Warning over killer pneumonia linked to flu
A warning has been issued over a killer strain of pneumonia that is striking otherwise healthy flu sufferers, after half of cases for a whole year have been seen in just one month.
11:05AM GMT 28 Jan 2013
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The disease can leave patients in a life-threatening condition within hours and up to three in four will die.
It typically strikes after a normal bout of flu and affects previously healthy middle-aged people.
Government scientists have recorded 18 cases of PVL community acquired pneumonia between December 6th and January 7th. Normally between 30 and 40 cases are seen in a whole year in the UK.
So far four peple have died.
It is not known what has caused the surge in cases.
The bug, with the full name Panton-Valentine Leukocidin-positive Staphylococcus aureus, is extremely virulent. It is carried on the skin of around three per cent of the population and usually causes boils and skin infections.
However it can enter the bloodstream and may travel to the lungs or get into the lungs following a bout of flu.
Once there it causes pneumonia and patients become critically ill very quickly.
They may cough up blood, have difficulty breathing and are extremely unwell, experts said.
The 18 cases have all needed intensive care and several required sophisticated life-support known as ECMO, where oxygen is pumped into the blood outside the body because the lungs are overwhelmed with infection.
The patients ranged in age from four to 63 years with a median age of 41 and most have flu-like symptoms before developing pneumonia. In five cases the bug had spread between family members.
Experts at the HPA said the bug can be treated with a range of antibiotics but is so deadly because of the speed at quick it causes severe illness.
Pneumonia can cause severe illness but most people recover and often do not need hospital treatment. However pneumonia caused by PVL-SA causes very serious complications extremely quickly, experts said.
Professor Angela Kearns, at the Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infections Reference Unit at the HPA, said: "Levels of PVL colonisation in the community have doubled in the last ten years but from a very low base and less than five per cent of the population, probably nearer three per cent, carry it on their skin.
"It usually causes skin boils and abcesses but can in rare cases cause severe pneumonia. It is one of those random events caused by bacterial infection. The mortality rate is so high because of the speed of onset, the lungs become overwhelmed because we can get on top of the infection.
"Treatments are available, it is getting that happen as quickly as possible.
"We have seen outbreaks in households.
"We do no think we are seeing the start of an epidemic."
The bulletin from the HPA said: "Healthcare personnel should remain vigilant for such cases, especially during the influenza/respiratory virus season.
"HPA Guidance on the diagnosis and public health management of such infections and their close contact is available."
It urged doctors to send samples to the HPA for testing from suspected cases and said fees for such tests would be waived.
Flu levels have risen in the last month but remain within normal limits for winter.
