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   World Health Organization: Swine flu could spread globally

Story Highlights

NEW: Swine flu could develop into a pandemic, WHO top official says

68 die from swine flu in Mexico; eight cases in U.S., all have recovered

CDC finds seven of 14 samples of Mexican virus identical to U.S. virus

"This situation has been developing quickly," CDC director says


http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/25/swine.flu/index.html

     
(CNN) -- The presence of swine flu in Mexico and the United States is "a serious situation" that could develop into a pandemic, the World Health Organization's director-general said Saturday.

 
Women wearing masks wait at a health clinic Saturday in Mexico City.

 1 of 3  "This is an animal strain of the H1N1 virus and it has pandemic potential because it is infecting people," Dr. Margaret Chan said Saturday speaking to reporters by phone.

In Mexico, 68 people have died from swine flu, according to a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico.

Eight people were confirmed to have swine flu in the United States; six in California and two in Texas, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

All eight have recovered, according to CDC's acting Director Richard Besser.

CDC has tested 14 samples of the virus from Mexico and found seven were identical to the virus found in the U.S. cases, Besser said.  Watch an alarmed Mexico City react with face masks, cancellations »

"This situation has been developing quickly," he said. "This is something we are worried about."

Asked whether the committee would address raising the agency's alert concerning the virus to 6, a pandemic alert and the highest level on WHO's scale, Chan said, "Yes, indeed."

The alert stands at 3, meaning "No or very limited human-to-human transmission."

Chan said Saturday that WHO does not have indications of similar outbreaks elsewhere.

However, she said, "The situation is evolving quickly. A new disease is by definition poorly understood."

White House spokesman Reid Cherlin said Saturday that the White House was taking the situation "seriously and monitoring for any developments."

Health officials in Texas announced Saturday the temporary closure of Byron Steel High School in Cibolo, Texas, where swine flu was confirmed in two students earlier this month.

"The purpose is to reduce the risk to students, staff and the community," said Dr. Sandra Guerra, a public health official in Guadalupe County, Texas.

Mexico City has closed all of its schools and universities until further notice because of the virus, and on Saturday, the country's National Health Council said all soccer games would be played Saturday without public audiences.  Watch as CNN's Anderson Cooper and panelists discuss the epidemic in Mexico »

More than 1,000 people have been sickened in the country, and officials are trying to determine how many of those patients had swine flu, the country's health minister, Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos, said.

In the United States, New York health officials announced Friday they are testing about 75 students at a Queens school for swine flu after the students exhibited flu-like symptoms this week.

A team of state health department doctors and staff went to the St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens on Thursday after the students reported cough, fever, sore throat, aches and pains.

No cases of swine flu were confirmed there. The test results are expected as early as Saturday.

None of the U.S. patients had direct contact with pigs, though a patient who lives in San Diego had traveled to Mexico, the CDC said.  Watch for more on the U.S. cases »

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Besser said officials had not found common exposure or behavior among the eight U.S. patients.

"We have not seen any linkage at all between the cases in Texas and California," he said.

The new virus has genes from North American swine influenza, avian influenza, human influenza and a form of swine influenza normally found in Asia and Europe, said Nancy Cox, chief of the CDC's Influenza Division.

Swine flu is caused by a virus similar to a type of flu virus that infects people every year but is a strain typically found only in pigs -- or in people who have direct contact with pigs.

There have, however, been cases of person-to-person transmission of swine flu, the CDC said. Officials found evidence, for example, that a patient transmitted the disease to health care workers during a 1988 apparent swine flu infection among pigs in Wisconsin.

Health Library
MayoClinic.com: Influenza (flu)
Experts think coughing, sneezing and contaminated surfaces spread the infection among people.

The new strain of swine flu has resisted some antiviral drugs, officials said.

The human influenza vaccine's ability to protect against the new swine flu strain is unknown, and studies are ongoing, said Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDC's interim deputy director for science and public health program. There is no danger of contracting the virus from eating pork products, she said.


Canada is also testing samples from Mexico "and has placed a travel alert for travel to Mexico," CDC spokesman David Daigle told CNN by e-mail.

The United States had not issued any travel alerts or advisories by late Friday, but some private companies issued their own warnings.
 

CNN's Caleb Hellerman and Elaine Quijano contributed to this report.

All About Mexico • Influenza • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION INFORMATION ON LINK BELOW

 
WHO is coordinating the global response to human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) and monitoring the corresponding threat of an influenza pandemic. Information on this page tracks the evolving situation and provides access to both technical guidelines and information useful for the general public.



Latest information
24 April 2009
Influenza-like illness in the United States and Mexico


http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC) LINK FOR SWINE FLU INFORMATION:

Swine Influenza (Flu)
Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza that regularly cause outbreaks of influenza among pigs. Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans, however, human infections with swine flu do occur, and cases of human-to-human spread of swine flu viruses has been documented. See General Information about Swine Flu.

From December 2005 through February 2009, a total of 12 human infections with swine influenza were reported from 10 states in the United States. Since March 2009, a number of confirmed human cases of a new strain of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in California, Texas, and Mexico have been identified. An investigation into these cases is ongoing. For more information see Human Swine Flu Investigation.

