Since she was diagnosed with swine flu, a seasonal flu virus which used to affect pigs and now affects humans, seven-month-old Joury has been lying in the intensive care unit at Al-Jalaa children’s hospital in Tripoli, closely watched by doctors who hope she has the strength to beat the dangerous disease.

According to Zakia Hilal, a specialist in infectious diseases, Joury was not the first swine flu victim, as nine other cases were admitted at Tripoli Central Hospital. In addition there are reportedly another 24 cases still being treated at a Tripoli Medical Center.

Since she was diagnosed with swine flu, a seasonal flu virus which used to affect pigs and now affects humans, seven-month-old Joury has been lying in the intensive care unit at Al-Jalaa children’s hospital in Tripoli, closely watched by doctors who hope she has the strength to beat the dangerous disease.

According to Zakia Hilal, a specialist in infectious diseases, Joury was not the first swine flu victim, as nine other cases were admitted at Tripoli Central Hospital. In addition there are reportedly another 24 cases still being treated at a Tripoli Medical Center.

Typical symptoms

Early in February, the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) of the Libyan Ministry of Health circulated a memo about seasonal viruses, including swine flu, to physicians, health workers and citizens. The memo stated that a preventive vaccine is available in primary health care facilities.

The NCDC’s memo identified swine flu symptoms, including fever of above 38 degrees, a cough, shortness of breath and the rapid deterioration of the respiratory system.

The NCDC confirmed the availability of the vaccine to treat acute cases and added that sufficient quantities of the vaccine were distributed to different branches of the NCDC in most cities in Libya.

The NCDC’s memo, issued on February 4, stressed that the center received 26 samples from different hospitals to analyze, five of which were diagnosed positive for seasonal influenza viruses while two showed they had contracted the swine flu. Both those cases were in the Al Jalaa Hospital and one of them subsequently died of the disease.

The statement detailed two cases with severe pneumonitis, adding that the doctors did not take samples for analysis.

Hospitals react

“There is no shame about registering the cases of people with flu in health facilities – patients need to be in the hospital and our goal is to treat them, fight the virus and stop its spread,” Zakia Hilal said, adding that the disease may have spread further than is thought. “At the moment, we are working on registering other cases too.”

Hilal explained how they discovered the disease in Al Jalaa Hospital. The ICU was housing eight cases of flu with varying degrees of severity and since basic medical tests do not show the virus, the doctors initially ruled it out.

Hilal added that the Ministry’s memo pushed hospital doctors to perform an analysis that usually takes up to four days to show the results. The results confirmed that two infants had contracted with the virus. One died and the other is Joury, who is still in intensive care.

Prevention possibilities

Hilal said she allowed the committee in charge of combating the disease to take all necessary measures to protect patients in hospitals. The committee allocated several rooms in the hospitals for such cases and provided treatment for them. The infection control team vaccinated all workers at the hospital.

Amal Mansour said the treatment for this type of influenza is Tamiflu, an anti-virus medication but it cannot be prescribed for people with allergies to certain drugs or with kidney problems. Since the disease is seasonal, she added, the drug is taken in October and is then effective throughout the whole year.

Mansour, who also works at Al Jalaa Hospital, warned that the virus stays alive for one day on solid surfaces, especially in cold weathers. It dies in high temperatures or when the surface is cleaned with detergents and sterilizers.

Official denials

But secrecy surrounds the numbers of patients diagnosed. In the Tripoli Medical Center, an old lady lies in room number nine. She was referred from the department of respiratory diseases with a report that says she’s infected with H1N1 virus, or swine flu.

According to the nurse, who requested anonymity, Hajja Mabrouka is suffering severe symptoms that are similar to those mentioned in the Ministry’s memo. However, the nurse said the patient’s medical records are concealed and one doctor advised the nurses not to talk about her condition, saying her analysis results are still in the laboratory.

Workers at the general surgery department were all tested and vaccinated against seasonal flu, but they were not informed with the test results.

No recent numbers

The Ministry of Health has refused to comment on the issue or provide updated statistics of flu patients admitted to hospitals. The Ministry’s Spokesperson Mohammad Ammar said the NCDC are the only party involved in the matter.

Head of the NCDC Badr Eddine Najjar said vaccines had been distributed to all medical personnel and medical assistants in health-care facilities.

“This flu is seasonal and is similar to all other seasonal diseases. It should not be met with panic,” he stressed, adding that only two cases of swine flu were identified, and one person was dead while the another was being treated.

He denied the presence of any other cases in Libya.

Hospital treatment

Najjar said infection control should occur within hospitals and the NCDC is only responsible for providing vaccines and treatments.
Thus, disclosing such cases and the effectiveness of controls depend on individual hospitals. Zakia Hilal said she accompanied the Al Jalaa Hospital committee and they prepared the ICUs, the consultation and follow-up rooms and they also followed up the eight cases in the ICU.

“If the disease is passed onto other patients in the ICU, I will personally resign from my position,” Hilal said, defending the committee.

In the event of catching the seasonal flu, Najar advised citizens to take the necessary measures as soon as possible by going to the hospital and getting treated.

Despite official calls for people not to panic, a number of schools in Tripoli closed on February 14, fearing the spread of infection among students.

Joury, meanwhile, is still struggling to get rid of the disease despite her vulnerable and weak immune system. Her parents do not have the virus, but there are a number of suspected cases from her area. Officials are right to take all measures to boost protection measures to ward off the disease.