UPDATE:73 Confirmed cases of Swine Flu-20 Cases In The US and 103 Deaths In Mexico
UPDATE:73 Confirmed cases of Swine Flu-20 Cases In The US and 103 Deaths In Mexico.
Seventy-three cases of swine flu have been confirmed worldwide,according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Forty of those cases are from the United States.
One in Spain.
Six in Canada
Twenty six in Mexico.
(pic) A couple kisses through their masks at the Historic Center in Mexico City on Saturday.
According to Mexico’s Health Minister, hundreds more cases are suspected, especially in Mexico, where as many as 103 deaths in Mexico are thought to have been caused by the virus, Swine Flu. More than 1,700 cases have been reported but not confirmed in the country.
U.S. CDC officials confirmed 20 new U.S. cases on Monday. Eight of which were at the same school in New York in which eight were confirmed earlier. More than 100 students at the same school were out with flu-like symptoms last week.
President Obama said Monday that the swine flu outbreak is a “cause for concern and requires a heightened state of alert,” but is not a “cause for alarm.”
President Obama then added that the federal government is closely monitoring emerging cases and had declared a public health emergency as a “precautionary tool to ensure that we have the resources we need at our disposal to respond quickly and effectively.”
Monday, April 27th, 2009, the European Union’s health commissioner, called on people to avoid traveling to both the United States and Mexico, which seems to be the epicenter of the outbreak.
WHAT IS SWINE FLU?
Swine influenza, or flu, is a contagious respiratory disease that affects pigs. It is caused by a type-A influenza virus. Outbreaks in pigs occur year-round. The current strain is a new variation of an H1N1 virus, which is a mix of human and animal versions.
When the flu spreads person to person, instead of from animals to humans, it can continue to mutate, making it harder to treat or fight the flue, because people have no natural immunity.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
The symptoms are similar to the common flu. They include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
HOW DOES THE SWINE FLU SPREAD?
The virus spreads when an infected person with Swine Flu coughs or sneezes around another person. People can become infected by touching something with the flu virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose or eyes.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), a public health emergency is an occurrence or imminent threat of illness or health conditions caused by bioterrorism, epidemic or pandemic disease, or highly fatal infectious agents or toxins that pose serious risk to a significant number of people.
At a White House news conference Sunday, April 26th, 2009, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano sated that the emergency declaration is standard procedure.
The WHO has called the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern.”
Researchers are trying to determine how easily it can jump from person to person. Keiji Fukuda, WHO’s Assistant Director General, stated that it was too early to predict whether there will be a mild or serious pandemic.
The cases confirmed in the U.S. and Mexico were enough of a concern for Andorra Vassiliou, the European Union’s health commissioner, to recommend against travel to North America.
People “should avoid traveling to Mexico or the USA unless it is very urgent for them,” Vassiliou said.
Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Vassiliou’s warning was “not warranted.”
Mexico is trying to contain the virus. In Mexico City, authorities have closed all schools and universities until further notice because of the virus, and military troops distributed 4 million filter masks in the city of 20 million residents.
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Mexico’s authorities have talked about shutting down the bus and subway system, and incoming international passengers at the country’s airports are asked on a form whether they have various symptoms that might indicate that they’re carrying the virus.
Mexican Finance Minister Augustin Carstens stated Sunday, April 26th, 2009, that the World Bank is lending his country $205 million to deal with the Swine Flu outbreak.
What About The United States?
In Washington, the government declared a public health emergency. According to Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, “this sounds more severe that really it is. This is standard operating procedure and allows us to free up federal state and local agencies and their resources for prevention and mitigation.”
HOW ARE OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD REACTING TO THE SWINE FLU?
Israel and New Zealand were investigating unconfirmed cases of swine flu.
Concerns about the virus, have prompted Canada to issue a travel health notice and South Korea to say it will test airline passengers arriving from the United States.
Japan is expected to convene a Cabinet meeting Monday to come up with measures to block the entry of the virus into the country.
FROM NEW ZEALAND
In New Zealand, officials stated that the 22 students and three teachers, who returned from a three week long language trip to Mexico, might have been infected. The whole group remains quarantined at home, and Health Minister Tony Ryall stated that 10 students have tested positive for influenza A , which is the general category of strains that includes the H1N1 swine flu.
FROM SPAIN
In Spain, the six people who have tested positive, all recently returned from Mexico and they are being isolated in hospitals, the country’s Health Ministry said. Lab tests confirmed that one of the cases had tested positive.
FROM ISRAEL
In Israel, doctors are running tests on a man who recently returned from Mexico with light flu symptoms.
FROM CANADA
Canada is going to issue a travel health notice.
FROM SOUTH KOREA
South Korea states it will test airline passengers arriving from the United States.
FROM JAPAN
Japan is expected to convene a Cabinet meeting Monday, April 27th, 2009, to come up with measures to block the entry of the virus into the country.
BABY BOOMERS REMEMBER
In 1968, a “Hong Kong” flu pandemic killed about 1 million people worldwide. And in 1918, a “Spanish” flu pandemic killed as many as 100 million people.
Baby Boomer health concerns are for those who have lowered immune systems the elderly and infants.
UPDATE:73 Confirmed cases of Swine Flu-20 Cases In The US and 103 Deaths In Mexico and the world watches to see if this will be a world wide epidemic. For the full story, go to CNN News.
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Well this takes some talk away from economy, terrorists, war etc.
I am not surprised at all because there are Mexicans all over the world.
In Mexico they are not as clean as we are the farmers in Mexico sleep with their animals and eat with them because to them they are like family. So this child that became ill more than likely played with them.
When it comes to our Pig Farmers they have to pass so many tests to make sure that their animals are absoluely clean as they don’t have the same rules there.
The farmers don’t get really close to them because of the chances of this sort of thing happening. I lived int he Mid-West and saw the tests that our government give to the farmers to make sure they are clean.
So am I surprised not in the least that this started in Mexico because they are not as clean as we are like washing their hands after they handle the pigs they just are not and that is a fact.
MAY GOD BLESS ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE BECOMING ILL NOW AND FOR ALL TIME AS I AM SURE HE WILL!!!