin therapy.
Q&A: What Is Swine Flu?
CDC Swine Flu Facts Sheet
Learn At Home Student Guides
CBS News Interactive: Fighting The Flu
CDC Emergency Updates Via Twitter
Swine Flu Twitter Live Search Results
David Burnia's Swine Flu Watch On Twitter
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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