News in brief - Sept. 19, 2011

Swine-origin flu identified in 2 children - Menopause does not increase women's risk of cardiovascular death

Swine-origin flu identified in 2 children

Two cases of febrile respiratory illness caused by swine-origin influenza A(H3N2) were identified in August in two children from Indiana and Pennsylvania, said a study issued Sept. 2 in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The children, who were vaccinated against influenza during the 2010-11 season, have since recovered, the report said (www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm60e0902a1.htm).

On Aug. 17, the CDC was notified by the Indiana State Dept. of Health Laboratories of a suspected case of H3N2 in a boy younger than 5. No direct exposure to swine was identified, but a caretaker reported direct contact with asymptomatic swine in the weeks before the boy's illness onset.

The CDC learned of a second case of H3N2 in a girl younger than 5 on Aug. 24 from the Pennsylvania Dept. of Health. She was reported to have visited an agricultural fair where she had direct exposure to swine several days before illness onset.

There is no epidemiologic link between the two patients, and there were no additional cases of confirmed swine-origin H3N2 as of Sept. 2, the CDC said.

Menopause does not increase women's risk of cardiovascular death

Contradicting the long-held belief that the risk of cardiovascular death for women increases sharply after menopause, new research shows that heart disease mortality rates in women progress at a constant rate as they age. The findings were published in the Sept. 10 issue of BMJ.

Researchers examined mortality statistics for people born in England, Wales and the United States between 1916 and 1945. They found that at the time of menopause, there were no increases in female mortality rates beyond what is expected due to aging (www.bmj.com/content/343/bmj.d5170).

Study authors encourage physicians to assess cardiovascular health in their female patients from an early age. They also recommend that doctors teach their young female patients about healthy heart habits.