H1N1 Web site for Clark, Cowlitz, Skamania counties and Cowlitz Tribe

This page was last updated:
December 18, 2009

Flu facts

- About H1N1 swine flu
- Vaccines
- Prevention
- Treatment
- What to do if you get sick - decision chart (PDF)
(English) (Russian) (Spanish)
- Is it safe to...
- Contamination and cleaning
- H1N1 in pets

About H1N1 (swine flu)

What is H1N1 (swine flu) and how is it different from seasonal flu?
Seasonal flu comes back in slightly different forms each year. But the H1N1 flu (swine flu) is a new influenza virus causing illness in people. This new virus was first detected in people in the United States in April 2009. This virus spreads from person to person, in much the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread. Because H1N1 is a new strain of influenza, most people have little immunity to it either naturally or from previous flu vaccines.

On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization declared the worldwide spread of H1N1 flu a global pandemic. So far, H1N1 flu has been a mild to moderate illness but may be severe in a minority of individuals resulting in hospitalization and death. As of December, 2009, the number of H1N1 influenza cases has been declining in many areas of the nation. However, because this is a new virus, we can’t predict its course. Additional outbreaks of this H1N1 flu are possible over the coming months.

This virus is sometimes called “swine flu” because laboratory testing showed that many of the genes in this new virus were very similar to influenza viruses that normally occur in pigs (swine) in North America. However, the H1N1 (swine flu) virus also contains genes from bird flu and human flu.

Right now, more than 90% of the circulating flu is H1N1, although seasonal flu, which typically peaks in winter, has also been detected.

How is this flu season different from every other flu season?
The new flu strain is preying on children and young adults and appears to have a disproportionately high fatality rate in pregnant women. Older people, typically most vulnerable to flu, appear to have some immunity. As of mid-December, 232 children in the U.S. have died of H1N1 according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more information, see www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm. Hospitalization rates for influenza also are higher than expected for this time of year.

What are the signs and symptoms of H1N1 (swine flu) in people?
Symptoms are the same as those caused by seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people also experience diarrhea and vomiting. Severe illnesses and death have occurred as a result of illness associated with this virus.

Should I get tested for H1N1 (swine flu)?
Most people with flu symptoms do not need a test for H1N1 (swine flu) because the test results usually do not change how you are treated. Most people with H1N1 have had mild illness and have not needed medical care or antiviral drugs, and the same is true of seasonal flu.
Public Health officials recommend influenza diagnostic testing for:

Deceased or critically ill patients (i.e., ICU admission) suspected to have influenza.
Hospitalized patients who have tested positive for influenza.

How will I know if I have H1N1 (swine flu)?
You may not be able to find out definitively what flu virus you have. Currently available rapid influenza diagnostic tests cannot distinguish between H1N1 and seasonal influenza. For more information, see http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/diagnostic_testing_public_qa.htm.

As of December 2009, more than 99 percent of flu cases in the United States are H1N1. Therefore, at this time, if your health care provider determines that you have the flu, you most likely have H1N1 flu.

How does H1N1 (swine flu) spread?
Spread of H1N1 virus occurs in the much same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person when people with flu cough or sneeze near other people. People may also become infected by touching something – such as a surface or object – with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth, nose, or eyes.

How severe is illness associated with H1N1 (swine flu) virus?
Illness with the new H1N1 virus has ranged from mild to severe. While most people who have been sick have recovered without needing medical treatment, hospitalizations and deaths from infection with this virus have occurred. Most people who have been hospitalized with H1N1 virus have had one or more medical conditions that also place them at risk of serious seasonal flu-related complications. This includes pregnancy, diabetes, heart disease, asthma and kidney disease.

How does H1N1 (swine flu) compare to seasonal flu in terms of its severity and infection rates?
Seasonal influenza can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. Each year, about 36,000 people in the U.S. die from flu-related complications and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu-related causes. Of those hospitalized, 20,000 are children younger than 5 years old. Over 90 percent of deaths and about 60 percent of hospitalization occur in people older than 65.

H1N1 flu appears to create greater disease burden in people younger than 25 years of age than among older people. At this time, there are few cases and few deaths reported in people older than 64 years old, which is unusual when compared with seasonal flu. One reason for this is that people in this age group may have been exposed to a similar virus years ago and may have some immunity to H1N1 flu. Like seasonal flu, however, pregnant women and people with certain medical conditions appear to be at increased risk of complications from H1N1. These medical conditions include asthma, diabetes, suppressed immune systems, heart disease, kidney disease, and neuromuscular disorders.