General Information about Swine Flu
Questions and answers and guidance for treatment and infection control

Human Swine Flu Investigation Apr 24, 2009
Information about the investigation of human swine flu in California

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

How swine flu spreads in humans

Reuters
April 24, 2009

A new strain of influenza is infecting people in Mexico and the United States and may have killed up to 60 people in Mexico, global health officials said today.

The CDC has analyzed samples of the H1N1 virus from some of the U.S. patients, all of whom have recovered, and said it is a never-before-seen mixture of viruses from swine, birds and humans.


Here are some facts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about how swine flu spreads in humans:

• Swine flu viruses typically sicken pigs, not humans. Most cases occur when people come in contact with infected pigs or contaminated objects moving from people to pigs.

• Pigs can catch human and avian or bird flu. When flu viruses from different species infect pigs, they can mix inside the pig and new, mixed viruses can emerge.


• Pigs can pass mutated viruses back to humans and they can be passed from human to human. Transmission among humans is thought to occur in the same way as seasonal flu - by touching something with flu viruses and then touching their mouth or nose, and through coughing or sneezing.

. Symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to those of seasonal influenza - sudden fever, coughing, muscle aches and extreme fatigue. This new strain also appears to cause more diarrhea and vomiting than normal flu.

• Vaccines are available to be given to pigs to prevent swine influenza. There is no vaccine to protect humans from swine flu although the CDC is formulating one. The seasonal influenza vaccine may help provide partial protection against swine H3N2, but not swine H1N1 viruses, like the one circulating now.

• People cannot catch swine flu from eating pork or pork products. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit kills the swine flu virus as it does other bacteria and viruses.


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-flu-box25-2009apr25,0,5114253.story

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/25/swine.flu/index.html?iref=mpstoryview


CNN....STORY HIGHLIGHTS.....MORE CASES OF SWINE FLU REPORTED

Story Highlights
NEW: Two cases confirmed in Kansas; more suspected in New York

NEW: Mutated form concerns World Health Organization

Swine flu could develop into a pandemic, WHO top official says

68 die from swine flu in Mexico; all schools closed in Mexico City

Print
 Play Video AP  – Obama: Swine flu cause for concern, not alarm
 Slideshow:Swine Flu
 Play Video Video:World rushes to contain swine flu AP
 Play Video Video:Swine flu: pandemic fears grow Reuters
 
Reuters – A passenger arriving on a flight from Mexico wears a mask at Barcelona's airport April 27, 2009. …


By BRYAN WALSH Bryan Walsh – 44 mins ago
Concern that the world could be on the brink of the first influenza pandemic in more than 40 years escalated Sunday as France, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Spain reported potential new cases in which people had been infected with swine flu and Canada confirmed several new cases. In the U.S., where 20 such infections have been confirmed, federal health officials declared a public-health emergency and are preparing to distribute to state and local agenciesa quarter of the country's 50 million-dose stockpile of antiviral drugs. Meanwhile, in hard-hit Mexico, where more than 80 people have died from what is believed to be swine flu, the government closed all public schools and canceled hundreds of public events in Mexico City.


Though the World Health Organization (WHO) is referring to the situation as a "public-health emergency of international concern," the apparent emergence in several countries of an entirely new strain of H1N1 flu virus has led some scientists to believe that it is only a matter of time before the WHO declares pandemic status, a move that could prompt travel bans to infected countries. "We are clearly seeing wide spread," says Michael Osterholm, a pandemic risk expert who runs the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. "There is no question." (See a photogallery on swine flu hitting Mexico.)


Health officials in Washington were quick to point out Sunday that none of the 20 cases identified in the U.S. so far has been fatal; all but one of the victims has recovered without needing to be hospitalized. Officials also noted that only one American has been infected so far who had not recently traveled to Mexico - a woman in Kansas got sick after her husband returned from a business trip in that country, where he became ill - but that could change as more intensive disease surveillance begins. "As we continue to look for more cases, I expect we're going to find them," said acting Centers for Disease Control (CDC) director Richard Besser.


In the U.S., where cases have also been found in California, Texas, and New York City, the declaration of a public-health emergency is part of what federal officials termed an "aggressive response" to the outbreaks. In addition to releasing from the national stockpile some 12.5 million doses of the antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza - which scientists say has so far been effective against the H1N1 swine flu virus - the Department of Homeland Security will begin "passive surveillance" to screen people entering the U.S. Any traveler coming from a country with a confirmed human swine flu infection will be questioned, checked for symptoms and potentially isolated if they are found ill. Though the CDC has issued public warnings about the more serious outbreak in Mexico, there are no recommendations from Washington against traveling to the neighboring country. (Read about the vaccine being prepared in case of a pandemic.)


That is in contrast to the more extreme actions of some other governments, including Hong Kong, where officials on Sunday urged residents to avoid going to Mexico. Hong Kong officials also ordered the immediate detention in a hospital of anyone who arrives with a fever above 100.4 F, respiratory symptoms and a history of traveling over the past seven days to a city with a confirmed case of swine flu infection.


But Washington officials Sunday did their best not to overstate the situation and emphasized that their response wasn't out of the ordinary. "I wish we could call it declaration of emergency preparedness, because that's really what it is in this context," said Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. "We're preparing in an environment where we really don't know ultimately what the size or seriousness of this outbreak is going to be."


See the top 10 medical breakthroughs of 2008.


See TIME's pictures of the week.

