Information On The Swine Flu Virus Outbreak: Which States & Countries Are Affected?

Swine Flu Virus Infections Alert: Novel Influenza A H1N1, Mexican Flu

2009-07-09T07:09:00.000-07:00

With the swine flu spreading quickly and soon to be a world wide pandemic I figured that it was important for me to take a timeout from my electronics posts and write a short bit about the swin flue. I just felt that with my blog reaching so many people each day I could do my part in getting the word out about the swine flu.

All of the information below is considered to be purely informational and a starting point for your research about swine flu. We also wanted to note that all information was take the the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) websites.

What Is The Swine Flu?

The swine flu is a brand new influenza that has begun to infect individuals around the world. This virus first appeared in Mexico in April of 2009 and has quickly spread to over 25 different countries worldwide and includes over 1500 confirmed cases within the United States and in 43 different states. Early on it was referred to as the swine flu but the name has been changed to the H1N1 novel influenza A virus because of the negative impact that it was having on the pork industry. This virus did originate in pigs but that does not mean that there is any danger in eating pork. In fact recent tests have shown that this virus carries influenza genes from pigs in Europe and Asia, along with human influenza and avian influenza genes. Scientists are calling this a quadruple reassortant. This virus spreads as a person-to-person virus and contact with pork or pigs is of little to no concern. The swine flu is very similar to the normal human flu.

What Are the Symptoms Of The Swine Flu?

The symptoms of the swine flu virus are very similar to those of the common human influenza. The symptoms that indicate that you have may have the swine flu include a fever, headache, extreme fatigue, cough, sore throat, stuff or runny nose, muscle aches, vomiting, and diarrhea. More serious symptoms that may indicate an emergency include sudden dizziness, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, confusion, persistent or constant vomiting, pneumonia, or respiratory failure. If you have several or more of these symptoms it is recommended that you take a visit to your general doctor to determine whether a swine flu test is necessary. It is important to note that while the swine flu can be a serious illness it is nothing to panic about and in most cases infected individuals are experience minor symptoms and quick recovery.

How Serious Are Most Swine Flu Illnesses?

With a lack of time for studies or data to be collected the CDC is somewhat unsure about the seriousness of the swine flu among the general public. The CDC however is issuing guidance that suggests that people that are more susceptible to complications with the normal human flu are also probably more susceptible to the H1N1 flu virus. This includes young children, the elderly, and anyone that already has underlying health issues.

How Does The H1N1 Virus Spread?

The novel influenza A virus is believed to be spreading in the same way as the regular flu. This is generally being around someone that has it and is coughing or sneezing. It can also be spread if someone coughs on their hand and then touches a door handle just before you do. It is important than any people who are infected be sure to cover their mouths when they cough.

What Should I Do If I Think I Have The Swine Flu?

If you are showing symptoms of the swine flu it would be best for you to visit your doctor so that he/she as a licensed professional can make a determination as to whether or not further testing for the swine flu is needed.

How Can I Minimize My Risk Of Contracting The Swine Flu Novel Influenza A H1N1 Virus?

The best way to limit your chances of getting the swine flu is by doing the same things you would do to avoid being sick at any other time. The CDC recommends that you be sure to wash your hands often, avoid crowded places where other infected individual might be, keep your stress levels low, get plenty of sleep, eat a healthy diet, avoid touching your eyes, noses, and mouth, use hand sanitizers often, and avoid anyone that you think may be sick.

For more information about the swine flu novel influenza A H1N1 Mexican flu virus visit the CDC website. There you can find tons of information provided by the government about the swine flu outbreak.

First Swine Flu Death In Canada

2009-05-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

In North Alberta an elderly woman who just recently died is believed to have died as a result of contracting the swine flu. It was not immediately known as to whether or not this lady had any other health issues but she was of older age.

In Canada there have now been 214 confirmed cases of the swine flu. This death marks the first death of anyone outside of the U.S. and Mexico. One encouraging thing however is that all three deaths in the United States and Mexico were of people that were either young, elderly, or had underlying medical issues. This continues to show what we have believe all along which is that a large portion of the population should have minimal concerns of death in regards to the swine flu.

Swine Flu Infections Numbers Continuing to Rise Sharply

2009-05-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

The WHO announced on Thursday that swine flu infections numbers are continuing to rise at an alarming rate. The total number of infections world wide has risen to 2731 people in 24 different countries.

Yesterday the WHO also announced that if the swine flu continues to spread at its current rate it could end up infecting up to 1/3 of the worlds population (2 billion people). This announced set off quite the panic, which was not what we needed at this time. After making these comments the WHO realized the panic they had caused and they were sure to reiterate the fact that this was not a disease that they expect to kill 2 billion people.

The WHO pointed out that if 2 billion people end up with the swine flu half of them probably will have either no symptoms or such mild symptoms that they do not even realize that they have it.

World Health Organization Suggests That Up To 2 Billion Could End Up With Swine Flu

2009-05-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced today that they believe that if the Swine Flu (H1N1) virus continues to spread like it is right now that roughly 2 billion people (between 1/3 and 1/4 of the worlds population) could be end up becoming infected.

With this announcement the WHO set off another round of panics among individuals world wide. A WHO official was quoted as say the following "If the situation continues to evolve and the virus does become established in other countries, and we do move into a pandemic, we would expect the virus to infect many people," said WHO chief Keiji Fukuda at a press conference today. "Perhaps a third of the world's population could be infected with this virus, based on previous pandemic."

This information is not information that anybody needed or wanted to hear. Despite the swine flu's quick spreading it has continued to show mild symptoms in most infected individuals and has caused a minimal number of deaths.

It is very important that everyone stay tuned to the news about the swine flu and educate themselves but it is also important that they not panic.

Map Breakdown of United States Swine Flu Cases

2009-05-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

Here is a breakdown of all Swine Flu cases in the United States as of May 7th, 2009 at 11:00 AM ET. This information is brought to your from the CDC website.

Updated United States Swine Flu Numbers: Confirmed Infections

2009-05-07T16:27:00.000-07:00

The CDC has now increased the number of confirmed cases of the swine flu to 896 infections in the United States. These infection numbers include 2 deaths in the U.S and cases in 41 different states. If you feel that you might have the swine flu it is best that you visit your doctor so that he/she can determine whether or not a test for it is needed.

**U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection**
(As of May 7, 2009, 11:00 AM ET)
States	Laboratory confirmed cases	Deaths
Alabama	4
Arizona	48
California	106
Colorado	17
Connecticut	4
Delaware	38
Florida	5
Georgia	3
Hawaii	3
Idaho	1
Illinois	204
Indiana	15
Iowa	5
Kansas	7
Kentucky*	2
Louisiana	7
Maine	4
Maryland	4
Massachusetts	71
Michigan	9
Minnesota	1
Missouri	4
Nebraska	4
Nevada	5
New Hampshire	2
New Jersey	7
New Mexico	8
New York	98
North Carolina	7
Ohio	5
Oklahoma	1
Oregon	15
Pennsylvania	2
Rhode Island	2
South Carolina	17
Tennessee	2
Texas	91	2
Utah	8
Virginia	11
Washington	23
Wisconsin	26
TOTAL (41)	896 cases	2 deaths

Updated United States Swine Flu Numbers: Confirmed Infections

2009-05-06T19:30:00.000-07:00

The CDC just gave us another update on the number of swine flu cases in the United States. The total number of swine flu virus infections has risen to 642 and there was a second death. This time is was a women in here 30s from Texas. See all the swine flu numbers below.