How long can an infected person spread this virus to others?
People infected with seasonal and H1N1 flu shed virus and may be able to infect others from 1 day before getting sick to 5 to 7 days after. This can be longer in some people, especially children and people with weakened immune systems and in people infected with the new H1N1 virus.

If I think I have H1N1 2009, should I see a doctor?
Most people will recover without needing to see a doctor. It is usually better to call rather than to visit the doctor’s office or emergency room because by staying home you will avoid exposing others to the flu and avoid exposure yourself. People with conditions that put them at risk for complications should call their doctor at the onset of flu symptoms. Your doctor will let you know if you need to come in or if you need antiviral medications.

What to do if you get sick - decision chart (PDF) - (English) (Russian) (Spanish)
Use the guidelines in this chart to help you make the best decision about care for yourself and your loved ones.

What is Public Health doing now?
Clark County Public Health is working with other health jurisdictions to respond to H1N1 influenza in our communities. Public health officials are:

Sharing information and resources with community partners including emergency management agencies, hospitals, schools, and community based organizations.
Working with the state of Washington and local health care providers in each of the four counties to distribute antivirals, seasonal flu vaccine, and H1N1 vaccine.
Meeting with schools and childcare centers to promote vaccine to school age and pre-school children.
Consulting with schools about the need to exclude ill children and staff from school.
Providing health education to the community to prevent the spread of germs and encourage vaccination.
Working with health care organizations to increase influenza vaccination among health care providers.
Working with employers and businesses to encourage vaccination and ensure continuity of operations.

H1N1 influenza vaccine

Who can receive H1N1 vaccine?
H1N1 vaccine is now available for anyone who wants it and is offered at provider offices, clinics, and pharmacies throughout Southwest Washington. Although anyone can receive the vaccine, people in priority groups are especially encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as they can. These groups include:

Pregnant women because they are at high risk of complications from H1N1.
Healthcare workers because they can be a potential source of infection for vulnerable patients and also because increased absenteeism among healthcare professionals could reduce healthcare system capacity.
Children ages 6 months through age 24 in group settings, which increases the likelihood of disease spread.
Parents and caregivers of children younger than 6 months, so they don’t pass the virus to their infants.
People ages 6 months to 64 years with chronic medical conditions that put them at higher risk of influenza-related complications.

Should seniors receive the 2009 H1N1 vaccine?
Studies show that people 65 and older have a lower risk of H1N1 infection than younger age groups. However, people over 65 are at higher risk than the general population of developing complications from H1N1. Therefore, people in this age group are encouraged to get vaccinated now that there is enough vaccine.

Where can I find H1N1 vaccine in Southwest Washington?
See www.flunewsswwashington.org/Vaccines.html.

What is the difference between seasonal flu vaccine and the new H1N1 flu vaccine?
H1N1 vaccine is made from the novel H1N1 virus only. This year’s seasonal flu vaccine was manufactured from three seasonal influenza viruses – one influenza A (H3N2) virus, one seasonal influenza (H1N1) virus (different from the new swine flu strain) and one influenza B virus.

I’ve heard that H1N1 flu is mild. Why should I have my child vaccinated?
When it became clear last spring that the pandemic H1N1 strain would not be as deadly as once feared, health officials reassured the public that most H1N1 infections had been “relatively mild.” It created the false perception that H1N1 is never a life-threatening illness. While most people who get H1N1 are sick for three or four days and then recover, a recent New England Journal of Medicine study showed that among Americans hospitalized with swine flu last spring, one in four ended up in intensive care and 7 percent of them died. In the Southern Hemisphere, 14 percent of flu patients in intensive care died.

It appears H1N1 2009 flu will be at least as deadly as seasonal flu, which kills about 36,000 people annually.

How long after vaccination does the body develop immunity to the H1N1 2009 virus?
Adults can expect to develop immunity by two weeks after receiving the vaccine . However, a child below the age of 10 will need two doses of the H1N1 vaccine, spaced about a month apart, and will not develop immunity until up to two weeks after the second dose. Younger children need two doses because they have had limited exposure to influenza viruses and do not have preexisting antibodies.