Right now health officials around the world are trying to take precautions without inciting panic. Here are just a few of the questions facing them - and ultimately, us as well:


1. Is this a flu pandemic?


The influenza virus is constantly mutating. That's why we can't get full immunity to the flu, the way we can to diseases like chicken pox, because there are multiple strains of the flu virus and they change from year to year. However, even though the virus makes us sick, our immune systems can usually muster enough of a response so that the flu is rarely fatal for healthy people.


But every once in awhile, the virus shifts its genetic structure so much that our immune systems offer no protection whatsoever. (This usually happens when a flu virus found in animals - like the avian flu still circulating in Asia - swaps genes with other viruses in a process called reassortment, and jumps to human beings.) A flu pandemic occurs when a new flu virus emerges for which humans have little or no immunity and then spreads easily from person to person around the world. In the 20th century we had two mild flu pandemics, in 1968 and 1957, and the severe "Spanish flu" pandemic of 1918, which killed an estimated 40 to 50 million people worldwide.


The WHO has the responsibility of declaring when a new flu pandemic is underway, and to simplify the process, the U.N. body has established six pandemic phases. Thanks to H5N1 avian flu, which has killed 257 people since 2003 but doesn't spread very well from one human to another, we're currently at phase 3. If the WHO upgraded that status to phase 4, which is marked by a new virus that begins to pass easily enough from person to person that we can detect community-sized outbreaks, such a move would effectively mean that we've got a pandemic on our hands.


The H1N1 swine flu virus has already been identified as a new virus, with genes from human and avian flus as well as the swine variety. And since it is apparently causing large-scale outbreaks in Mexico, along with separate confirmed cases in the U.S. and Canada and suspected cases in other countries, it would seem that we've already met the criteria for phase 4. But though an emergency committee met on April 25 to evaluate the situation, the WHO hasn't made the pandemic declaration yet. Keiji Fukuda, the WHO's interim assistant director-general for health, security and environment, said on Sunday that its experts "would like a little bit more information and a little bit more time to consider this." The committee is set to meet again by April 28 at the latest.


As health officials have repeatedly emphasized, with good reason, the swine flu situation is evolving rapidly, and more lab tests are needed to ascertain exactly what is going on in Mexico and elsewhere. "We want to make sure we're on solid ground," said Fukuda, a highly respected former CDC official and flu expert.


2. What will happen if this outbreak gets classified as a pandemic?


Moving the world to pandemic phase 4 would be the signal for serious containment actions to be taken on the national and international level. Given that these actions would have major implications for the global economy, not to mention the effects of the public fear that would ensue, there is concern that the WHO may be considering politics along with science. "What the WHO did makes no sense," says Osterholm. "In a potential pandemic, you need to have the WHO be beyond question, and (April 25) was not a good day for them."


Of course, declaring a pandemic isn't a decision that should be taken lightly. For the WHO, phase 4 might trigger an attempt to keep the virus from spreading by instituting strict quarantines and blanketing infected areas with antivirals. But we appear to have missed the opportunity to contain the disease at its source since the virus is already crossing borders with ease. "We cannot stop this at the border," said Anne Schuchat, the CDC's interim director for science and public health. "We don't think that we can quench this in Mexico if it's in many communities now."


That would leave the WHO and individual countries to fall back on damage control, using antivirals and old-fashioned infection control - like closing schools, limiting public gatherings and even restricting travel - to slow the spread of the virus. But such efforts would likely inflict serious damage on an already faltering global economy - and the truth is, we don't know how well those methods will work.

3. Why have the U.S. cases been so much milder than the ones in Mexico?

This is the question that has health officials from Geneva to Washington puzzled. In Mexico, swine flu has caused severe respiratory disease in a number of patients - and even more worryingly, has killed the sort of young and healthy people who can normally shrug off the flu. (Fueling such concerns is the fact that similar age groups died in unusually high numbers during the 1918 pandemic.) Yet the cases in the U.S. have all been mild and likely wouldn't have even garnered much attention if doctors hadn't begun actively looking for swine flu in recent days. "What we're seeing in this country so far is not anywhere near the severity of what we're hearing about in Mexico," said the CDC's Besser. "We need to understand that."

Some of the difference may be due to the fact that Mexico has apparently been grappling with swine flu for weeks longer than the U.S. As doctors across the U.S. begin checking patients with respiratory symptoms for swine flu, CDC officials expect to see more severe cases in the U.S. as well - and as better epidemiological work is done in Mexico, we'll probably hear about more mild cases there too. Right now, however, the true severity of the H1N1 swine flu virus is still an open question, whose answer could change over time. The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic began with a fairly mild wave of infections in the spring, but the virus returned a few months later in a far more virulent form. That could happen with the current swine flu as well. "It's quite possible for this virus to evolve," said Fukuda. "When viruses evolve, clearly they can become more dangerous to people."

4. How ready is the U.S. - and the world - to respond to a flu pandemic?

In some ways, the world is better prepared for a flu pandemic today than it has ever been. Thanks to concerns over H5N1 avian flu, the WHO, the U.S. and countries around the world have stockpiled millions of doses of antivirals that can help fight swine flu as well as other strains of influenza. The U.S. has a detailed pandemic preparation plan that was drafted under former President George W. Bush. Many other countries have similar plans. SARS and bird flu have given international health officials useful practice runs for dealing with a real pandemic. We can identify new viruses faster than ever before, and we have life-saving technologies - like artificial respirators and antivirals - that weren't available back in 1918. "I believe that the world is much, much better prepared than we have ever been for dealing with this kind of situation," said Fukuda.

