26-04-2009, 08:17 AM
(This post was last modified: 26-04-2009, 10:30 AM by Peter Lemkin.)
The CDC is obviously VERY worried. This kind of virus can spread widely and quickly. Its virulance is not yet known, but is definitely on the side of quite to very virulant [having killed 80+]. The most frightening thing about such viruses is they can very quickly increase [or decrease] in virulance. If it increases and if not controlled by isolation etc. a pandemic could erupt in N.A. or worldwide. The numbers of people that travel from Mexico to the USA is huge. I wonder what the incubation period for this virus is and how long someone could be a 'silent carrier' before even knowing it, by coming down with symptoms that would clue them in not to travel - or incapacitate them to travel? The CDC is very conservative on calls like this and doesn't like to panic the public, usually. They just issued a warning that this posed a substantial and immenent worldwide danger. Unless they are trying to raise the stock of and sales of Tamiflu. :flute: It is very odd and sinister that Rummy is in on that medicine! My, what a world we live in! NB - in a full pandemic there is NOT enough antiviral drug(s) to give to everyone on the planet, not the means to distribute them quickly enough - let alone the troubling problem of the high price for the poor. I believe the drugs are only helpful if taken BEFORE infection.
The fact that Mexico City is the second largest in the World is not a good factor - population density is a big factor in such a pandemic spreading. Kansas health officials said two people there had swine flu and a seventh case emerged in California near the Mexican border, taking the number of confirmed U.S. cases to 11. A married Kansas couple both were confirmed with a mild case. The husband recently visited Mexico. The USA only because of the lack of public transportation and many sigle-family homes, has a slight advantage over other countries. Europe and the developing world use much public transport and/or have fewer single-family dewllings. I have a bad felling about this. In two days it has gone from 20 dead to 81. Increases will be exponential, if this catches on.
Another very odd fact is it is killing in Mexico, but not in the USA, yet.
CDC says too late to contain U.S. flu outbreak
24 Apr 2009 19:31:20 GMT
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, April 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday it was too late to contain the swine flu outbreak in the United States.
CDC acting director Dr. Richard Besser told reporters in a telephone briefing it was likely too late to try to contain the outbreak, by vaccinating, treating or isolating people.
"There are things that we see that suggest that containment is not very likely," he said.
He said the U.S. cases and Mexican cases are likely the same virus. "So far the genetic elements that we have looked at are the same." But Besser said it was unclear why the virus was causing so many deaths in deaths in Mexico and such mild disease in the United States.
A new flu virus suspected of killing as many as 81 people in Mexico has the potential to become a pandemic, the World Health Organization's chief says.
Margaret Chan said the outbreak was a "health emergency of international concern" and must be closely monitored.
Health experts say tests so far seem to link the illnesses in Mexico with a swine flu virus in the southern US.
Several people have also fallen ill in the US, and the authorities there are watching the situation.
A top US health official said the strain of swine flu had spread widely and could not be contained.
Speaking after a meeting of the WHO's emergency committee, Mrs Chan said that "the current events constitute a public health emergency of international concern".
I work as a resident doctor in one of the biggest hospitals in Mexico City and sadly, the situation is far from 'under control'
Yeny Gregorio Davila, Mexico City
Read more experiences
HAVE YOUR SAY I work as a resident doctor in one of the biggest hospitals in Mexico City and sadly, the situation is far from 'under control'
Yeny Gregorio Davila, Mexico City
Read more experiences
The WHO is advising all member states to be vigilant for seasonally unusual flu or pneumonia-like symptoms among their populations - particularly among young healthy adults.
Officials said most of those killed so far in Mexico were young adults - rather than more vulnerable children and the elderly.
The committee has not recommended declaring an international public health emergency and raising the global pandemic alert level, a move that could lead to travel advisories, trade restrictions and border closures.
New strain
At least some of the cases show a new version of the H1N1 swine flu sub-strain - a respiratory disease which infects pigs but only sporadically infects humans.
The RC church has issued advice to its priests to help halt the spread of the flu
H1N1 is the same strain that causes seasonal flu outbreaks in humans, but the newly-detected version contains genetic material from versions which usually affect pigs and birds.
The virus is spread through coughs and sneezes and through direct and indirect contact between people.
Mexican officials have confirmed 20 deaths from the virus and are investigating dozens more.
Schools, museums and libraries have been closed across the capital's region and people are being urged to avoid shaking hands or sharing crockery.
Hundreds of public events have been suspended and schools in the Mexico City area have been closed until 6 May.
Two previously sold-out soccer matches were played in empty stadiums to avoid potentially spreading the virus.
Health officials are isolating individuals suspected of having the virus and inspecting their homes.
The Roman Catholic Church in Mexico has recommended measures to avoid further contagion at Mass this Sunday.
