Native Americans in Alaska are hospitalized more likely than whites to swine flu in the state and the continued lack of water in some areas may be a factor, researchers find.
Health experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention four hospitals Anchorage and the state Health Department survey of all known cases of H1N1 flu in the state to see if they could find some patterns.
One hit - Alaska's Native Americans had no greater risk of dying from swine flu, but were far more likely than whites to be sent to hospital with severe symptoms, "said CDC's Dr. Thomas Hennessy.
"From what we can tell from the chart review, it appears that the disease is similar in intensity, but much more frequent among Alaskan natives," Hennessy said in a telephone interview.
Scientists and indigenous communities are very aware of H1N1 among the Inuit, Indians and Alaskan natives because of memories of the 1918 pandemic flu, which wiped out entire villages.
Some of the first data from Canada also suggested that the Inuit regions were harder hit by the H1N1 first wave in May and June.
For the study, Hennessy tabular staff at all diagnosed cases of H1N1 in four Anchorage hospital.
59 cases, six of the employees so carefully, one died.
Twenty-nine percent had asthma, 44 percent were overweight and 17 percent had a heart condition.
But there were 24 cases among whites and 15 among the natives in Alaska. Download this to 11 cases per 100,000 whites, but 50 cases per 100,000 Alaska natives - rate nearly five times as high.
LACK RUNNING WATER
Alaska Natives also high several known conditions to make patients more likely to have severe symptoms, such as diabetes and heart disease, Hennessy said.
He noted that Alaska natives also had a higher respiratory diseases in general, not specifically for rural inhabitants, one third of running water.
"Without running water, people pull water in buckets to their homes," he said. They probably use this water to wash their hands - one of the most basic ways to prevent the spread of the disease.
"The way we have accounts on the major burden of disease," said Hennessy.
"Alaska Natives in the total population is younger than other people who live in Alaska," he said. H1N1 calling young adults harder than seasonal influenza usually does not.
Hennessy is possible that the state comprehensive health system for Native Alaskan helped save a life. Each village clinic, he said, and the system pays to be the sickest patient transport to hospital, usually by air.
It also ensures that only patients who have been assessed by doctors who go to major regional hospital, and he suspected that the high rate of hospitalization among Alaska natives show something, but very serious illness.
H1N1 continues to spread throughout the world, but world health officials say it could have peaked in the U.S. and Canada. U.S. officials said Friday that 70 million doses of vaccine are now available or was administered.
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