The "Russian flu." which spreads extremely quickly although it does not seem to cause more serious illness than any other influenza strain, has been reported in this country for the first time.
Dr. L.J. Cohen, director of the Wyoming health department, said the virus caused an "explosive" outbreak at a high school in Cheyenne, Wyo., where the flu spread to 500 of the school's 1,500 students within a 10-day period.
Scientists at the federal Center for Disease Control in Atlanta identified the A/U.S.S.R./77 strain in cultures from five throat swabbings sent to Atlanta by Wyoming officials. he outbreak of the new flu comes at a time when the nation, including the Washington area, is in the grip of a major influenza epidemic caused by other viruses. Physicians have been treating up to 180 cases of flu a day in the Children's Hospital National Medical Center emergency room. Cohen described the illness from the Soviet virus as "relatively benign. The kids are sick, and they tell us they feel awful, but there have not been any complications." The disease only last three to five days, a relatively short time for influenza.
While the virus has not been isolated anywhere else in the United States. Cohen said he is convinced it is "probably widespread in the U.S. I'm sure you'll find the trends of spread from here now, but I don't like to leave you with the impression it began here. We just found it first."
The health department official said the only reason his workers took throat cultures from the students in Cheyenne was that the outbreak there "was so remarkable and so sudden."
The influenza epidemic now spreading through the country has been caused by the A/Texas and A/Victoria virus strains. The only vaccine in use this season provides primary protection against the A/Victoria strain, and very minor protection against the more prevalent A/Texas. It provides no protection against the Russian flu.
Several pharmaceutical firms said yesterday there is no way they can have a sufficient amount of vaccine produced this season to provide immunity to the A/U.S.S.R./77 virus.
The manufacturers are working on the vaccine after being given samples of the virus by the CDC and after a panel of experts twice concluded that production of a vaccine should begin.
Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare Joseph Califano announced yesterday that yet another group of experts will convene Monday in Washington to advise Califano on the way in which HEW should respond to the threat posed by the new virus
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