At the same time, the very nature of globalization puts us at greater risk. International air travel means that infections can spread very quickly. And while the WHO can prepare a new swine flu vaccine strain in fairly short order, we still use a laborious, decades-old process to manufacture vaccines, meaning it would take months before the pharmaceutical industry could produce its full capacity of doses - and even then, there wouldn't be enough for everyone on the planet. The U.S. could be particularly vulnerable; only one plant, in Stillwater, Penn., makes flu vaccine in America. In a pandemic, that could produce some ugly political debates. "Do you really think the E.U. is going to release pandemic vaccine to the U.S. when its own people need it?" asks Osterholm.

Indeed, the greatest risk from a pandemic might not turn out to be from the swine flu virus itself - especially if it ends up being relatively mild - but what Osterholm calls "collateral damage" if governments respond to the emergency by instituting border controls and disrupting world trade. Not only would the global recession worsen - a 2008 World Bank report estimated that a severe pandemic could reduce the world's GDP by 4.8% - but we depend on international trade now for countless necessities, from generic medicines to surgical gloves. The just-in-time production systems embraced by companies like Wal-Mart - where inventories are kept as low as possible to cut waste and boost profit - mean that we don't have stockpiles of most things. Supply chains for food, medicines and even the coal that generates half our electricity are easily disruptable, with potentially catastrophic results. Though we'll likely hear calls to close the border with Mexico, Osterholm points out that a key component used in artificial respirators comes from Mexico. "We are more vulnerable to a pandemic now than at any other time over the past 100 years," he says. "We can't depend on ourselves."

5. So how scared should we be?

That depends on whom you ask. Officials at the CDC and the WHO have emphasized that while the swine flu situation is serious, they're responding with an abundance of precautions. Even Osterholm, who has been highly critical of the U.S. government's long-term failures to better prepare for a pandemic, gives the CDC a 9 out of 10 for its response so far. Outside of Mexico, the swine flu hasn't looked too serious yet - unlike during the SARS outbreaks of 2003, when an entirely new virus with no obvious treatment took the world by surprise. In the U.S., the normal flu season is winding down, which should make it easier for public-health officials to pick out swine flu cases from run-of-the-mill respiratory disease. And there are simple things that people can do to protect themselves, like practicing better hygiene (wash hands frequently and cover mouth and nose when sneezing) and staying away from public places or traveling if they feel sick. "There's a role for everyone to play when an outbreak is ongoing," said Besser.

But the truth is that every outbreak is unpredictable, and there's a lot we don't know yet about the new swine flu. There hasn't been a flu pandemic for more than a generation, and there hasn't been a truly virulent pandemic since long before the arrival of mass air transit. We're in terra incognito here. Panic would be counterproductive - especially if it results in knee-jerk reactions like closing international borders, which would only complicate the public-health response. But neither should we downplay our very real vulnerabilities. As Napolitano put it: "This will be a marathon, not a sprint." Be prepared.

Sent to me by my sister....heading was Yahoo News

Fox News states 2 minutes ago....Flu count in NYC is now 28....giving the US a total of 40.

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/?s_cid=swineFlu_outbreak_internal_001
 
Swine Flu Update from CDC.....4/27/09......1:00 pm.....
 
States and Number of Laboratory Confirmed Cases
What You Can do to Stay Healthy
More on the Situation
Travel Notices
Antiviral Drugs

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http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_04_27/en/index.html
 
World Health Organization - Update 3 - 4/27/09
 
....evolving rapidly....WASH HANDS
 
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html
 
World Health Organization Website on Swine Flu
 
Latest Information
Director's Statement
Guidance for surveillance
...plus Picture of 3 Pigs....LOL

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090428/ap_on_he_me/med_swine_flu
 
WHO raises its pandemic alert level on swine flu...
and what it means to go from 3 to 4.....and more.
 
This is an AP article that is quite good and was released 25 minutes ago.

We ate at a Mexican restaurant tonight to demonstrate the risks we face. When we are in phase 5 and 6 of a pandemic it will be more difficult to enjoy the normal daily life we take for granted sometimes.

I married an OCD guy and well the Swine Flu is on his radar at this point, so he went searching last night for respitory masks......... aparently there are many other OCD people out there and Walgreen, Walmart, Target, CVS, and Publix are all completely sold out down here.......

After he called to tell me this and FINALLY asked for MY direction, I sent him to Home Depot.  Home Depot has respitory masks for the lawn working type people so it blocks out pollin and debris that float in the air.  So if you too are OCD or just plain old stir crazy over this Swine Flu, may I suggest Home Depot!!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090428/ap_on_he_me/med_swine_flu
 
Official:  U.S. flu victims may be infecting others
 
MEXICO CITY – The swine flu epidemic crossed new borders Tuesday with the first cases confirmed in the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region, as world health officials said they suspect American patients may have transmitted the virus to others in the U.S.
 
Most people confirmed with the new swine flu were infected in Mexico, where the number of deaths blamed on the virus has surpassed 150.