Will the seasonal flu vaccine also protect against H1N1 flu?
The seasonal flu vaccine won’t protect against H1N1 flu and H1N1 vaccine won’t protect against seasonal flu. Health officials are encouraging everyone to get H1N1 vaccine now and seasonal flu vaccine if it is available. As of December 2009, seasonal flu vaccine supplies were very limited in Southwest Washington.

Can the seasonal flu vaccine and the H1N1 flu vaccine be given at the same time?
A patient can receive two flu shots or a combination of nasal spray and flu shot at the same time. However, the seasonal nasal spray vaccine and the H1N1 nasal spray vaccine should not be given at the same time. This is because the nasal spray vaccines might not be as effective if given together. Patients who want both vaccines in nasal spray form must wait at least four weeks between vaccinations

If I’ve already had the flu this year, do I need either flu vaccination?
Unless your case was officially confirmed by a laboratory test as H1N1 2009, there is no way to be sure you are protected and you should get the H1N1 vaccination and the seasonal flu vaccination. If you did have confirmed H1N1, you are still vulnerable to seasonal flu and you should get seasonal flu vaccination

Can you get vaccinated against flu if you have a fever or a cold?
The flu vaccine is typically not recommended for patients with any signs of illness, so that symptoms are not wrongly misdiagnosed as side effects of a flu shot.

Will two doses of H1N1 vaccine be needed?
Just one dose of 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine is needed for people age 10 and older. Children 9 and under will need 2 doses of H1N1 vaccine spaced 4 weeks apart. This is similar to CDC’s recommendations for seasonal influenza vaccination which states that children younger than 9 who are being vaccinated against influenza for the first time need to receive two doses. Infants younger than 6 months of age are too young to get the 2009 H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines.

Will vaccination against the new H1N1 influenza be mandatory?
No. People may refuse any vaccination for themselves or their children on the basis of personal beliefs, religious beliefs, or health status. As health officials make recommendations for who should receive H1N1 vaccine, people who choose vaccination for themselves or their children will be screened for possible negative reactions to vaccination (such as an allergy to eggs ) and will receive information sheets on the vaccine’s risks and benefits.

H1N1 influenza vaccine safety

Since the vaccine for H1N1 is new, how do I know it is safe?
Every year, the seasonal flu vaccine is tailored to match the viruses circulating at the time, and the H1N1 vaccine was made exactly the same way. Therefore, we expect the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine to have a similar safety profile as seasonal flu vaccines, which have a very good safety track record. Over the years, hundreds of millions of Americans have received seasonal flu vaccines. The most common side effects following flu vaccinations are mild, such as soreness, redness, tenderness or swelling where the shot was given. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be closely monitoring for any signs that the vaccine is causing unexpected adverse events and will work with state and local health officials to investigate any unusual events.

Was the H1N1 vaccine subjected to the same testing and clinical trials as seasonal flu vaccine?
The FDA. does not require a new round of human clinical trials to study minor changes in the flu vaccine each year. However, clinical trials were conducted on the H1N1 2009 vaccine to determine the adequate dose. In addition, because H1N1 is a pandemic, we now have more information from other countries. Of the first 39,000 H1N1 flu shots given in China, only four people had side effects, including muscle cramps and headaches. “You could argue that this is better tested than seasonal flu vaccine,” said Dr. Paul A. Offit, chief of infectious diseases for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Were manufacturing shortcuts taken to rush this vaccine to market?
Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius praised the government’s quick response to the pandemic threat and the fast turnaround of the new vaccine. That created perceptions that the vaccine was rushed. The reality is that the Bush administration increased flu vaccine production capacity in 2005, prompted by worries of a bird flu epidemic. . It typically takes five to six months to make flu vaccine, and that is about how long it took to produce the H1N1 2009 vaccine. The H1N1 virus itself grows more efficiently than some past flu strains. The H1N1 vaccine is made as flu vaccine is made each year, by the same companies, in the same production facilities with the same procedures, with the same safety safeguards.

How is flu vaccine made?
The CDC. identifies and tests a viral strain, then distributes a version of it to vaccine manufacturers, who inject it into millions of eggs, where it multiplies. Then the virus is harvested, purified and developed into a vaccine.

What is the difference between the nasal spray and the flu shot?
The injectable vaccine or flu shot is made from a killed influenza virus that is highly purified and broken into tiny pieces. It cannot recombine in the body to produce flu, but it can still stimulate the immune system to develop a protective response.