**U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection**
(As of May 6, 2009, 11:00 AM ET)
States	# of laboratory confirmed cases	Deaths
Alabama	4
Arizona	48
California	67
Colorado	17
Connecticut	4
Delaware	33
Florida	5
Georgia	3
Hawaii	3
Idaho	1
Illinois	122
Indiana	15
Iowa	1
Kansas	2
Kentucky*	2
Louisiana	7
Maine	1
Maryland	4
Massachusetts	45
Michigan	8
Minnesota	1
Missouri	2
Nebraska	4
Nevada	5
New Hampshire	2
New Jersey	7
New Mexico	3
New York	97
North Carolina	7
Ohio	5
Oklahoma	1
Oregon	15
Pennsylvania	1
Rhode Island	2
South Carolina	16
Tennessee	2
Texas	61	2
Utah	1
Virginia	3
Washington	9
Wisconsin	6
TOTAL (41)	642 cases	2 deaths

2006 Los Alamos Flu Pandemic Supercomputer Model Estimates Outbreak

2009-05-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

In 2006 the Los Alamos National Laboratory created a supercomputer model that estimated how a pandemic flu virus similar to the swine flu might turn out. This computer model estimated that a break out this kind would most likely last up 4-6 months with it peaking in 2-3 months and then slowly dying off.

The model that was created accounted for a significant number of factors for how the swine flu virus could spread including air travel. Unfortunately with our society being so mobile these days results showed that closing borders and limiting air travel would help very minimally in reducing the spread of the swine flu.

The test also considered if some sort of thermal scanning of people would help determine who was infected so they could be quarantined but this also proved not to help all that much. The problem here is that once infected with a swine flu type virus people do not show symptoms for roughly 24 hours which means that they could have already passed the virus to other individuals before they even know they have it. In other situations people don’t show any symptoms so thermal heating scanning would never help with them.

The only things that the model showed to be conclusive in helping limited the pandemic spread of a swine flu like outbreak were the use of anti-viral drugs (such as Tamiflu in this case), and limiting contact between people. One of the best ways that they determined to stop a virus of the swine kind of virus was through the closing of schools. Wearing face masks and practicing general hygiene habits also showed to help reduce the spread of influenza

Health official world worldwide are now thinking that the swine flu outbreak will be able to be controlled with antiviral meds in the parts of the world that are entering the summer months but it will be tougher to control in countries that are just entering the “flu season”.

CDC Says Careful Use Of Swine Flu Anti-Virals A Must

2009-05-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

The CDC and other health experts announced today that people must be very careful with their use of anti-viral medications if they have the swine flu. Experts have said that anti-viral drugs are not necessary for those that are healthy with mild symptoms.

Two of the reasons that these drugs need to be used carefully are that there is a limited supply of the tamiflu drug and there is no need to deplete the supply if you do not need the drug. Tamiflu is also known for having quite the list of side effects, ones that nobody wants to potentially have to deal with if they do not need to.

Beyond these two reasons the most important reason for using the Tamiflu carefully is because that if they are overused they could lose their effectiveness and then we wouldn't have an effective drug for those that truly need the drug.

The H1N1 swine flu virus is already resistant to several influenza drugs and flu viruses are known for being able to mutate, adapt, and build up a resistance to drugs in a short period of time.

If you come down with the swine flu is would be best that you don't take any medication unless it comes absolutely necessary.

Swine Flu Continues To Spread Throughout The United States

2009-05-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

As of Saturday the Swine flu continues to spread throughout the United States. U.S health officials announce Saturday that there are now 160 confirmed swine flu infections in a total of roughly 20 different states. Health official however were sure to also point out that only 13 of these people have had to be hospitalized due to the swine flu.

Officials also stated that they expect the flu to continue to spread to more states and that there will mostly likely be more deaths as a result of it, although most cases are involving very minor symptoms.

What Do You Need To Know About The Swine Flu?

2009-05-06T01:30:00.000-07:00

Brought To You By The Associated Press

As the new swine flu spreads, people have lots of questions about how it affects their day-to-day life. Here are some answers.

Q: How easy is it to catch this virus?

A: It's spreading as easily as regular winter flu, which infects millions each year. Early estimates are that 25 percent to 30 percent of family members are getting sick once a relative brings it home.

Q: How dangerous is it?

A: Nobody knows yet. Genetically, it doesn't share the same traits that made the infamous 1918 pandemic so deadly, nor does it seem as virulent as the bird flu that scientists have tracked for several years. While Mexico reported many deaths, the virus is causing less severe illness in the U.S. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says most cases so far haven't needed medical attention.

Q: Could I have some immunity?

A: Since it's a never-before-seen mix of mostly pig but also human and bird viruses, the CDC has cautioned that's unlikely. But it is a member of the H1N1 family of flu viruses, which circulate widely. Flu specialist John Treanor at the University of Rochester says people born before 1957 spent their childhood repeatedly exposed to H1 viruses. So experts are withholding final judgment on that question.

Q: Is it treatable?

A: Yes, with the standard anti-flu drugs Tamiflu and Relenza. They lessen symptoms if taken within 48 hours of the first symptoms.

Q: Is there a vaccine?

A: No. The government is working to develop one and the earliest shots could roll out would be in the fall, if authorities decide the virus remains enough of a threat to offer those shots. Manufacturers are preparing regular flu shots for the fall, when routine influenza strains will start circulating regardless of swine flu.

Q: Why does CDC stress hand-washing?

A: Flu viruses do spread through the air, so cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or by sneezing into your elbow rather than your hand. But flu also can spread by touching your mouth or nose with unwashed hands. The viruses can live on surfaces such as doorknobs or handrails for a few hours, or be passed by a handshake.

Q: Do hand gels work better?

A: No, they're just an alternative, says Dr. Richard Besser, the CDC's acting chief. He keeps a bottle in his pocket. The bigger issue is to wash hands well enough to get rid of germs. Sing "Happy Birthday" or "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" to know you've scrubbed long enough, he advises.

Q: How long do I have to worry if I just got back from Mexico?

A: The incubation period is two days to seven days, regardless of where you were exposed.

Q: How long should I stay home if I get the flu?

A: Certainly call your doctor about bad symptoms or if you're at all worried, especially if you have any chronic condition, such as asthma, that makes you more susceptible to any kind of flu. But other than going out for medical care, stay home for seven days or for one day after symptoms end. The CDC also says family members should consider staying home or decreasing their contact with others in case they're incubating the infections.

Q: Why are so many schools closing?

A: It's not clear just how much good school closings do in slowing flu's spread. It doesn't help much if kids then gather at the mall or a friend's house or day care. But because children spread all kinds of viruses easily — they don't wash as well, have close contact in crowded classes, and sometimes are contagious for a few days longer than adults — the CDC has advised schools with cases to consider closing for at least 14 days.

Q: Can pets get sick?

A: Besser says there's no evidence that this flu affects anyone other than humans.

Q: Can flu spread on imported fruits and vegetables from Mexico?

A: No. It doesn't spread through any food, including pork.

Q: Is it safe to fly? How about the subway?

A: Yes, the CDC says. Just don't travel if you're sick — stay home.

Q: Do I need a mask in crowded areas?

A: The CDC hasn't yet recommended that anyone other than health workers use masks.

Q: Why hasn't the U.S. closed the border with Mexico?

A: By the time authorities detected the new virus, it already had spread here. That makes closing the border moot, the Obama administration says.

Q: I have a summer trip planned to a state with lots of cases. Should I cancel?

A: Not yet, just stay tuned, Besser advises. Doctors should know much more about this flu by then.

Q: Why did the government quit using the name "swine flu" this past week?

A: Because of concern that people thought they might catch the virus from pigs or pork — which is wrong. It is spread person to person.

Swine Flu Cases Confirmed Throughout the UK

2009-05-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

The swine flu has now been confirmed throughout much of the British Isles, according the the AP. There is also now 1 confirmed cases in Ireland.

There are now 15 confirmed cases of the swine flu in the UK and more than 600 other people that are in the process of being tested for it.

So far people from Newcastle, Merseyside, Devon, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, London and Central Scotland have been confirmed to be infected with the virus.

Despite the 15 confirmed cases and many other undergoing testing all of the cases in the United Kingdom have had very mild symptoms with almost nobody needing to be hospitalized.

Among most of the people infected worldwide nearly all of them still include people that visited Mexico, with very few cases resulting from people who did not spend any time there.