But confirmation that people had become infected outside Mexico would indicate that the disease was spreading beyond travelers returning from the country, World Health Organization spokesman Gregory Hartl told reporters on Tuesday in Geneva.

Hartl said the source of some infections in the United States, Canada and Britain was unclear.

Hartl said WHO was waiting for U.S. authorities to announce that a number of students at a New York high school have passed the virus on to one another after their return from a spring vacation in Mexico. "I think we might have one other instance in the U.S.," he said.

Pressed by reporters to elaborate, he declined, saying it was up to U.S. authorities to provide further information.

Possible scenarios include students getting infected who did not travel to Mexico, or students who traveled there but became infected only after returning to the United States, or family members getting infected from returning students.

WHO calls this "community transmission" and says it's a key test for gauging whether the spread of the virus has reached pandemic proportions. The swine flu has already spread to at least six countries besides Mexico, prompting WHO officials to raise its alert level on Monday.

"At this time, containment is not a feasible option," said Keiji Fukuda, assistant director-general of the World Health Organization.

WHO raised the alert level to Phase 4, meaning there is sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus causing outbreaks in at least one country. Monday was the first time it has ever been raised above Phase 3.

Flu deaths are nothing new in the United States or elsewhere. The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 36,000 people died of flu-related causes each year, on average, during the 1990s in the United States. But the new flu strain is a combination of pig, bird and human viruses that humans may have no natural immunity to.

New Zealand reported Tuesday that 11 people who recently returned from Mexico contracted the virus. Tests conducted at a WHO laboratory in Australia had confirmed three cases of swine flu among 11 members of the group who were showing symptoms, New Zealand Health Minister Tony Ryall said.

Officials decided that was evidence enough to assume the whole group was infected, he said.

Israel's Health Ministry confirmed Tuesday the region's first swine flu case in the city of Netanya. The patient, 26, recently returned from Mexico and had contracted it. A hospital official said the patient had recovered, but will remain hospitalized until the health ministry approves his release.

Another suspected case has been tested at another Israeli hospital but results are not in, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, a second case was confirmed Tuesday in Spain, Health Minister Trinidad Jimenez said, a day after the country reported its first case. The 23-year-old student, one of 26 patients under observation, was not in serious condition, Jimenez said.

With the virus spreading, the U.S. prepared for the worst. President Barack Obama said the outbreak is "not a cause for alarm," but the U.S. stepped up checks of people entering the country and warned Americans to avoid nonessential travel to Mexico.

"We anticipate that there will be confirmed cases in more states as we go through the coming days," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said on NBC's "Today" show on Tuesday.

The Food and Drug Administration late Monday issued emergency guidance that allows certain antiviral drugs to be used in a broader range of the population in case mass dosing is needed to deal with a widespread swine flu outbreak.

The European Union health commissioner suggested that Europeans avoid nonessential travel both to Mexico and parts of the United States. Canada warned Tuesday against nonessential travel to Mexico. Russia, Hong Kong and Taiwan said they would quarantine visitors showing symptoms of the virus.

Mexico, where the number of deaths believed caused by swine flu rose by 50 percent on Monday to 152, is suspected to be the center of the outbreak. But Mexican Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova late Monday said no one knows where the outbreak began, and implied it may have started in the U.S.

"I think it is very risky to say, or want to say, what the point of origin or dissemination of it is, given that there had already been cases reported in southern California and Texas," Cordova told a press conference.

Dr. Nancy Cox of the CDC has said she believes the earliest onset of swine flu in the U.S. was on March 28. Cordova said a sample taken from a 4-year-old boy in Mexico's Veracruz state in early April tested positive for swine flu. However, it is not known when the boy, who later recovered, became infected.

A decision by WHO to put an alert at Phases 4 or 5 signals that the virus is becoming increasingly adept at spreading among humans. Phase 6 is for a full-blown pandemic, characterized by outbreaks in at least two regions of the world.

Fifty cases — none fatal and most of them mild — were confirmed in the United States. Including the New Zealand, Israeli and new Spanish reports, there were 92 confirmed cases worldwide on Tuesday. That included six in Canada, one in Spain and two in Scotland.

Amid the alarm, there was a spot of good news. The number of new cases reported by Mexico's largest government hospitals has been declining the past three days, Cordova said, from 141 on Saturday to 119 on Sunday and 110 Monday.

Symptoms include a fever of more than 100, coughing, joint aches, severe headache and, in some cases, vomiting and diarrhea. Many victims have been in their 30s and 40s — not the very old or young who typically succumb to the flu.

So far, no deaths from the new virus have been reported outside Mexico.

It could take four to six months before the first batch of vaccines are available, WHO said. Some antiflu drugs do work once someone is sick.

The best way to keep the disease from spreading, the CDC's acting director, Richard Besser, said, is by taking everyday precautions such as frequent handwashing, covering up coughs and sneezes, and staying away from work or school if not feeling well.

World stock markets fell Tuesday as investors worried that any swine flu pandemic could derail a global economic recovery.

__

AP writers Mark Stevenson in Mexico City, Mike Stobbe in Atlanta, Ray Lilley in Wellington, New Zealand, Aron Heller in Jerusalem, Frank Jordans in Geneva and Pan Pylas in London contributed to this report.



