FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 6, 2005

WESTCHESTER COUNTY IDENTIFIES IMPORTANT FLU STRAIN

Flu strain from Westchester to be used in next year’s flu vaccine

Public health professionals from Westchester County have identified a new flu strain that will be used as one of the three components in the 2005-06 national flu vaccine. The new flu strain, called A/New York/55/2004/H3N2-like, was identified from a sample at the Westchester County Laboratories and Research facility early this year.

“This year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) determined that one of the strains of flu sent by Westchester County Laboratories and Research was one of the three possible strains of flu that will be circulating during the next flu season,” explained Dr. Syed Abid, Chief of Microbiological Services at the Westchester County Department of Laboratories and Research. “The actual flu sample sent by Westchester County Laboratories and Research will be replicated and used in next year’s vaccine as the A/New York strain,” he added.

“This could not have happened without a public health partnership in Westchester,” commented County Executive Andy Spano. “Under this partnership, Health Department staff work to prevent flu outbreaks and assure flu vaccine clinics; Westchester community physicians send flu samples to the county laboratory for identification; and the staff at the Westchester County Labs and Research isolate, test and identify flu vaccine strains and send them to the CDC.”

The flu season typically runs from October to April in Westchester County. The strains of influenza that circulate in the United States vary from year to year, making annual vaccination necessary for protection. Each year the flu vaccine contains protection against the three different strains of flu that are expected to be circulating during the flu season. The naming system for each strain includes the type of influenza (A or B) and the location where the strain was isolated (eg. Hong Kong, Shanghai, Fujian,), as well as other identifying numbers and letters. For example, this year’s flu vaccine contained A/Fujian/411/2002 /H3N2-like. One of next year’s strains will be called A/New York/55/2004/H3N2-like.

For more information, visit www.westchestergov.com/health or call the Health Department at (914) 813-5000.

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