The nasal vaccine, called FluMist, is made of an attenuated (weakened) live virus. This weakened virus has been tamed in the laboratory so it cannot cause illness. (The measles and chicken pox vaccines also are made from a live attenuated virus.) The attenuated virus can multiply only in the cooler temperatures of the nasal passages, and cannot survive in the higher temperatures of the respiratory tract. When the vaccine is sprayed into the nose, it multiplies on the mucous membranes in the nose and throat, triggering the body’s immune response without causing any illness.

The nasal spray vaccine is not approved for people with asthma, pregnant women or people with underlying medical problems like heart disease and diabetes.

Do adjuvants added to flu vaccine increase risk of an autoimmune reaction?
This is a myth perpetuated on some health Web sites. Although substances called adjuvants are sometimes added to vaccines to make them more effective, no flu vaccine sold in the United States, including the H1N1 2009 vaccine, contains any adjuvants.

What about the Guillain-Barré Syndrome associated with the 1976 swine flu vaccine?
In 1976, there was a small risk of GBS following influenza (swine flu) vaccination (approximately 1 additional case per 100,000 people who received the swine flu vaccine). That number of GBS cases was slightly higher than what is normally seen in the population, whether or not people were vaccinated. Since then, numerous studies have been done to evaluate if other flu vaccines were associated with GBS. In most studies, no association was found, but two studies suggested that approximately 1 additional person out of 1 million vaccinated people may be at risk for GBS associated with the seasonal influenza vaccine. By comparison, 1 in 8,300 Americans dies of flu each year.

Does the new vaccine contain the mercury compound thimerosal?
Flu vaccine packaged in a multidose vial contains thimerosal, a preservative that prevents contamination of the vial during repeated use. One dose from a multiuse vial contains about 25 micrograms of mercury. By comparison, a tuna fish sandwich contains about 28 micrograms of mercury. Repeated studies have shown thimerosal to be safe. However, people who want to minimize mercury exposure can ask for a vaccine in a single-dose package, which has only trace amounts. Thimerosal is not used in the production of the nasal spray vaccine.

Why has the Washington Department of Health suspended mercury limits for H1N1 vaccine?
State health officials have temporarily suspended limits on the amount of mercury (thimerosal) allowed in H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine given to pregnant women and children under three. The suspension is effective through March 23, 2010, and was implemented to ensure Washington residents at highest risk for H1N1 infection have broad access to the new vaccine. Mercury-free H1N1 vaccine may not always be in stock.

I’ve heard that some H1N1 vaccine for children is being recalled. Does my child have to be revaccinated?
No, there is no need for kids to be revaccinated. Parents don’t have to do anything, and there are no safety issues with the vaccine. This vaccine is only for children under three. It is slightly less potent than it should be, but the CDC believes it will still protect kids from H1N1, provided they had two doses. Parents are reminded that children under age 10 will need two doses of H1N1 vaccine spaced one month apart.

The recall is purely cautionary and only affects a small batch of pediatric vaccine manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur. We are working with the Washington Department of Health to notify any local providers who have the vaccine.

Prevention

What can I do to protect myself and others from getting sick?
Although vaccinations for seasonal flu and H1N1 flu are the best ways to prevent influenza, there are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza.

Take these everyday steps to protect your health:

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. Then wash your hands.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- Try to not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus.
If you get sick with flu-like illness, stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine like acetaminophen, Tylenol, ibuprofen, Aleve, or aspirin. Do not give aspirin to children under 18.)
Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.
Be prepared in case you get sick and need to stay home for a week or so; a supply of over-the-counter medicines, alcohol-based hand sanitizer, tissues and other related items might could be useful and help avoid the need to make trips out in public while you are sick and contagious.

What is the best way to wash my hands to avoid getting the flu?
Wash your hands with soap and warm water for 15 to 20 seconds (long enough to sing Happy Birthday twice). Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs and viruses that cause flu, colds, and many other illnesses.

When soap and water are not available, alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers may be used. You can find them in most supermarkets and drugstores. If using gel, rub your hands until the gel is dry. Don’t use water with gel sanitizers; the alcohol in it kills the germs on your hands.

Should I wear masks?
Wearing a mask does not guarantee that you will be protected from the H1N1 virus. You will be much better protected if you wash your hands frequently and avoid sick people. In areas with confirmed cases of H1N1, if you are at risk for severe flu, avoid crowds and stay at least six feet from those who are coughing and sneezing.