Swine Flu Now Suspected In 25 Different States

2009-05-05T18:10:00.000-07:00

The number of suspected swine flu cases in the state of Washington swelled to 25 as of late Saturday. Health officials within the state have done numerous testing of suspected cases with some coming back negative but now think that the total number infected is around 25.

As a result the state has seen numerous school closings across the state with thousands upon thousands of children out of regularly scheduled classes.

Stay tune for more swine flu updates from our blog.

Swine Flu Now Being Called H1N1 Flu By The World Health Organization

2009-05-05T15:01:00.000-07:00

In response to a huge outcry from the pork industries worldwide the World Health Organization (WHO) has begun referring the "swine flu" and the H1N1 flu instead. This is because the issue we are dealing with, the human to human spreading of this flu virus is not related to the pork industry or pigs.

The virus is a form of the flu that originate in pigs but pork or pigs have nothing to do with the current problem that we are dealing with.

The pork industry and hog farmers were extremely upset with this disease being given the name swine flu and said that this is hurting their industry and creating an unnecessary bad perception of the pork industry.

Swine Flu Suspected To Have Infected Hundreds Of School Children

2009-05-05T11:30:00.001-07:00

In New York the City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden confirmed Tuesday that they believe that hundreds and hundreds of children that attend schools there have contracted the swine flu influenza. At this time there isn’t any hard evidence to confirm that hundreds have been infected with the virus but with the rampant spreading it would not be surprising to see all of these children that spent so much together end up with the swine flu.

The city of New York now has the most confirmed cases of the Swine flu with the number at over 50 including infections in a Roman Catholic high school (one faculty member has been confirmed to have the swine flu here) and several other public schools. Besides confirmed cases there have been multiple instances where flu symptoms are being reported but swine cases have yet to be confirmed.

As I have suspected all along, the swine flu appears to be in full force and spreading quickly. Despite this there is no reason to panic because we have only seen 1 confirmed death in the United States due to the swine flu. The normal human flu causes over 30,000 deaths a year in the U.S. and spreads like wild fire too. At this point there is no reason to think that the swine flu virus will be any worse that the regular flu that we experience every year.

Timeline Of Events In The Swine Flu Outbreak

2009-05-05T03:30:00.000-07:00

A timeline of events in the swine flu outbreak (Brought to you by the Associated Press)

_ December 2005 to January 2009: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention receives reports of 12 cases of human infection with swine flu. Five of these 12 cases occurred in patients who had direct exposure to pigs and six reported being near pigs. Exposure in one case is unknown.

_ March 28: Believed to be the date of the earliest onset of the swine flu cases in the U.S., Dr. Nancy Cox of the CDC said in an April 23 press briefing.

_ April 2: A 4-year-old boy contracted the virus before this date in Veracruz state, Mexican Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova later said citing test results. A community in Veracruz has been protesting pollution from a large pig farm.

_ April 6: Local health officials declare a health alert due to a respiratory disease outbreak in the Mexican town of La Gloria in Veracruz state. Health officials record 400 cases of people who sought medical treatment in the previous week in the town. About 60 percent of the town of 3,000 are affected.

_ April 17: CDC determines that two children in adjacent counties in southern California had illnesses caused by infection with swine flu. Both children became sick in late March.

_ April 22: CDC confirms three additional cases of swine flu in California and two in Texas, near San Antonio.

_ April 22: The Oaxaca Health Department indicates that 16 employees at the Hospital Civil Aurelio Valdivieso have contracted respiratory disease.

_ April 24: Mexico's Minister of Health confirms 20 deaths from swine flu, but 40 other fatalities were being probed and at least 943 nationwide were sick from the suspected flu. Mexico City shuts down schools, museums, libraries, and state-run theaters across the capital.

_ April 26: The number of confirmed cases in the U.S. climbs to 20 in five states. Mexico reports suspect clinical cases have been reported in 19 of the country's 32 states. Canada confirms six cases.

_ April 27: The World Health Organization raises its pandemic alert status to Phase 4, meaning there is sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus causing outbreaks in at least one country.

_ April 28: Cuba suspends flights to and from Mexico, becoming the first country to impose a travel ban. Argentina suspends flights from Mexico for five days.

Mexican Officials Lower Swine Flu Death Toll

2009-05-04T23:30:00.000-07:00

Officials in Mexico have announced that the number of suspected swine flu deaths has been dropped from 75 to 101. This announcement comes just shortly after they made an announcement that they now believe that the swine flu virus is not as deadly as they thought.

The Mexican government is fighting the swine flu virus by requiring a 5 day shut down of the whole city and many citizens are now walking the streets in breathing masks.

Swine Flu Vaccine Still Months Away

2009-05-04T22:30:00.000-07:00

Health officials announced today that medical experts are months away from coming up with a vaccine for the swine flu. Although the knowledge to create a vaccine is there it is simply something that takes time.

The swine flu acts just like the regular human influenza as with seasonal flu vaccinations, they are required to be made months in advances and they take time to produce.

The WHO and CDC are hoping that the tamiflu and relenza anti-viral medications can hold over as an effective treatment until a vaccine is available and under mass production.

Swine Flu Infections Result In Australian Government To Declare New Powers

2009-05-04T15:30:00.000-07:00

With the swine flu virus outbreak continuing to expand at a quick rate government officials from

Australia

have introduced new political power that give them the right to quarantine, isolate, and detain individuals that they think might be infected with the swine flu.

So far in Australia there have been nearly 100 people who are suspected of having the swine flu and this has resulted in the new government powers.

The health minister of Australia, Nicola Roxon confirmed that these new measures have been put into effect to help the country limit the spread of the swine flu. The powers granted include the right to detain and isolated potentially infected people along with the power to require all aircrafts to be sanitized arriving from other countries. The new powers essentially give the government the power to act swiftly in implementing almost anything they see fit in order to stop the spread of swine flu.

Swine Flu Reported To Have Hit 17 Countries

2009-05-04T11:45:00.000-07:00

The swine flu has now been reported to have hit 17 different countries worldwide. Health officials worldwide have announced that it is continuing to spread rapidly due to a society that travels even more than the virus is spreading. It is expected that the number of infected countries will continue to grow sharply over the several weeks.

Despite it continuation of rapid spreading health officials have noted that among families where one member is infected the rate of infection for other members of the family has seemed to be quite low. It was also announced that the swine flu does not seem to be as deadly as once thought.

New Swine Flu Cases Confirmed In British Columbia Canada

2009-05-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

Health officials confirmed Tuesday that they have found three new cases of the swine flu virus in British Columbia. Of the three infected people two of them had traveled to

Mexico

recently but the other had not. After counting these three cases the number of confirmed swine flu (Mexican flu) in British Columbia has risen to six. All six of the cases seen in British Columbia have been very mild in nature.

Officials in Canada wanted to stress the fact that all of these cases, as well as all cases in Canada have been extremely mild with only one individual being hospitalized for a very short period of time. Health officials also wanted to add that they have not seen any evidence that suggests that the swine flu is easily transmitted from person to person but that it is clear that it can be passed from person to person.

British Columbia, despite not having very many confirmed cases, is taking precautions by holding onto over 500,000 anti-viral doses that could be used to fight the swine flu

The trend of most of the infected people being ones that were in Mexico continues to follow the pattern that we have seen worldwide up to this point with very few swine outbreaks among people that haven’t been to Mexico.

Students Trip To Mexico Brings Mexican Swine Flu To New Zealand

2009-05-04T04:30:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday New Zealand’s minister of health, Tony Ryall confirmed what had been feared for the last several days. That ten students and one teacher’s trip of a lifetime really was the trip of a lifetime. After arriving back in New Zealand from Mexico, these students and teacher were tested for the swine flu virus and these tests came back positive.

The group of students infected with the swine flu virus that originated in Mexico is from the Rangitoto College in Auckland and there infection has put New Zealand on national alert. The students and their professor took a 3 week trip to Mexico and even had a layover in Los Angeles on their way back to New Zealand.