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Hi Dolce....good things to do now are HANDWASHING.....or use of Purell or Germ-X type gel....cover mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, then wash hands well.  Tell hubby that there is a Kleenex product that says it kills 99.9% of cold and flu viruses....(does not say swine flu virus)....
I use this all the time for respiratory.  And good common sense works wonders.  If there is someone
ill at work, send them home (they should be checked) and if you are ill, do not go to work. :)

One confirmed case in another State - Indiana  via CNN Headline News

CNN reports that the CDC will only update the numbers once a day. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are now 64 confirmed cases of swine flu in the U.S., while state officials reported at least four more.

The state of Indiana is reporting a new confirmed case, but Indiana's health commissioner said the infected person was "doing well."

State Health Commissioner Judy Monroe said the person was a young adult from northern Indiana, but released no other details on how the person might have acquired the illness.

She said the case had been confirmed in testing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Orlando may have a case swine flu. Chief medical officer for Adventist Health System, Loran Hauck, told WFTV-Orlando the case was diagnosed Tuesday morning.

"A case was diagnosed here in Orlando today on a tourist from Mexico who came to Disney attractions two days ago to visit," Hauck wrote in an email obtained by Eyewitness News WFTV

State Health Commissioner Judy Monroe said the person was a young adult from northern Indiana, but released no other details on how the person might have acquired the illness.

She said the case had been confirmed in testing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,518196,00.html

Ernst + Young employee has swine flu: report

Tue Apr 28, 2009 12:55am EDT  Email | Print | Share| Reprints | Single Page[-] Text

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Another New York City case of swine flu has been confirmed, striking an employee at the accounting firm of Ernst & Young, CBS News reported late on Monday.

Workers at the company's Times Square offices were notified on Monday that an employee had been diagnosed with swine flu.

The virus has afflicted at least 28 students of a New York City private high school, all of whom were reported to be recovering from mild cases. The school was closed on Monday.

An Ernst & Young e-mail said its employee became ill Sunday after contact with a family member who had been exposed to the virus. It said woman employee had been treated and was resting at home and was doing well.

The employee had not been at work since Thursday. The e-mail said that since the disease has a 24-hour incubation period, it was unlikely that other Ernst & Young workers would be affected but they were given the option of working from home, CBS reported.

Employees of the firm also were told that areas of the building that could possibly have been contaminated had been closed for cleaning, and that anyone who had contact with the affected employee had been so notified.

Swine flu has killed up to 149 people in Mexico and sickened about 2,000 so far, official said. More than 40 mostly mild cases have been diagnosed in five U.S. states, with more expected. There have been no known U.S. fatalities.

Representatives of Ernst & Young could not be reached late Monday for confirmation.

WNBC television reported that New Jersey health officials suspect five probable cases of swine flu in people who recently traveled to Mexico or California. The symptoms are reportedly mild and no one has been in hospital, the station said citing the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.

Test results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are expected within two days.

(Reporting and writing by Chris Michaud; Editing by Bill Trott)

Dolce...thank you for that article....!

I was going to mention before that hubby should avoid large crowds....like Disney World....!
That is the kind of case that is truly worrisome.  How many people would that one person
have had close contact with in those two days?  I believe close contact is between 3 - 6 feet.

I was just discussing this with my Mother.  What a selfish thing for a person to do!  Knowingly sick go to a theme park....ugh!!

Brought from Anna in Musings

CNN checking now....possible swine flu death.....2 men in California

CA governor - State of Emergency

NY health chief - many hundreds of children ill with swine flu

2nd school closed in NY - school of sibling who has swine flu

 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/
 
World Health Organization
http://www.who.int/en/
 
USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-04-28-swine-flu_N.htm
 
Yahoo News
http://news.yahoo.com
 
Google News
http://news.google.com/
 
CNN
http://cnn.com
 
FOX
http://foxnews.com
 
MSNBC
http://msnbc.com
 
 
 
 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An Excellent Credit Score is 750. See Yours in Just 2 Easy Steps!

NO deaths have been confirmed in California.

The statistics are very fluid.  The counts will be reported again tomorrow morning.

There is a great deal of information on the 8 sites above.

Good night fellow monkeys..... :)

Texas Toddler - 1st Death from Flu
3 new cases in Germany
11 added New Zealand
1 Costa Rica
1 Austria


Check News Links:
 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/
 
World Health Organization
http://www.who.int/en/
 
USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-04-28-swine-flu_N.htm
 
Yahoo News
http://news.yahoo.com
 
Google News
http://news.google.com/
 
CNN
http://cnn.com
 
FOX
http://foxnews.com
 
MSNBC
http://msnbc.com
 
 

From CDC.....please note that numbers are as of yesterday.

U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
(As of April 28, 2009, 11:00 AM ET)  

State # of laboratory
confirmed cases
California 10 cases
Kansas 2 cases
New York City 45 cases
Ohio 1 case
Texas 6 cases
TOTAL COUNT 64 cases

International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization

Swine Influenza (Flu)
Swine Flu website last updated April 29, 03:30 AM ET

 
The human swine flu outbreak continues to grow in the United States and internationally. Today, CDC reports additional cases of confirmed swine influenza and a number of hospitalizations of swine flu patients. Internationally, the situation is more serious too, with additional countries reporting confirmed cases of swine flu. In response to the intensifying outbreak, the World Health Organization raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 4. A Phase 4 alert is characterized by confirmed person-to-person spread of a new influenza virus able to cause “community-level” outbreaks.” The increase in the pandemic alert phase indicates that the likelihood of a pandemic has increased.

