There have been no reported cases of H1N1 influenza found in U.S. hotels. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports it has never identified, seen, or classified any significant disease outbreak in hotel or motel rooms as a result of a hotel’s bedspreads and blankets. AH&LA shares CDC's opinion that it is important not to trivialize the more significant routes that infectious influenza diseases are spread (unwashed hands, direct coughing, touching one’s face, etc.) by focusing on these very remote and improbable hotel room items.
AH&LA is tracking this issue very closely and is committed to providing members with the most current information available. AH&LA is in close contact with key leaders at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and CDC to ensure members have all the tools and information they need to ensure the safety of employees and guests. While it is impossible to completely stop a pandemic or its effects, having a plan in place before a worse-case scenario happens is the best way to minimize disruptions at your property.
This novel influenza A/H1N1 viruses characterized in this 2009 outbreak have not been previously detected in pigs or humans. Because there are human cases associated with an animal influenza virus, and because of the geographical spread of multiple community outbreaks, plus the somewhat unusual age groups affected, these events are of high concern by public health authorities.
Pandemic flu poses a much greater risk than seasonal flu, which infects hundreds of thousands of Americans each year and is not life-threatening for most healthy people. The disease is not transmitted through the human consumption of pork or pork products, but by person-to-person touching and close coughing. This influenza virus variant is thought to have originated from swine animals such as pigs, and has mutated to infect humans.
The flu continues to spread across the United States and is expected to continue to infect people, since only those afflicted with it have developed an immunity to the virus.. Every day, new cases continue to be reported to the CDC.
Pandemic flu occurs when a new strain of the virus emerges that can be transmitted easily for which people have no immunity. The majority of these H1N1 cases have occurred in otherwise healthy young adults. Influenza normally affects the very young and the very old, but these age groups have not been heavily affected in this situation. Those over 65 may have a heightened immunity against H1N1 viruses due to past influenza outbreaks in 1968 and 1957.
Scientists continue to watch this virus closely, preparing the nation for the return of H1N1 this fall. Hoteliers should remain vigilant about this flu over the 2009 summer and fall months and continue to maintain high standards of cleanliness in their properties.