This among many other similar situations points out the pandemic threat that the Mexican flu could bring. These students were in Mexico, then touched down in Los Angles, most likely causing infection there, and then went back to their homeland of New Zealand where they again probably infected people within their own country. It is important however to note that everyone in New Zealand that has been infected had recently visited Mexico or the U.S.A. Health officials are indeed taking the proper steps though in seeking out and contacting every single passenger that flew on the same flight as the infected individuals.

Tony Ryall confirmed that each of the swine virus infected individuals has been quarantined to their home and that they are being treated with Tamiflu, an antiviral drug. The good news however is that all of the infected people are said to be in good condition and recovering without any complications.

Beyond these eleven cases Ryall voiced his concern to the New Zealand parliament in Wellington by alerting them that there are 56 other potential swine flu cases throughout the rest of the country. Nearly all of these 56 cases have tested positive for the influenza A strain which means that they could be the swine flu or the regular human strain A flu. Any positive test for the regular strain A human flu is being forwarded to a laboratory in Melbourne, Australia where they can be tested for the swine flue.

Other regions where suspected cases of the swine flu are include Hamilton, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Canterbury, Otago, and Nelson.

In order to help prevent infected people from entering the country New Zealand health officials are now screening all patients that arrive from the Americas by giving them a medical examination and requiring that they leave contact information in case they are found to have been in contact with other infected individuals.

Finally, the New Zealand government is now suggesting that none of their citizens travel to Mexico except for under extremely urgent or emergency circumstances

Pork Industry Hurting After Mexican Flu (Swine Flu) Outbreak

2009-05-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed Wednesday that it is looking into alternative names for the swine flu virus, with one alternative being the Mexican flu. The reason for a change in name would because of the negative impact that the “swine flu” name has had on the pork industry despite there being no cause for concern for those that consume pork products.

As more and more cases of the swine flu have appeared worries about eating pork have risen so high that some countries have banned pork imports from the United States and Mexico. Pork sales are also already dropping in the United States and Wall Street is now predicting a large drop in pork sales and consumption in the United States. In fact some retailers have seen upper single digit drops in pork sales within the past several weeks.

The problem with this is that people do not realize that there is no way to contract the swine flu from eating pork. You can only contract swine from another human being or pig that has the rare human to human or pig to human mutated strain of the swine virus.

As you can guess the pork industry has reacted strongly against this virus being called the swine flu. There argument was that even though it originated in pigs the name “swine flu” gives the general public the perception that pork is the problem when instead the real issue is influenza. Nobody within the pork industry is denying the fact that the swine flu passed through pigs and mutated to a human to human strain but they are upset about the false perceptions that have been created. The pork industry continues to point out that health and medical officials have stated repeatedly that pork, when cooked properly, has absolutely no chance of spreading the swine flu.

Despite reassurance from health officials regarding the safety of eating pork some countries have reacted strongly by banning or limiting pork or all meat imports. In the Philippines, Ukraine, Ecuador, and Kazakhstan the governments have already put a complete ban on U.S. pork important. China has, in a similar move, banned pork from certain states and in the most extreme case Russia has banned all meat imports.

American officials have said that once the swine flu spread to America they expected bans to be put in place. Often times countries will impose bans in order to help limit consumer panic or as an excuse to create a trade barrier of some sort. The pork industry is very upset over these pork bans and believes that the decisions are purely politically based and have nothing to do with health related issues.

I myself find the confusion about pork to be quite disturbing and the ban by governments as a political move in causing the confusion to be worse. One woman who use to buy pork but has since stopped was quoted by the New York Times as saying. “People in Mexico ate some pork and got sick, right?” This statement is completely false, per the CDC and WHO explanations and is not something to be worried about. I myself am not a health expert myself but tend to believe that the government probably knows what they are talking about here.

CDC recommends School Closings

2009-05-03T16:30:00.000-07:00

Since schools are the focus of many of the outbreaks, the CDC has issued new recommendations for school closings.

The CDC is now officially recommending that all schools that are experiencing swine flu infections close. The CDC has determined that children seem to be experiencing worse symptoms than adults and since schools are one of the main ways that the virus is spread they decided that it is best that all schools that have infected students should close.

The CDC also recommend that these schools with swine infections close for at least 2 weeks as opposed to 1, since children seem to take long to get over the virus.

Officials announced Friday that there have now been over 400 school closings that have nearly a quarter of a million students out of regularly schedule school.

Updated United States Swine Flu Numbers: Confirmed Infections

2009-05-03T12:30:00.001-07:00

The swine flu continues to spread from state to state and this is the latest update from the CDC. The CDC has announced that they expect the swine flu to continue to spread and that it will probably hit all 50 states soon. As this point it has been confirmed in 30 different states with a total of 226 confirmed cases and 1 death.

**U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection**
(As of May 3, 2009, 11:00 AM ET)
States	# of laboratory confirmed cases	Deaths
Alabama	1
Arizona	18
California	26
Colorado	4
Connecticut	2
Delaware	10
Florida	3
Illinois	3
Indiana	3
Iowa	1
Kansas	2
Kentucky*	1
Massachusetts	7
Michigan	2
Minnesota	1
Missouri	1
Nebraska	1
Nevada	1
New Hampshire	1
New Jersey	7
New Mexico	1
New York	63
Ohio	3
Rhode Island	1
South Carolina	15
Tennessee	1
Texas	40	1
Utah	1
Virginia	3
Wisconsin	3
TOTAL (30)	226 cases	1 death

Updated United States Swine Flu Numbers: Confirmed Infections

2009-05-03T08:30:00.000-07:00

The Centers For Disease Control (CDC) has now confirmed 160 cases of the swine flu in the United States. These numbers are as of May 2nd. The states currently affected by the swine flu include Arizona, California, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nevada, Missouri, Virignia, and Texas.

**U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection**
(As of May 2, 2009, 11:00 AM ET)
States	# of laboratory confirmed cases
Arizona	4
California	24
Colorado	2
Connecticut	1
Delaware	4
Florida	2
Illinois	3
Indiana	3
Kansas	2
Kentucky*	1
Massachusetts	6
Michigan	2
Minnesota	1
Missouri	1
Nevada	1
New Jersey	7
New York	51
Ohio	1
South Carolina	13
Texas	28	1
Virginia	2
TOTAL (21)	160 cases	1 death

Funny Swine Flu Cartoon

2009-05-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

The Swine Flu is not really a laughing matter but I was just trying to lighten the mood a bit

By:Michael Ramirez

AP Reports Over 800 Swine Flu Cases Confirmed Worldwide

2009-05-02T22:30:00.000-07:00

As of late Saturday the AP reported that there are now 809 confirmed cases of the swine flu world wide and 197 cases in the United States. They also revealed that various sources have said that there have only been 19 deaths in Mexico and 1 death in the United States in which swine flu was the confirmed cause of death.

The swine flu virus is still spreading at a very quick pace and it will likely be a worldwide pandemic soon. Although a pandemic is eminent it is important to note that this only means that it is spread worldwide to many people and many countries and pandemic does not in any way describe the severeness of the disease, which has proven to be quite mild for most people.

The AP also noted that their sources have revealed that there have now been confirmed swine flu cases in 15 different countries. With swine flu spreading so rapidly it is likely that the WHO will soon raise this to a level 6 pandemic from its current phase 5 alert.

AP Story On Key Swine Flu Developments

2009-05-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

Key developments on swine flu outbreaks, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and government officials:

_Deaths: 19 confirmed in Mexico and one confirmed in U.S., a 21-month-old boy from Mexico who died in Texas.

_Confirmed sickened worldwide, 790: 454 in Mexico; 197 in U.S.; 85 in Canada; 15 in Spain; 15 in Britain; six in Germany; four in New Zealand; two in Israel, France and South Korea; one each in Costa Rica, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Hong Kong, Denmark and the Netherlands.

_U.S. confirmed cases: New York 50; Texas 28; California 24; Arizona 17; South Carolina 13; Delaware 10; Massachusetts eight; New Jersey seven; Maine six; Wisconsin three; Ohio three; Indiana three; Illinois three; Kansas two; Colorado two; Virginia two; Michigan two; Missouri two; Connecticut two; Florida two; New Hampshire one; Utah one; Rhode Island one; Iowa one; Kentucky one; Minnesota one; Nebraska one; Nevada one.