CDC has activated its emergency operations center to coordinate the agency’s emergency response. CDC ’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 this swine influenza virus. Yesterday, CDC issued a travel warning recommending that people avoid non-essential travel to Mexico. CDC continues to issue interim guidance daily on the website and through health alert network notices. CDC’s Division of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) is releasing one-quarter of its antiviral drugs, personal protective equipment, and respiratory protection devices to help states respond to the outbreak. The swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is susceptible to the prescription antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir. This is a rapidly evolving situation and CDC will provide updated guidance and new information as it becomes available.

 http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1894534,00.html
 

TIME ARTICLE

Health & Science
 
Mexico's Mystery: Why Is Swine Flu Deadlier There?
By Bryan Walsh Wednesday, Apr. 29, 2009

The swine-flu virus continued its gradual global march on Tuesday, prompting countries to strengthen efforts to stem its spread, while President Barack Obama asked Congress for $1.5 billion in supplementary spending to prepare for a possible swine-flu pandemic and installed the newly confirmed Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, to help lead the fight against the disease. In the U.S., the caseload rose to 67 across five states — 45 of them in New York City, where health officials are investigating two new possible outbreaks at city schools — with more virus samples awaiting laboratory confirmation. New Zealand and Israel confirmed their first cases, while Canada, the U.K. and Spain saw small upticks in their swine-flu caseloads.


Swine Flu Hits Mexico
Several countries tightened border controls and discouraged travel to affected areas — Cuba suspended all flights to and from Mexico — but the World Health Organization kept the pandemic alert level at Phase 4, still two phases below a full pandemic. Outside Mexico, the apparent epicenter of the A/H1N1 virus, there have been no deaths confirmed from the flu and relatively few hospitalizations, and health officials continued to preach the need for a calm response. "What we see in the United States, or have been seeing so far, has been milder," said Richard Besser, the acting director for the Centers for Disease Control. (See pictures of the swine flu in Mexico.)

But health officials also cautioned that the U.S. caseload, including fatalities, would rise, with ongoing surveillance. "We expect to see more cases and we expect to report on them," says Besser. "As this moves forward, I fully expect that we will see deaths from this infection." [Update: On Wednesday morning, Besser confirmed the death of a 23-month-old child in Texas from swine flu, the first virus-related death outside Mexico.]

Still, Mexico seems to be experiencing a very different — and much scarier — outbreak than the rest of the world. More than 2,000 suspected swine-flu cases have been reported in several Mexican states, with more than 150 deaths. Those numbers are still preliminary and are expected to rise as blood samples from Mexican patients continue to be tested for the A/H1N1 swine-flu virus. Lack of laboratory capacity to run the time-consuming blood tests has so far held up the confirmation of cases there.

On Tuesday the government of Mexico City ordered gyms, discos, theaters and all sit-down restaurants (excluding those that serve only take-out) closed until at least May 6, in an effort to limit public gatherings and the spread of the virus. As epidemiologists swarm the country in an effort to trace the virus's spread, the big question remains: Why is the disease seemingly so much more deadly in Mexico than anywhere else? "This will be the object of a great deal of research and attention," said Keiji Fukuda, the interim director-general for health, safety and environment for the World Health Organization (WHO). "But we can't say why there seems to be a difference." (See the five things you need to know about swine flu.)

The WHO will convene an expert panel on April 29 to attempt to answer that question, but one way to begin is to look at where the virus originated. Epidemiologists appear to be homing in on a possible ground zero in the Mexican Gulf Coast state of Veracruz, in a town called Perote, which is home to a large pig farm owned by the U.S. company Smithfield Foods. Flu-like cases began popping up there in early April, before the first confirmed case in Mexico on April 13.

But the truth is that even though the virus is referred to as swine flu, researchers do not yet know for sure that the A/H1N1 virus actually originated in pigs. There's been no evidence yet of pigs getting sick in either Mexico or the U.S. (Despite several countries' bans on pork imports, it's important to remember that the disease cannot be contracted by eating pork.) The original reservoir for flu viruses is actually wild birds, which can spread infection to domestic birds and people — as we saw with the H5N1 avian flu in Asia — and to pigs. Pigs make particularly good biological mixing bowls since they can be infected by bird-, swine- and human-flu viruses and provide a hospitable environment for the viruses to swap genes and create entirely new strains in a process called reassortment. That is what may have happened with the A/H1N1 swine-flu virus, which contains genes from bird-, pig- and human-flu viruses. "When you get a large concentration of pig farms, people, wild birds and poultry, these things do happen," says Peter Daszak, the president of the Wildlife Trust and an expert on emerging diseases.

In recent years, since the ongoing H5N1 bird-flu virus first surfaced, health officials have focused mostly on Asia as the breeding ground for the world's next pandemic flu virus. But Daszak points out that Mexico, where people, pigs and poultry can exist in close proximity, is an overlooked hot spot for new viruses. Given the booming global livestock trade — more than 1.5 billion live animals have been shipped to the U.S. from all over the world in the past decade — it's possible that the A/H1N1 virus originated in an Asian bird that was exported to Mexico, where it may have reassorted in a pig before infecting people. Far more investigation is still needed, but it's clear that while U.S. officials were looking for flu exports from Asia, they should have also improved surveillance of their southern neighbor. "I think it might have been possible to prevent it," says Daszak. "We should be paying more attention to our own backyard."