Priests have been told to place communion wafers in the hands of worshippers rather than in their mouths and to suggest to the congregation that kissing or shaking hands be avoided during the service.
'Caution'
In the US, 11 people are now known to have been infected with the new strain - seven people in California, two in Texas, and two in Kansas.
There are also eight suspected cases in New York City after 200 students at a high school fell ill.
Specimens were taken from nine students, and eight were determined to be probable cases of swine flu, said city health commissioner Dr Thomas Frieden.
Those samples are now being examined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
No children had required hospital treatment and many had fully recovered, said Dr Frieden, but the school could remain closed out of "an abundance of caution".
He urged people to maintain basic hygiene, such and covering their mouths when coughing and sneezing, washing hands regularly and keeping surfaces clean.
Dr Frieden said most people would not need to take antiviral medication if they fell ill, unless they had an underlying medical condition.
Hopeful sign
CDC officials have said that with cases arising in so many communities, containment is unlikely to be feasible.
There is currently no vaccine for the new strain.
SWINE FLU
Swine flu is a respiratory disease found in pigs
Human cases usually occur in those who have contact with pigs
Human-to-human transmission is rare and such cases are closely monitored
Q&A: Swine flu
UK monitoring flu outbreak
Tom Skinner of the CDC told the BBC that it was too early too tell how widespread the impact would be.
"We don't know how well or efficiently this virus is spreading and how easily it is going to be sustained in the human population."
He said it was not yet clear which side of the border the virus had originated.
But the US was likely to take "normal and routine" steps within the next few days to screen passengers coming into the US and to distribute information, he said.
The CDC plans to send experts to Mexico to help investigate the virus which has infected more than 1,000 people in the country.
The BBC science editor Susan Watts says the new strain is a classic "re-assortment" - a combination feared most by those watching for the flu pandemic.
This from the CDC website front page:
Clinicians should consider the possibility of swine influenza virus infections in patients presenting with febrile respiratory illness who:
Live in San Diego County or Imperial County, California or San Antonio, Texas or
Have traveled to San Diego and/or Imperial County, California or San Antonio, Texas or
Have been in contact with ill persons from these areas in the 7 days prior to their illness onset.
If swine flu is suspected, clinicians should obtain a respiratory swab for swine influenza testing and place it in a refrigerator (not a freezer). Once collected, the clinician should contact their state or local health department to facilitate transport and timely diagnosis at a state public health laboratory.
State Public Health Laboratories
Laboratories should send all unsubtypable influenza A specimens as soon as possible to the Viral Surveillance and Diagnostic Branch of the CDC’s Influenza Division for further diagnostic testing.
Public Health /Animal Health Officials
Officials should conduct thorough case and contact investigations to determine the source of the swine influenza virus, extent of community illness and the need for timely control measures.
The fact that Mexico City is the second largest in the World is not a good factor - population density is a big factor in such a pandemic spreading. Kansas health officials said two people there had swine flu and a seventh case emerged in California near the Mexican border, taking the number of confirmed U.S. cases to 11. A married Kansas couple both were confirmed with a mild case. The husband recently visited Mexico. The USA only because of the lack of public transportation and many sigle-family homes, has a slight advantage over other countries. Europe and the developing world use much public transport and/or have fewer single-family dewllings. I have a bad felling about this. In two days it has gone from 20 dead to 81. Increases will be exponential, if this catches on.
Another very odd fact is it is killing in Mexico, but not in the USA, yet.
CDC says too late to contain U.S. flu outbreak
24 Apr 2009 19:31:20 GMT
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, April 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday it was too late to contain the swine flu outbreak in the United States.
CDC acting director Dr. Richard Besser told reporters in a telephone briefing it was likely too late to try to contain the outbreak, by vaccinating, treating or isolating people.
"There are things that we see that suggest that containment is not very likely," he said.
He said the U.S. cases and Mexican cases are likely the same virus. "So far the genetic elements that we have looked at are the same." But Besser said it was unclear why the virus was causing so many deaths in deaths in Mexico and such mild disease in the United States.
A new flu virus suspected of killing as many as 81 people in Mexico has the potential to become a pandemic, the World Health Organization's chief says.
Margaret Chan said the outbreak was a "health emergency of international concern" and must be closely monitored.
Health experts say tests so far seem to link the illnesses in Mexico with a swine flu virus in the southern US.
Several people have also fallen ill in the US, and the authorities there are watching the situation.
A top US health official said the strain of swine flu had spread widely and could not be contained.
Speaking after a meeting of the WHO's emergency committee, Mrs Chan said that "the current events constitute a public health emergency of international concern".
