Swine Flu UPDATE:WHO Confirmed H1N1 Cases Hits 853

Swine Flu UPDATE:WHO Confirmed H1N1 Cases Hits 853, as America adds another 66 confirmed cases, but with only one death reported.

The number of known swine flu cases worldwide topped 800 on Sunday,May, 2nd, 2009,  with another 66 cases confirmed in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

(pic) An employee at a Beijing hotel that is under quarantine receives supplies from her husband Sunday.

CDC reports the number of confirmed U.S. cases jumped from 160 to 226 on Sunday, May 2nd, 2009, and the number of states with confirmed cases grew from 22 to 30, with only one U.S. case that has been fatal.

The latest CDC figures bring the number of confirmed worldwide cases to 853.

The World Health Organization reported 787 cases of swine flu, known to scientists as influenza A  or H1N, before the latest U.S. numbers. The WHO has stated that the virus has been confirmed in 17 countries and has contributed to 20 deaths, 19 of deaths in Mexico.

Where Are The US cases of Swine Flu.

New York has the most confirmed U.S. cases, with 63

Texas is second, with 40

California is third, with 26.

There will be more cases in America as there are more states that have been added to CDC totals. WHO has not confirmed those cases.

A Texas case, a Mexican toddler who was visiting relatives in the United States, is the only U.S. fatality.

WHO says that the higher number of cases is a result of ongoing tests on previously collected samples from Mexico, not new reported and confirmed infections.

Who states that the number of confirmed cases in Mexico has grown to more than 500, following tests on previously collected samples, not new reported cases.

Several other countries reported additional cases that have yet to be confirmed by WHO and logged in to WHO’s tally.

WHO’s spokesperson for epidemic and pandemic diseases was asked Sunday about claims by Mexican officials that the virus has peaked in that country.

Earlier in the day, Mexican Health Secretary Jose Cordova stated during a news conference that the epidemic “is in its declining phase.”

That is possible, Gregory Hartl said at the daily WHO briefing, but he noted that the current outbreak is only about 10 days old. Even if the illness abates, it may return.

“I … would like to remind people that in 1918 the Spanish flu showed a surge in the spring, and then disappeared in the summer months, only to return in the autumn of 1918 with a vengeance. And we know that that eventually killed 40 million to 50 million people,” Hartl said.

Mexican authorities believe their most active period was between April 23 and April 28, of 2009.

In Washington, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” also warned that even if the flu outbreak wanes, “it could come back with greater force in the winter and fall, when we get into flu season. So, this is no time for complacency. We want to stay out ahead of this.”

Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDC’s interim deputy director for public health, told reporters Sunday, “I’m heartened by the Mexican authorities’ reports, but I am very cautious. I know that influenza can be surprising, and the time course here in the United States is later. We believe we’re just on the upswing here, and in several parts of Mexico, cases began quite a while ago.”

She added, “From what I know about influenza, I do expect more cases, more severe cases, and I do expect more deaths. And I’m particularly concerned about what will happen in the fall.”

Acting CDC director Richard Besser, who also appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union,” said U.S. health officials are examining whether people who received flu shots for the swine flu in 1976 may have some level of protection from the current swine flu.

“That’s going to play in very, very big, as we move forward with our plans around vaccines, because that may help guide some of the issues around who is most at risk at getting this in the future,” Besser said.

Offering a general picture of the state of U.S. efforts to combat the swine flu, Besser said, “there are encouraging signs. We’re not out of the woods yet. But what we’ve learned about the virus itself, it doesn’t contain the factors that we know are seen in much more severe flu strains.”

Candian Reports

While the new virus strain in the recent outbreak has affected humans, Canadian officials said it has shown up at a pig farm in Alberta.

Officials said the pigs may have been infected by a Canadian farmer who recently returned from a trip to Mexico, the epicenter of the outbreak. The pigs have since been quarantined.

“We have determined that the virus H1N1, found in these pigs, is the virus which is being tracked in the human population,” said Dr. Brian Evans of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Evans and other officials said it is not uncommon for flu viruses to jump from humans to animals, and that it does not pose a risk for consuming pork. The number of pigs infected was not disclosed.

The infected farmer had flu-like symptoms, but he is recovering, Evans said.

The Breakdown of Confirmed Cases From WHO and CDC:

Mexico: 506, from an earlier count of 397, including 19 deaths

United States: 226, including one death

Canada: 70

United Kingdom: 15

Spain: 13

Germany: six

New Zealand: four

Israel: three

France: two

Austria: one

China: one

South Korea: one

Denmark: one

Netherlands: one

Switzerland: one

Costa Rica: one

Ireland: one.

The Breakdown From CDC:

Alabama: one

Arizona: 18

California: 26

Colorado: four

Connecticut: two

Delaware: 10

Florida: three

Illinois: three

Indiana: three

Iowa: one

Kansas: two

Kentucky: one

Massachusetts: seven

Michigan: two

Minnesota: one

Missouri: one

Nebraska: one

Nevada: one

New Hampshire: one

New Jersey: seven

New Mexico: one

New York: 63

Ohio: three

Rhode Island: one

South Carolina: 15

Tennessee: one

Texas: 40

Utah: one

Virginia: three

Wisconsin: three.

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