Though the H1N1 flu outbreak currently sweeping through Mexico and parts of the U.S. has brought influenza outbreaks to the forefront in the past week, Fort Benning's Preventive Medicine Office has been hard at work all season long to protect troops and their families before influenza viruses have a chance to take hold.
Soldiers are vaccinated early for the common flu season on Fort Benning, which limits flu cases on post, said MAJ Laura Pacha, chief of Preventive Medicine on Fort Benning.
"We are also seeing more family members being vaccinated each flu season as well," she said.
Pacha, who oversees a variety of specialties including disease surveillance, public health nursing and occupational health services, said caution and concern
are expected after the recent outbreaks of H1N1 flu in several countries; however she stressed that there are preventive measures available, as well as antiviral drugs, to keep Fort Benning personnel healthy and safe.
The Army Surgeon General agreed.
"It's important ... to understand that there is no cause for panic or alarm," LTG Eric B. Schoomaker said in his blog Monday.
"The Department of Defense and all segments of the U.S. government are working along with our international partners to lessen the impact of H1N1 flu," he said. "It is likely that this H1N1 flu will spread to many, if not all, parts of the United States."
At this point, H1N1 flu is believed to spread in a way similar to that of the common flu - from person to person through coughing and sneezing or by touching an object with the virus on it, such as a doorknob.
At press time, one case of H1N1 flu has been reported in Georgia, according to the CDC. A 30-year-old Kentucky woman visiting Georgia was identified as the first case of swine flu in the state and is currently being hospitalized in LaGrange, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Elizabeth Ford, head of the Division of Public Health, said the woman had traveled to Cancun, Mexico.
Alabama State Health Officer Don Williamson confirmed two probable cases of H1N1 infections at a press conference Wednesday.
Though there is currently no vaccine available specifically to protect against this strain of influenza, there are antiviral medications available to treat patients who contract H1N1 flu, Pacha said.
"They both have been proven effective against the H1N1 virus," she said.
As a training post, Fort Benning rotates new recruits through its doors on a weekly basis. To combat the chance of a recruit spreading the virus, Pacha said preventive medicine takes proactive steps to prevent a potential outbreak.
"Hygiene and sanitation practices are always important here," she said. "We know that colds and other viruses circulate within (the training population). Because of (the recruits) situation, hygiene is even more important."
Medical providers have increased their screening procedures as well, she said.
The World Health Organization has issued an alert as a result of the H1N1 flu; however, this is a precautionary measure to assist agencies in mobilizing assets in large quantities such as antiviral medications, devices and testing supplies, according to the CDC.
"Because this is a new virus and we don't know much about it or why it's causing disease now, and where it is, there is a lot of interest," Pacha said. "We are tracking it to develop more effective prevention and treatment tools."
Pacha said she recommends families protect themselves by practicing good hygiene, especially when someone is sick or feeling under the weather.
"Just washing your hands and covering your cough or sneeze, you can prevent a lot of things from being transmitted," she said.
Pacha recommends that if a person experiences flu-like symptoms such as sudden onset of fever, cough, sore throat or headache, to see their doctor.
She said a flu virus can blend in with other viruses that cause colds, so see your doctor if you don't feel right, and stay at home.
"If a person feels they have symptoms (of the flu), we want to know," she said.
Though it's not yet known if the 2008-2009 influenza vaccine provides any protection against the H1N1 flu virus, the vaccine will continue to provide protection against commonly occurring strains of the flu.
For more information, updates and frequently asked questions, visit www.armymedicine.army.mil or the Surgeon General's Blog at https://blog.amedd.army.mil/tsg.
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