_President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon spoke for 20 minutes Saturday by phone "to share information about each country's efforts to limit the spread" of the flu strain, the White House says.

_The World Health Organization says it has sent 2.4 million treatments of anti-flu drug Tamiflu to 72 developing countries, taking the drugs from a stockpile donated by Roche Holding AG.

_U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about a third of the confirmed U.S. cases of swine flu are people who had been to Mexico and likely picked up the infection there.

_ Mexico has taken extraordinary measures against the epidemic, ordering all nonessential government and private businesses to shut down for five days.

_The U.S. government says schools with confirmed cases should close for at least 14 days because children can be contagious for seven to 10 days from when they get sick. More than 430 U.S. schools had closed, affecting about 245,000 children in 18 states.

_Chicago Public Schools officials say students who come to school with a cough and fever starting Monday will be sent home and required to stay there for at least seven days.

_Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa complained that China had isolated several Mexicans without reason — and urged Mexicans not to travel to China until the situation was resolved.

_All 176 weekend soccer games in Mexico — from the first division to the lowly third — were shuttered to fans. The games went on behind closed doors.

_The U.N. and World Trade Organization say there's no justification for any anti-pork trade measures as a result of the swine flu epidemic since there is no evidence the virus is spread by food.

_Pigs on a Canadian farm have been infected with the new swine flu virus — apparently by a farm worker back from Mexico — and are under quarantine, officials say. It is the first known case of pigs having the virus.

_U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Canada has taken the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the disease. He said there have been no reports of the virus in U.S. pigs and noted the sick Canadian swine have been quarantined.

_Hong Kong, where severe acute respiratory syndrome killed 299 in 2003, ordered a week-long quarantine of a downtown hotel where a Mexican tourist was confirmed to have the illness, trapping 350 guests and employees inside.

_The U.S. Meat Export Federation, which represents pork and beef interests abroad, estimates that U.S. pork exports have dropped about 10 percent since the swine flu scare

Mexican Health Officials Say Swine Flu Not As Lethal As Once Thought

2009-05-02T19:25:00.000-07:00

Mexico's health secretary announced just recently that they do not believe the Swine Flu is as lethal as the first thought. Despite saying it is not as lethal as once thought he also said that the disease is still spreading extremely quickly and has still killed a good number of people.

In Mexico health officials now have 397 confirmed cases of the swine flu and roughly 15 confirmed deaths. Officials did say that there are most tests on the way and they expected infections and deaths to rise sharply once all test results are in. Mexican officials have said that out of those reporting to hospitals with Swine flu virus like symptoms the death rate was only about 1%.

Swine Flu Prompts Egypt Order That All Pigs In the Country Be Slaughtered

2009-05-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

With

Egypt

being hit very hard by the bird flu several years ago they wanted to be sure that they did a better job of containing the swine flu so they have ordered that all pigs in the country be slaughtered.

Unfortunately, according to most health experts pigs are not the concern here but instead the concern is for human to human transmission. Just because there might have been a few pig to human transmissions in Mexico does not mean that pigs in Egypt need to be slaughtered. It is important to note that this influenza originated in pigs but that it is not actually a swine flu but rather a mutated form that is a human influenza.

The H1N1 swine flu virus has only been shown to be spread by people and is not present in any Egyptian animals so why the slaughtered all their pigs was beyond me. Health officials have stated that the slaughtering of Egypt’s entire pig population will likely do little to nothing to help stop the spreading of the swine flu.

Swine Flu May Begin Affecting Travel Plans Of Americans Soon

2009-05-02T13:38:00.000-07:00

With the swine flu virus now spread to over than 10 countries and over 2,500 people infected some countries have begun restricting certain types of air travel.

At this point countries such as the U.S, Japan, Britain, France, Canada, and Australia have begun suggesting that you not travel to Mexico unless it is absolutely necessary. There have been no official bans in these countries on air or ground travel but I expect that there will be soon. In other countries such as Cuba an Argentina the governments have suspended all fights to and from Mexico.

In my opinion the travel restrictions will continue to grow over the next several weeks to month but by then restrictions to and from Mexico will be of little help because the Swine flu will have spread to most major countries by then. By the time these restrictions are in place the concern will be geared more toward localized breakouts of the swine rather than the worry of spreading it from country to country or state to state.

Swine Flu Outbreak Prompts School Closings in New York City

2009-05-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

The number of confirmed swine flu cases in New York has been rising quickly and along with it public and private schools in the city are beginning to close. So far five different schools have temporarily closed so far and more expected to close soon. At this point only schools with confirmed swine flu cases or students/staff showing flu like symptoms have been closed.

The five schools that have closed so far include St. Francis, Saint Brigid’s, Good Shepherd School, another unconfirmed catholic school, Bishop Kearney High, and one other unconfirmed public school.

At this point there have been over 50 confirmed swine flu cases in New York City alone but none of these people have experienced severe symptoms and all are recovering well at this point.

The school closings are mainly precautionary measures imposed by school officials after parents began expressing their concerns when students at the school were either confirmed to have the swine flu or began showing flu-like symptoms.

It is not currently known when these schools will reopen but they are expected to be closed at least through the weekend.

Swine Flu Infections Suspected In South Korea, Seoul

2009-05-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

Health Ministry Officials in South Korea have said that they are investigating potential swine flu infections and believe that the virus has reached their country. In response to potential swine flu infections South Korea has further put the clamps down on an already strict screening process at airports and other transportation locations.

Elsewhere, In Seoul, the health ministry has confirmed that they are looking to five possible swine flu infections, citing probably cause as the reason for checking into it.

The Korean Center For Disease Control said that most, if not all of the people that suspected to be infected has traveled to Mexico or somewhere in the American’s. Along with trying to take precautions within the country South Korea has also urged citizens to avoid traveling to Mexico under all circumstances.

Swine Flu Outbreak Prompts Closing Of Texas Schools

2009-05-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

Two school districts in the San Antonio area have announced a shut down due to fears of the swine flu causing infections in their schools. KSAT-TV in San Antonio recently reported that both the Comal and New Braunfels school districts have announced that they will close up shop until at least May 11^th. This includes the shut down of all classes, extra-curricular activities, and athletics.

The plan for these school districts is to spend the next 11 days sanitizing the schools from any potential swine flu infection and also allow any students that might have the swine flu to get better during this time off. The CDC has continually stated that one of the best ways to avoid spreading the swine flu is to avoid large social setting or crowds and this is exactly what the Texas school districts are doing.

The decision was made to close down the Comal school district after the Comal County Health Department recommended that school districts in the area close. At New Braunfels the decision was made after school districts officials met with multiple agencies at a recent meeting.

Despite there being little or no Swine flu cases reported at these schools officials decided to take the cautious route and go ahead and close school. Officials feel that a little bit of missed school would be better than spreading the swine flu virus around and potentially costing some their life.

Swine Flu On Brink Of Becoming World Pandemic

2009-05-02T01:00:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday the World Health Organization (WHO) officially announced that the swine flu outbreak is on the verge of becoming a worldwide pandemic.

The WHO made it clear in there statements that any influenza pandemic, of any kind should be taken very seriously and measures should be taken by all countries in order to help reduce its impacted. It also confirmed that deaths should be expected with the swine flu, as with any flu outbreak but that for most people a fairly quickly recovery should be expected.

Those most as risk include young children, senior citizens, the elderly, and people will already weakened immune systems.

Although this swine flu outbreak appears that it will affect a large amount of people our world has never been better prepared for an outbreak of this kind.

Swine Flu Infection Now Suspected in Connecticut

2009-05-01T21:45:00.000-07:00

In Connecticut Wednesday state health officials confirmed that they have multiple suspected cases of the swine flu within their state. All suspected cases involve people who have recently visited

Mexico

Health Officials, like in so many other states, are awaiting confirmation testing from the Centers For Disease Control (CDC).