I work as a resident doctor in one of the biggest hospitals in Mexico City and sadly, the situation is far from 'under control'
Yeny Gregorio Davila, Mexico City
Read more experiences
HAVE YOUR SAY I work as a resident doctor in one of the biggest hospitals in Mexico City and sadly, the situation is far from 'under control'
Yeny Gregorio Davila, Mexico City
Read more experiences
The WHO is advising all member states to be vigilant for seasonally unusual flu or pneumonia-like symptoms among their populations - particularly among young healthy adults.
Officials said most of those killed so far in Mexico were young adults - rather than more vulnerable children and the elderly.
The committee has not recommended declaring an international public health emergency and raising the global pandemic alert level, a move that could lead to travel advisories, trade restrictions and border closures.
New strain
At least some of the cases show a new version of the H1N1 swine flu sub-strain - a respiratory disease which infects pigs but only sporadically infects humans.
The RC church has issued advice to its priests to help halt the spread of the flu
H1N1 is the same strain that causes seasonal flu outbreaks in humans, but the newly-detected version contains genetic material from versions which usually affect pigs and birds.
The virus is spread through coughs and sneezes and through direct and indirect contact between people.
Mexican officials have confirmed 20 deaths from the virus and are investigating dozens more.
Schools, museums and libraries have been closed across the capital's region and people are being urged to avoid shaking hands or sharing crockery.
Hundreds of public events have been suspended and schools in the Mexico City area have been closed until 6 May.
Two previously sold-out soccer matches were played in empty stadiums to avoid potentially spreading the virus.
Health officials are isolating individuals suspected of having the virus and inspecting their homes.
The Roman Catholic Church in Mexico has recommended measures to avoid further contagion at Mass this Sunday.
Priests have been told to place communion wafers in the hands of worshippers rather than in their mouths and to suggest to the congregation that kissing or shaking hands be avoided during the service.
'Caution'
In the US, 11 people are now known to have been infected with the new strain - seven people in California, two in Texas, and two in Kansas.
There are also eight suspected cases in New York City after 200 students at a high school fell ill.
Specimens were taken from nine students, and eight were determined to be probable cases of swine flu, said city health commissioner Dr Thomas Frieden.
Those samples are now being examined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
No children had required hospital treatment and many had fully recovered, said Dr Frieden, but the school could remain closed out of "an abundance of caution".
He urged people to maintain basic hygiene, such and covering their mouths when coughing and sneezing, washing hands regularly and keeping surfaces clean.
Dr Frieden said most people would not need to take antiviral medication if they fell ill, unless they had an underlying medical condition.
Hopeful sign
CDC officials have said that with cases arising in so many communities, containment is unlikely to be feasible.
There is currently no vaccine for the new strain.
SWINE FLU
Swine flu is a respiratory disease found in pigs
Human cases usually occur in those who have contact with pigs
Human-to-human transmission is rare and such cases are closely monitored
Q&A: Swine flu
UK monitoring flu outbreak
Tom Skinner of the CDC told the BBC that it was too early too tell how widespread the impact would be.
"We don't know how well or efficiently this virus is spreading and how easily it is going to be sustained in the human population."
He said it was not yet clear which side of the border the virus had originated.
But the US was likely to take "normal and routine" steps within the next few days to screen passengers coming into the US and to distribute information, he said.
The CDC plans to send experts to Mexico to help investigate the virus which has infected more than 1,000 people in the country.
The BBC science editor Susan Watts says the new strain is a classic "re-assortment" - a combination feared most by those watching for the flu pandemic.
This from the CDC website front page:
Clinicians should consider the possibility of swine influenza virus infections in patients presenting with febrile respiratory illness who:
Live in San Diego County or Imperial County, California or San Antonio, Texas or
Have traveled to San Diego and/or Imperial County, California or San Antonio, Texas or
Have been in contact with ill persons from these areas in the 7 days prior to their illness onset.
If swine flu is suspected, clinicians should obtain a respiratory swab for swine influenza testing and place it in a refrigerator (not a freezer). Once collected, the clinician should contact their state or local health department to facilitate transport and timely diagnosis at a state public health laboratory.
State Public Health Laboratories
Laboratories should send all unsubtypable influenza A specimens as soon as possible to the Viral Surveillance and Diagnostic Branch of the CDC’s Influenza Division for further diagnostic testing.
Public Health /Animal Health Officials
Officials should conduct thorough case and contact investigations to determine the source of the swine influenza virus, extent of community illness and the need for timely control measures.
"Let me issue and control a nation's money and I care not who writes the laws. - Mayer Rothschild
"Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience! People are obedient in the face of poverty, starvation, stupidity, war, and cruelty. Our problem is that grand thieves are running the country. That's our problem!" - Howard Zinn
"If there is no struggle there is no progress. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and never will" - Frederick Douglass
"Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience! People are obedient in the face of poverty, starvation, stupidity, war, and cruelty. Our problem is that grand thieves are running the country. That's our problem!" - Howard Zinn
"If there is no struggle there is no progress. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and never will" - Frederick Douglass