Wearing a mask when you are ill and coughing can reduce your ability to give the infection to someone else. Of course, if you are ill, you should stay home. Wherever you are, and whether or not you wear a mask, it is still important to wash your hands frequently. You can transmit germs through your hands, as well as through coughing and sneezing.

What kind of mask works best?
Masks are usually disposable, certified by the FDA and labeled as surgical, dental, medical procedure, isolation or laser masks. If properly used, they can help contain the droplets from an infectious sneeze or cough that can spread flu.

Wear a mask when close contact with an infectious person is unavoidable—for example, if you must care for a sick person such as a family member with a respiratory infection.
In some settings, nurses, doctors and other health care providers wear a respirator. Respirators are not necessary for the general public; however, if you are suctioning or giving nebulizer treatments to someone with flu at home, you should consider wearing a respirator. A respirator should be labeled N95 or higher by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Make sure that your face mask or respirator fits snugly on your face. Be sure to dispose of used masks or respirators and wash your hands after touching or taking off your mask.

Should people with HIV/AIDS take special precautions?
Suggestions for persons with HIV/AIDS include:

Avoid sick people, wash hands frequently, take medications as prescribed, maintain healthy habits around eating, sleeping and exercising.
Get a seasonal flu shot and make sure you are up to date on Pneumovax (vaccine to prevent bacterial pneumonia that can be a complication of the flu).
As H1N1 spreads in the community, avoid crowded settings. If such settings can't be avoided, consider using a facemask.
If you become ill with flu symptoms or have contact with someone with confirmed H1N1, your health care provider may prescribe antiviral medicine for you. You should report any adverse effects of such medication to your health care provider.
People with HIV are in the initial target group for H1N1 vaccine and should plan on being vaccinated as soon as the H1N1 vaccine is available.

For more information visit the CDC Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/hiv_flu.htm.

How can employers protect themselves, their families, and their employees?
Businesses should urge their employees to stay home if they are sick, especially if they have signs or symptoms of H1N1 swine flu. The health of employees during an outbreak such as H1N1 influenza plays a critical role in the continued operations of a business. More information and flu resources for business and employers is available at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/business/.

Treatment

What should I do if I get sick?
If you become ill with influenza-like symptoms, including fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, you may want to contact your health care provider, particularly if you are worried that your symptoms are severe. Your health care provider will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed.

Unless you need urgent medical care, please phone first rather than going directly to a doctor’s office, clinic, or hospital. Your health care provider will determine if you need to be seen or treated for your symptoms. If you go to see your health care provider, you should be offered a mask as soon as you enter the waiting room to protect others from getting sick.

If you are sick, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others.

If you become ill, are not worried that your symptoms are severe, and would not normally contact your health care provider, there is no need to do so.
In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention:

Fast breathing or trouble breathing.
Bluish skin color.
Not drinking enough fluids.
Not waking up or not interacting.
Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held.
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough.
Fever with a rash.

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen.
Sudden dizziness.
Confusion.
Severe or persistent vomiting.

What to do if you get sick - decision chart (PDF) - (English) (Russian) (Spanish)
Use the guidelines in this chart to help you make the best decision about care for yourself and your loved ones.

If I have a family member at home who is sick with H1N1 flu, should I go to work?
Employees who are well but who have an ill family member at home with H1N1 flu can go to work as usual. These employees should monitor their health every day, and take everyday precautions including washing their hands often with soap and water, especially after they cough or sneeze. If they become ill, they should notify their supervisor and stay home. For more information see http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/business/guidance/.

Are there medicines to treat swine flu?
Most people recover from H1N1 swine flu without any specific treatment. In certain circumstances, the CDC recommends the use of antiviral medications oseltamivir or zanamivir (brand names Tamiflu and Relenza) to treat or prevent H1N1 swine influenza. Antiviral drugs fight against the flu by keeping flu viruses from reproducing in your body. If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and prevent serious flu complications. During the current pandemic, the priority use for antiviral drugs is to treat severe influenza illness (for example hospitalized patients) and people who are sick who have a condition that places them at high risk for serious flu-related complications.