The swine flu cases are believed to be limited to the Middlefield and Stratford Southbury areas at this time.

Suspected New Jersey Swine Flu Cases Raised From Two To Seven

2009-05-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday health officials in New Jersey announced that they now have 7 suspected cases of the swine flu but have yet to get back confirmed test results from the CDC.

All seven individuals have only experience minor symptoms and seem to be in good condition.

For the residents of New Jersey the state has setup a telephone hotline. This hot line can be used to report potential swine flu infections or to ask questions and get information about the swine flu. The phone number is 1-866-321-9571.

Key Swine Flu Developments Brought To You By The Associated Press

2009-05-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

Deaths: 168 deaths in Mexico with eight confirmed to be caused by the swine flu and all others suspected. One death in the U.S.

Sick: Nearly 3,000 people worldwide are suspected to be infected with the swine flu including the following confirmed cases; Mexico – 99, US – 93, Canada – 19, Spain – 10, Great Britain – 5, Germany – 4, New Zealand – 3 , Israel – 2 , and one in Switzerland, Austria, and the Netherlands.

The CDC has confirmed swine flu infections in 11 different states including New York, Texas, California, Maine, Kansas, Massachusetts, Indiana, Ohio, Arizona, Michigan and Nevada.

The WHO raised its pandemic alert to a phase 5 level which is the second highest on its 6 level scale.

The Obama Administration publicly announced that it is against closing the U.S – Mexican border at this time. They stated that it would provide very limited benefits but would be a huge task.

School Closings reach nearly 100 schools in the United States with closing in Arizona, Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Connecticut, South Carolina, California, Texas, and New York City.

The United States government announces that it has nearly 12 million doses of Tamiflu available to treat the Swine flu.

The Mexican government officials suspend all nonessential business activity until May 5^th. It also cancels all public events and begins handing out masks to citizens.

Texas Governor Rick Perry releases a disaster declaration and the state athletics association suspends all sports competitions until at least May 11th

Ecuador, Cuba, and Argentina ban travel to and/or from Mexico. Other major countries highly discourage non-essential travel to Mexico. Cruise lines avoiding Mexican ports.

The largest providers of respiratory masks in the United States increase product to meet higher demand.

Swine Flu Has So Far Eluded China

2009-05-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

As of Tuesday the Chinese government was still sticking to its story that it has not see any swine flu cases within the country. After the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak that was covered up many people are skeptical of this claim and think that the swine flu is probably already there. China was very strongly criticized in 2003 for their cover up of the SARS outbreak and has promised to be forthright and truthful regarding all swine flu infections.

Despite not having any confirmations of swine flu in China the government has already put the swine influenza virus on its “notifiable disease” list which means that they have the right to quarantine and isolate any individual that they suspect has the swine flu.

In China and other Asian countries airport restrictions have already been raised and we have even seen the use of thermal scanners to try and detect those with fevers, which is one of the common symptoms of the swine flu.

Updated United States Swine Flu Numbers: Confirmed Infections

2009-05-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

The Centers For Disease Control (CDC) has now confirmed 109 cases of the swine flu in the United States. These numbers are as of April 30th and they are expected to grow sharply in the next week with many other suspected swine infections under going testing as I write this. The states currently affected by the swine flu include Arizona, California, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, and Texas.

U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection
(As of April 30, 2009, 10:30 AM ET)
States	# of laboratory confirmed cases	Deaths
Arizona	1
California	14
Indiana	1
Kansas	2
Massachusetts	2
Michigan	1
Nevada	1
New York	50
Ohio	1
South Carolina	10
Texas	26	1
TOTAL COUNTS	109 cases	1 death

New Mexico The Latest State With Suspect Swine Flu Virus Infections

2009-05-01T06:30:00.000-07:00

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson officially announced early Wednesday that the state health department is awaiting test results of two cases that they believe are indeed the swine flu. Health officials have sent test samples into the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and are expecting to hear back before the weekend about whether they suspicions are correct. At this point, with the swine flu, also referred to as the Mexican flu, cannot be tested for in state labs and is thus resulting in all samples being sent to the CDC. The CDC has instructed all state health authorities to send any samples that are not 100% ruled out as being the swine flu.

The two suspected cases involve a one year old male from Santa Fe Count and an eighteen year old male adult from Valencia County. Both cases have been mild, up to this point, and the adult male was not even hospitalized.

New Mexico has two probable cases of swine flu and state officials are awaiting confirmation of testing from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New Mexico’s Health Secretary Dr. Alfredo Vigil was quick to point out that we are in a time of great concern but not in a time of panic. He wanted people to be sure to realize that although the disease is spreading quickly, in most cases, death is not occurring but rather only minor symptoms are being seen.

Health official in New Mexico have not yet pursued tracking down the potential source of the swine flu among these two individuals because there cases have not yet been confirmed as the swine outbreak virus. At this point it is unclear as to whether or not either of these people had traveled to Mexico recently.

The two individuals with suspected cases of the swine flu are currently being treated with either Tamilfu or Relenza, which are the two antiviral drugs that have proven effective in fighting it. New Mexico and many other states have reported having plenty of this medication available and each state is also receiving their share of 11 million doses that had previously been stockpiled by the United States government.

It is important to note that the swine flu H1N1 has caused death and will continue to cause deaths but people have failed to realize that death is common even among individuals infected with the normal human flu. At this point there is not anything significant to be concerned about regarding the cases outside of Mexico. The only mystery is why death was so rampant among Mexicans that were infected.

New Jersey: Health Officials Investigating Five Potential Swine Flu Infections

2009-05-01T03:00:00.000-07:00

Health Officials in the state of New Jersey are now investigating five different cases that they believe to be the swine flu. The individuals that are being investigated are all showing flu like symptoms and have recently traveled to either Mexico or California. All five of the individuals that are believed to be infected with the swine flu virus have only shown minor symptoms and none of them have had to be hospitalized.

Like, New Mexico, New Jersey has sent it samples to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to be tested to confirm that these cases are indeed the swine influenza. Results for New Jersey are expected to be received back before the weekend.

I will update you and let you know once these cases or either confirmed as either being the swine flu (Mexican flu) or some other illness.

Over 150 Swine Flu Cases World Wide Now Confirmed

2009-04-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

As of Thursday morning there has now been over 150 confirmed cases of the swine flu. These confirmed cases include 19 in Europe, 26 in Mexico, 91 in the United States, 19 in Canada, 14 in New Zealand, 2 in Israel, 2 in Costa Rica, and 1 in Peru according to the European Center For Disease Control (ECDC).

Despite only seeing 26 confirmed cases in Mexico it is believed that there are hundreds if not thousands that have been infected there. It is also believe that over the next several weeks worldwide we will probably see hundreds to thousands of new swine flu virus infections confirmed.

Swine Flu Pandemic Alert Raised To Second Highest Level

2009-04-30T19:30:00.001-07:00

Today the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the pandemic alert for the Swine flu virus to a "phase 5 alert". This is the 2ND highest level and confirms what I have suspected all along, that the WHO believes that it is highly likely that a global outbreak of the disease will soon be upon us.

In an interview the WHO Director Margaret Chan confirmed and declared a phase 5 alert after discussions with flu experts worldwide. With this decision it is quite likely that significant measures will be taken worldwide in order to combat the current outbreak.

An alert level of phase 5 means that there has been recent, current, and sustained transmission of the disease in individuals in two or more countries. A phase 6 alert is probably not all that far off only requiring transmission to be shown in two or more regions of the world. In all reality we are probably already in a phase 6 alert and official are just waiting to get laboratory confirmation. A phase 6 alert also means that we are experience a global pandemic for a new disease that is potentially deadly too.

The Swine flu was first discovered over a month ago in Mexico and officials believe that there have been over 1,000 people infected with over 150 deaths. In the United States there have been over 100 confirmed cases and 1 death. The one death in the U.S. was of a nearly 2 year old boy in Texas.

The silvering lining at this point though is that only minor symptoms have been reported for infected individuals outside of Mexico. But this is also the big mystery that is keeping everybody scared. What has the disease caused so many deaths in Mexico while at the same time caused only minor symptoms in other countries?

