Young Adults and Obese are Vulnerable to H1N1 Flu

Nearly 45 percent of hospitalization for H1N1 flu was of obese adults, according to the Center for diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) .  

The Center reports that more than 60 percent of people hospitalized for the flu are aged between 18 and 64.  Nearly 45 percent of these adults are obese or whose body mass index is 40 or greater.

The country had witnessed a similar trend during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic which affected more than 30 million people. In general, the complications are likely to be seen in individuals aged 65 and above but due to existing levels of immunity, younger people are also succumbing to the infection. The researchers have not identified it as an underlying medical condition for the flu because other factors like obesity and cardio vascular diseases play a major role. Pregnant women, children and those suffering from metabolic syndrome also figure among the flu-vulnerable population.

Sandra Chaves, medical director of the Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network at the CDC said," When we look at our indicators, a lot of what's going on has been among younger age groups, those 18 to 64. If we think about it, where is the obesity epidemic? It's in that younger age group."

Chaves also said that it is unclear why obese people have higher complications and deaths. The data provided by the report also states that nearly 36 percent of Americans are obese. H1N1 is a complex strain, which is a mixture of avian, swine and other virus strains. Serology studies during the 2009 pandemic suggested that people ages 65 and above have antibodies against H1N1 viruses - an immunity they developed due to earlier exposures.

The outbreak this year alone has caused hospitalization in more than 13 states in the U.S as per the data provided by Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network FluSurv-NET. The flu appears to be widespread in California. There have been 26 flu related deaths in Los Angeles and 15 in San Bernardino Counties, reports the Daily Democrat.