Your local public health officials are working with state and federal officials to monitor and investigate the spread of H1N1 Influenza in the East Metro Health District. EMHD officials are also working closely with schools, hospitals, medical community, faith-based organizations, and other community businesses and groups to provide education and information for Influenza prevention.

Novel H1N1 is a strain of Influenza of swine origin that is now causing illness in humans worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic of H1N1 Influenza on June 11, 2009. This means that there is global spread of the H1N1 virus. While H1N1 is similar to strains of influenza in the past, health professionals believe that only small fragments of the populations (specifically individuals over 65 years of age) may have some immunity.

H1N1 Influenza is primarily spread from person to person when an infected person coughs or sneezes. People can also become infected when they touch objects (doorknobs, phones, keyboards, etc.) that have been contaminated by a sick person and then touch their nose or mouth. Symptoms of infection may include including fever (over 100*F), cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, and rarely vomiting and diarrhea.

Web resources on H1N1 Influenza
www.eastmetrohealth.com operated by the East Metro Health District serving Gwinnett, Newton, and Rockdale counties
www.flu.gov operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services