That is point in time there has no been any suggestions to close up borders but there have been school closing in Mexico and the United States and the state of Texas even cancelled all high school athletics activities until at least May 11TH. In Great Britain school have also been closed after one middle school aged girl was diagnosed with the disease.

The swine flu outbreak of 2009 is the biggest influenza threat since the H5N1 bird flu out break of 2003 that killed over 200 people in 15 different countries.

Swine Flu Antiviral Medication Being Sent to States: Tamiflu Shipments On The Way

2009-04-30T16:50:00.000-07:00

The federal government began shipping out its stockpiled Tamiflu drugs to certain states in response to the rapidly spreading Swine Flu virus. Tamiflu had recently been stockpiled by the federal government in case of an emergency of this kind and it appears that choosing to keep a reserve of it was an excellent idea.

The federal government has decided to move forward with enough shipments to treat up to 11 million people with all states getting a nearly equal share. It was unclear though whether each state would get the same amount or whether it would be based on the population in the state.

At the current time all states have plenty of Tamiflu supply and all regular pharmacies have plenty in stock but the government wanted to play it save and have more supplies ready in case the Swine influenza virus starts spreading and rocket ship speeds.

Government officials, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) are now gearing up for what they expect to be a marathon. They expect the Swine flu to continue to spread at a fairly high rate for quite some time and don't expect this problem to go away. In fact, the CDC went as far as to say that Americans should expect that there will be deaths related to the swine flu and that there is nothing anyone can do to stop some deaths from happening.

Health officials throughout the world are still trying to gather as much information about the mutated swine flu virus so that they can figure out how to better control the rapid outbreaks that we are seeing. At this time the only suggestions are to avoid public places, wash your hands often, eat well, sleep enough, and keep your stress levels low.

In other news Canada, Austria, New Zealand, Israel, Spain, Great Britain, and Germany have all now had confirmed cases of the swine flu virus.

Canada, Austria, New Zealand, Israel, Spain, Britain and Germany also have reported cases of swine flu sickness. Deaths reported so far have been limited to Mexico, and now the U.S.

Swine Flu Virus Outbreak FAQ's Brought To You By The CDC

2009-04-30T14:50:00.000-07:00

What is swine flu virus?

The swine flu (swine influenza, H1N1) is a respiratory disease commonly found in pigs. It is caused by the type A influenza virus and it not normally contracted by humans.

Are there people in the U.S. that are infected with the swine flu?

In march the Mexican official began seeing large outbreaks of the swine flu virus among Mexican citizens. Since then the virus has spread and there have been roughly 100 confirmed cases in the United States. The swine flu outbreak has spread to 11 states as of today and it is expected to continue to spread to the rest of the states fairly quickly.

Is this swine flu virus contagious?

Although not normally contagious from human-to-human this particular form the the swine flu virus seems to be highly contagious.

What are the signs and symptoms of swine flu?

The swine flu is similar to the regular flu in regards to symptoms. These include a cough, sore throat, fever, chills, and fatigue. More severe symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, and even pneumonia or respiratory failure.

How does swine flu spread?

Information on the spreading of the swine flu is very limited at this time but it is believed to spread in a similar fashion as the regular human flu. The best way to avoid spreading it for people to wash their hands often and over their mouths and noses when sneezing/coughing.

How can someone with the flu infect someone else?

Infection can occur as early as 1 day before symptoms begin to show up and for as long as 7 days after symptoms have showed up.

What should I do to keep from getting the flu?

The best thing you can do is wash your hands often, avoid large crowds, get enough sleep, eat right, and manage your stress levels.

Are there medicines to treat swine flu?

Currently oseltamivir (tamiflu) and zanamivir (relenza) have proven to be effected in treating the swine flu outbreak.

How long can viruses live outside the body?

Generally viruses can live for somewhere around 2 hours after they have been spread to non-living objects like desks and doors.

What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?
You can limit your risk for contracting the swine flu by washing your hands often, avoiding large crowds, using alcohol based hand sanitizers, and avoiding contact with infected people.

What is the best way to keep from spreading the virus through coughing or sneezing?

If you do become infected with the Swine flu you should be sure to cover your nose and mouth whenever you sneeze. It is also highly recommend that you do not leave our home expect for to seek medical attention..

What is the best technique for washing my hands to avoid getting the flu?

The best thing you can do is wash with soap and hot water or use an alcohol based hand sanitizer. You need to be sure to wash your hands for at least 30 seconds too.

What should I do if I get sick?

If you begin to experience any flu like symptoms you may have the swine flu and it would be in your best interests to contact a local health care provider. In this case you need to be tested for the swine flu and keep yourself isolated from other people.

Emergency swine flu warning signs for children include:

Fast breathing
Bluish skin color
Not drinking enough fluids
Not waking up
The child is so irritable that he/she child does not want to be held
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever
Fever with a rash

Emergency swine flu warning signs for adults include:

Difficulty breathing
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Dizziness
Confusion
Vomiting

Can I get swine influenza from eating or preparing pork?

Swine flu is not spread by food and you cannot get it by eating pork.

First United States Swin Flu Death Confirmed By President Obama

2009-04-30T11:50:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday President Barack Obama confirmed what we had all been fearing, the first U.S. swine flu death. President Obama confirmed that a nearly 2 year old Mexican boy currently in Houston died from complications related to the swine flu disease.

Officials in the state of Texas however do not believe that the boy was infected when he left Mexico but rather think that he contract the swine virus after arriving in the states. At this point no of his family members or anyone he has been in contact have any of the symptoms of the virus.

The boy was believed to be at the Texas Children's Hospital in Houston at the time of his death but employees of the hospital would no either confirm or deny this report and only said that a press conference was schedule for Wednesday afternoon.

Health official in Texas are doing the best that they can to try and map out boys families trip in order to be sure to inform anyone in contact with him about the risks they might have been exposed to. Officials are also concerned about where the boy might have contracted the swine flu virus from.

Centers For Disease Control (CDC) official have called the death a tragedy and are hopeful that the occurrence of death from the swine flu will be isolated. CDC officials said that they have been expecting some deaths all along, primarily among children, the elderly, and those with already weakened immune systems.

Health officials throughout the United States have continued to stress the importance of avoiding crowded areas where you may come in contact with lots of other people. They have also said that this is especially important for those that are at a higher risk to contract the swine flu virus.

Swine Flu Outbreak Surges: Viral Infections Now Confirmed In 11 Different States

2009-04-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

The speed at which the swine flu is spreading has been accelerating greatly over the past several days with confirmed illnesses reported in 11 different states and laboratory tests scheduled for testing of it in numerous other states and countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also seem the pandemic penetrate deeper into Europe with an end in sight. It is expected that within the next couple of weeks week all European countries and states will have confirmed cases of the swine blue

Despite the rapid spread of the disease the death toll from it has continued to stay down with nearly all deaths only occurring in Mexico. There however was the 1st confirmed death in the U.S. today when a 2 year old boy from Texas died while try to fight off the disease.

The Pentagon, on Wednesday, also confirmed that 1 U.S. marine has been confirmed to have the virus and he has now been quarantined along with 30 other marine members who were in contact with him recently. These uninfected marines will be quarantined about 5 days in order to be sure that they were not infected.

With total U.S. cases now at 100 and the swine virus rapidly spreading to different states and countries the WHO recently raised the alert to a phase 5. A phase 5 alert means that the virus has spread to at least 2 different countries and a world wide outbreak of some sort is expected.

In other Swine flu news the governor of Texas issued a declaration of disaster for the entire state after the 16TH confirmed case came about. Included in this declaration was a cancellation of all Texas high school athletics until at least May 11TH.

In the states of Minnesota and Chicago officials believe that they have a confirmed case in some of their public schools and have since shut those particular schools down

The swine flu pandemic is spreading quickly and health officials do not see any kind of end in sight that this point. Your best bet is probably to continue to stay up-to-date on the current news surrounding it and be sure that take the CDC recommendations for limiting your risk for contracting the virus.

