Symptoms are similar for swine flu and HIV

Monday Jan 25, 2010 (foodconsumer.org) -- U.K. researchers published an article in the Feb 2010 issue of the International Journal of STD & AIDS recommending that patients with flu-like symptoms should be considered not only for H1N1 infection but also HIV infection because both viral infections result in similar symptoms.

Dosekun O and colleagues from Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals in Brighton, UK said that healthcare professionals often do not recognize the symptoms of HIV seroconversion and people with flu-like symptoms often do not seek medical attention.

The authors said right now in the UK, patients with flu-like symptoms are diagnosed and treated for swine flu based on clinical observation rather than laboratory testing.

Dosekun O reported two cases of men who had sex with men from Brighton UK.  Both men were initially diagnosed based on clinical symptoms with swine flu and treated with antivirals, but later confirmed to carry HIV.

People with compromised immunity like those with HIV and cancer patients are known to be at high risk for swine flu, which in turn may increase risk of secondary infections.

All swine flu, but few cases of seasonal flu

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting that there is not much seasonal flu activity in the United States for the first two weeks of 2010.

According to a report released on Friday by the CDC, merely 3.7 percent of people across the country tested positive for the seasonal flu compared to 11.5 percent of people during the second week of 2009.

The trend was repeated in Australia and New Zealand where seasonal flu activity dropped at precisely the time when the swine flu virus was at its peak.

It is unknown why high activity of swine flu coexists with low activity of seasonal flu.

There is a possibility that officials and doctors are too busy counting the number of swine flu cases to pay attention to other flu viruses.  Or simply the swine flu boosts the immunity in those who would otherwise be susceptible to seasonal flu.

In the meantime, the CDC says people need to get vaccinated to prevent swine flu even though widespread swine flu activity was not reported last week.

Reporting by Jimmy Downs and editing by Sheilah Downey