US official: Instant flu treatment needed; risk for very young

Oct 20, 2009, 17:36 GMT

Washington - The nation's top immunization expert Tuesday warned physicians to treat suspected cases of swine flu immediately rather than waiting for the results of a common but 'unreliable' rapid test.

Dr Anne Schuchat, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, confirmed that children and youth under age 25 are the highest risk group for H1N1 influenza infection.

The pattern of swine flu infection - 53 per cent of the 4,958 US hospitalizations recorded since early September are under age 25 - reverses the pattern of ordinary flu, which normally hits those over 65 hardest, she said.

Shuchat also sought to calm increasing public worry that there is not enough H1N1 vaccine to go around.

Shortages have occurred not only in the H1N1 flu vaccine but also in vaccine for the regular seasonal flu in the face of increased public demand and strapped production capacity.

'We want to stress how important early treatment with antiviral (like Tamiflu) is,' Schuchat told reporters. 'We don't want doctors to wait until the last moment for confirmation of the disease.'

She said rapid tests for the H1N1 flu were 'unreliable' and said doctor's should not 'believe a negative rapid test result.'

From September 1 to October 10, reports from 28 US states have confirmed 292 deaths from swine flu, including 24 per cent under age 25; 65 per cent in the age 25-65 age group; and 11 per cent in the over-65 group.

In deaths from normal seasonal flu, 90 per cent of all deaths were among those age 65 and older.

'It's almost completely reversed here,' Shuchat said.