Symptoms Of The Swine Flu Virus

2009-04-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

If you are worried about the threat of the Swine Flu then you have legitimate concerns and should begin taking precautions now in order to protect yourself. Many people are ignoring suggestions by the Center For Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) but there is a reason why every news media outlet is reporting about this virus. The WHO's upgrading the the pandemic to a phase 5 alert is also a sign that the disease is spreading quickly and could soon affect people in your area.

The swine flu is a respiratory virus that originated in pigs and is caused by swine influenza or SIV. If you come down with the swine flu the most important thing can be early detection. This is because if you detect it early you can get the proper care and rest you need in order to get well and you can isolate yourself in order to prevent further spreading of the virus.

Symptoms of the swine flu are very similar to those caused by other flu viruses and should be easily noticeable. It will not be easy to distinguish the difference between swine and the regular flu but you will certainly know that you have some sort of flu right away. The swine flu symptoms include coughing, sore throat, fever, chills, and fatigue. Other rare more serious symptoms of the swine flu include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, conjunctivitis, pneumonia, and respiratory failure. Individuals most as risk for serious symptoms include the young, elderly, and those with already weakened immune systems.

Generally individuals are not able to detect the difference between the standard influenza virus and the swine flu so it is important not to stay calm until you have been properly diagnosed. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms it is highly recommend that seek medical attention immediately in order to get things sorted out.

The swine flu is no laughing matter and is something that everyone should take very seriously. With early detection each of us can do our part to help stop the spread of this potential global pandemic.

Swine Flu Update: The Center For Disease Controls Most Recent Statement Regarding The Swine Flu

2009-04-30T03:00:00.000-07:00

The CDC's most recent statement regarding the current swine flu epidemic was just released on April 29t, 2009 at 7:15 PM ET.

Here is what they had to say

"The outbreak of disease in people caused by a new influenza virus of swine origin continues to grow in the United States and internationally. Today, CDC reports additional confirmed human infections, hospitalizations and the nation’s first fatality from this outbreak. The more recent illnesses and the reported death suggest that a pattern of more severe illness associated with this virus may be emerging in the U.S. Most people will not have immunity to this new virus and, as it continues to spread, more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths are expected in the coming days and weeks.

CDC has implemented its emergency response. The agency’s goals are to reduce transmission and illness severity, and provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by the new virus. Yesterday, CDC issued new interm guidance for clinicians on how to care for children and pregnant women who may be infected with this virus. Young children and pregnant women are two groups of people who are at high risk of serious complications from seasonal influenza. In addition, CDC’s Division of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) continues to send antiviral drugs, personal protective equipment, and respiratory protection devices to all 50 states and U.S. territories to help them respond to the outbreak. The swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is susceptible to the prescription drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir. This is a rapidly evolving situation and CDC will provide updated guidance and new information as it becomes available."

If we hear anything else from the CDC we will get it to your ASAP!

Steps To Take To Avoid Contracting The Swine Flu Virus

2009-04-29T23:00:00.000-07:00

If you are worried about the swine flu then there are several steps you can take to help reduce your risk of contracting the virus. For most people it is still of little direct concern but these tips will become very important of the swine flu begins to show up in their area. Currently these tips are especially important for people in areas where the swine flu has already been confirmed.

Currently there is not on specific thing that anyone can do to protect themselves from the swine flu outside of completely isolating themselves from the entire world. There are however several things, that when practiced all at one time, can greatly reduce your risk of contracting the swine flu.

1) Wash Your Hands Often

2) Cover Your Mouth When Coughing

3) Stay At Home If You Suspect You Have The Flu (except for to seek medical help)

4) Minimize Contact With All People

5) Wear A Face Mask or Respirator

6) Avoid crowded settings or keep them to as short as possible.

Other Tips From the Center For Disease Control (CDC) include the following:

Staying informed about the current status of the swine flu outbreak
Be sure to cover your nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing and throw all tissue in a trash can after use
Be sure to wash your hands after each time you sneeze or cough
Try to use alcohol based hand cleansers often
Avoid hand to eye, nose, or mouth contact. This is the easiest way to spread germs'
Don't go out in public if you get sick
Follow all government advice about avoiding crowds and other largely social situations
Establish an emergency plan in your family in case someone within it gets the swine flu
For more information contact the CDC at 1-800-CDC-INFO

Potential Swine Flu Deaths In California

2009-04-29T19:18:00.000-07:00

Recent news reports have now said that health officials in California are investigating the death of two Los Angeles men with the possibility of the cause being the swine flu virus. These reports cause Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to declare the California a state of emergency.

The H1N1 swine influenza virus originated in Mexico in march and has caused 20 confirmed deaths in Mexico although the actual numbers are expected to rise to around 150 once more laboratory tests are done on other suspicious deaths in Mexico.

In California there have been a total of 12 confirmed swine flu infections and 1 of the two deaths that were being investigate was determined to be caused by something other than swine flu. California health officials are still investigating the other death to see if it might have been caused by the swine flu virus.

In other news the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has told Americans that deaths will almost certainly occur in the United States from the Swine flu virus an that citizens should brace themselves for this. The CDC also said that it is especially important that the young and elderly do not contract the virus because they will be susceptible to death in comparison to healthy adults.

United States Swine Flu Virus Outbreak Numbers

2009-04-29T18:06:00.001-07:00

The Centers for Disease Control has officially confirmed 91 different cases of the swine flu (h1N1) virus. These cases have been reported in the states of California, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Arizona, and Texas. The state of New York had has over half of the confirmed cases with a total of 51 reported. The good news however is that out of the 91 cases confirmed only 5 of the infected individuals required hospitalization.

U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
(As of April 29, 2009, 11:00 AM ET)
States	# of laboratory confirmed cases	Deaths
Arizona	1
California	14
Indiana	1
Kansas	2
Massachusetts	2
Michigan	2
Nevada	1
New York	51
Ohio	1
Texas	16	1
TOTAL COUNTS	91 cases	1 death

What Is The Swine Flu?

2009-04-29T15:08:00.000-07:00

The Swine Flu (swine influenza, SIV, or Mexican flu) is a H1N1 virus that has infected people in both the United States and Mexico. It is referred to as Swine flu, rather than the general flu because it is caused by a flu strain that originated in pigs (some reports have also linked it to a combination of human, pig, and bird strands). Swine flu has long been a common sickness among pigs but it is quite rare to find a human that is infected with the swine flu. Generally the only people at risk are those that have frequent contact with pigs. Usually even those that have frequent contact with pigs are only susceptible to getting the swine flu if one of the pigs they are in contact with happens to have the a rare form that can be passed on to humans.

The current strain of the swine flu that is causing human to human spreading of the swine flu is believed to be a rare mutated virus and it seems to be resistant to antiviral medications such as amantadine and rimantadine. It however has been show that using oseltamivir (tamiflu) and zanamivir (relenza) can be effective in treating it. The CDC has noted that for most cases of the swine flu in the U.S. recovery happened the help of any medication or medical attention.

The human to human outbreak of the swine flu is believed to have started in March of 2009 in Mexico and has since be confirmed to have spread to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Israel, and New Zealand. Besides theses countries there have been cases in numerous other countries such as South Korea, China, and India that have yet to be confirmed by laboratory test.

Currently all but 1 case of the swine flu has been confirmed to have been contracted by someone who either lived in or visited Mexico. The only case that remains a mystery is one in Kansas were the person who is infected did not travel to or live in Mexico.

Swine Flu Blog Disclaimer

2009-04-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

At the Swine Flu Outbreak Report Blog we do our best to provide current information regarding the Swine Flu Outbreak including general information and alerts. All of the information contained within our blog is considered to be purely informational and other sources should be consulted before making any decisions. We are not professionals within the health industry and provide information that is considered to be a starting point in your research about Swine Flu.

We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on the information within our blog and suggest that you consult with health professionals before making any final decisions regarding the Swine Flu.

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2009-04-29T14:41:00.001-07:00

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