Can I get Tamiflu to have on hand now in case I get sick?
No. Tamiflu is a prescription drug that requires a health care provider’s prescription. It should only be taken by people with severe influenza. Most of the people who have already had H1N1 swine flu recovered on their own without Tamiflu or other antiviral medication. If too many people without severe influenza take Tamiflu, we could see the development of H1N1 swine flu that is resistant to Tamiflu.

Can I take preventive antivirals?
The best way to prevent getting influenza is to wash hands, cover your cough etc. When influenza gets into a community, it can circulate for several months. It would not be practical to treat everyone with preventive antiviral medications; in addition, by doing so, we increase the risk of resistant influenza viruses.

When can I take antiviral medications?
If you have symptoms, you should be evaluated by a health care provider to see if your symptoms fit the case definitions for H1N1 swine flu. CDC recommends considering the use of antivirals for confirmed, suspected or probable cases of H1N1 swine flu with priority given to people who are hospitalized or severely ill or at high risk of complications. CDC recommends preventive use of antiviral medications for household contacts of a confirmed or probable case of swine flu if the household contacts are at high risk of medical complications if they contract influenza. High risk individuals include children younger than 5, pregnant women, people 65 or older, and persons with chronic medical conditions. Health care providers can consider preventive use of antiviral medications for people who have been exposed to or who are in close contact with someone who is a probable case of H1N1 swine flu.

Is it safe to...

Eat or prepare pork?
Yes. H1N1 swine flu viruses are not spread by food. You cannot get H1N1 swine flu from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe.

Keep my children in school?
Yes. If the situation changes and there are outbreaks associated with schools, Public Health will work closely with schools to implement preventive measures, which may include school closures.

Go to church?
There is no recommendation to avoid or stop church services, school functions, or other public events at this time. If you are feeling ill, stay home in order to keep from spreading germs.

Drink the water?
Tap water that has been treated by conventional disinfection processes does not pose a risk for transmission of influenza viruses.

Use swimming pools, spas, water parks, interactive fountains, and other treated recreational water?
Influenza virus infection is not associated with water exposure. Influenza viruses such as H1N1 virus are likely disinfected by chlorine. However, recreational water venues are no different than any other group setting so people need to remember that H1N1 flu can be spread from person to person through coughing or sneezing.

Travel?
Any travel recommendations related to this pandemic will be posted on the CDC Travelers' Health Web site.

Contamination and cleaning

How long can influenza virus remain viable on objects (such as books and doorknobs)?
Studies have shown that influenza virus can survive on environmental surfaces and can infect a person for 2 to 8 hours after being deposited on the surface.

What kills influenza virus?
Influenza virus is destroyed by heat (167-212°F [75-100°C]). In addition, several chemical germicides, including chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, detergents (soap), iodine-based antiseptics, and alcohols are effective against human influenza viruses if used in proper concentration for a sufficient length of time. For example, wipes or gels with alcohol in them can be used to clean hands. The gels should be rubbed into hands until they are dry.

What surfaces are most likely to be sources of contamination?
Germs can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. Droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person move through the air. Germs can be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets from another person on a surface like a desk, for example, and then touches their own eyes, mouth or nose before washing their hands.

What household cleaning should be done to prevent the spread of influenza virus?
Wipe surfaces such as bedside tables, bathroom surfaces, kitchen counters, computer keyboards, toys, etc.) with a household disinfectant according to directions on the product label.

How should linens, eating utensils and dishes of persons infected with influenza virus be handled?
Linens, eating utensils, and dishes belonging to those who are sick do not need to be cleaned separately, but they should not be shared without washing thoroughly first.

Bed sheets and towels should be washed and tumble-dried on a hot setting. Avoid “hugging” laundry before washing it, and wash hands after handling dirty laundry.

Information lines

Clark County (360) 397-8021
Outside Clark County (877) 510-2772

Fact sheets (PDF)

Monitoring H1N1

Local: Southwest Washington flu data (PDF)

State:

Washington Department of Health

Oregon Department of Human Services

Federal: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Global: World Health Organization

Flu facts

About H1N1 (swine flu)

H1N1 influenza vaccine

H1N1 influenza vaccine safety

Prevention

Treatment

Is it safe to...

Contamination and cleaning

About H1N1 (swine flu)

H1N1 influenza vaccine

H1N1 influenza vaccine safety

Prevention

Treatment

Is it safe to...

Contamination and cleaning

Information lines

Fact sheets (PDF)

Monitoring H1N1

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