Now that the swine-flu virus seems well established in human beings, containment is no longer an option. The public health response must be to slow the spread, which means getting a better handle on the virus. While the difference in severity between Mexico and U.S. cases would suggest that there are different viruses affecting the two countries, researchers have genetically sequenced swine-flu viruses from both Mexican and American victims, and "we see no difference in the viruses infecting sick people and less-sick people," said Fukuda. And even if there were genetic differences, it wouldn't necessarily mean much — scientists still don't know exactly which genes do what on flu viruses.

The Mexican deaths may also be attributable to some underlying coinfection or health problem that is simply not present in the U.S. cases — but that will require more investigation to uncover.

It's also possible that A/H1N1 began life in Mexico especially virulent — that country has apparently been grappling with the virus for weeks longer than the U.S. has — and evolved to become less dangerous by the time it crossed the border. That would not be an unusual evolutionary device, since viruses that are too deadly cannot survive if they kill off their host before being given a chance to spread. "It's fairly common in epidemics to see a trade-off between the ability to cause severe death and transmissibility," says Steven Kleiboeker, a virologist and the chief scientific officer for ViraCor Laboratories. The A/H1N1 virus may be attenuating itself as it spreads from person to person, becoming easier to catch but less dangerous. (Read "CDC Readies Swine-Flu Vaccine.")

The WHO, however, says that so far the virus appears to have stayed relatively stable during the chains of transmission, so it may not be mutating much. Still, the virus's current relatively weak state does not guarantee that it won't return later, much more virulent — which is exactly what happened in the 1918 flu pandemic that killed at least 50 million people worldwide. As the flu season comes to an end in the northern hemisphere, it may lead to a natural petering out of new swine-flu cases in the U.S. But the strain may continue to circulate aggressively in the southern hemisphere, which is just now entering its flu season, and then return to the north next winter.

Any conclusions now will be premature, because we still don't know what we're looking at. Experts predict we'll eventually begin to see fewer new cases in Mexico, as lab results separate real swine-flu infections from normal respiratory disease. Meanwhile, the anticipation of more cases and deaths in the U.S. has already been begun to be borne out. As the CDC's Besser himself has pointed out, swine flu is going to be a marathon, not a sprint — and we've only just gotten started.

The following article is from the Associated Press

Officials confront first US death from swine flu
 
 By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard, Ap Medical Writer – 8 mins ago

WASHINGTON – A 23-month-old Texas toddler became the first confirmed swine flu death outside of Mexico as authorities around the world struggled to contain a growing global health menace that has also swept Germany onto the roster of afflicted nations.

"Even though we've been expecting this, it is very, very sad," Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday of the infant's death. "As a pediatrician and a parent, my heart goes out to the family."

President Barack Obama said this morning that Americans should know the government is doing all it can to control virus. Obama also says schools should consider closing if the spread of the swine flu virus worsens.

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.

As the United States grappled with this widening health crisis, Besser went from network to network Wednesday morning to give an update on what the Obama administration is doing. He said authorities essentially are still "trying to learn more about this strain of the flu." His appearances as Germany reported its first cases of swine flu infection, with three victims.

"It's very important that people take their concern and channel it into action," Besser said, adding that "it is crucial that people understand what they need to do if symptoms appear.

"I don't think it (the reported death in Texas) indicates any change in the strain," he said. "We see with any flu virus a spectrum of disease symptoms."

Asked why the problem seems so much more severe in Mexico, Besser said U.S. officials "have teams on the ground, a tri-national team in Mexico, working with Canada and Mexico, to try and understand those differences, because they can be helpful as we plan and implement our control strategies."

Sixty-six infections had been reported in the United States before the report of the toddler's death in Texas.

The world has no vaccine to prevent infection but U.S. health officials aim to have a key ingredient for one ready in early May, the big step that vaccine manufacturers are awaiting. But even if the World Health Organization ordered up emergency vaccine supplies — and that decision hasn't been made yet — it would take at least two more months to produce the initial shots needed for human safety testing.

"We're working together at 100 miles an hour to get material that will be useful," Dr. Jesse Goodman, who oversees the Food and Drug Administration's swine flu work, told The Associated Press.

The U.S. is shipping to states not only enough anti-flu medication for 11 million people, but also masks, hospital supplies and flu test kits. President Barack Obama asked Congress for $1.5 billion in emergency funds to help build more drug stockpiles and monitor future cases, as well as help international efforts to avoid a full-fledged pandemic.

"It's a very serious possibility, but it is still too early to say that this is inevitable," the WHO's flu chief, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, told a telephone news conference.

Cuba and Argentina banned flights to Mexico, where swine flu is suspected of killing more than 150 people and sickening well over 2,000. In a bit of good news, Mexico's health secretary, Jose Cordova, late Tuesday called the death toll there "more or less stable."

Mexico City, one of the world's largest cities, has taken drastic steps to curb the virus' spread, starting with shutting down schools and on Tuesday expanding closures to gyms and swimming pools and even telling restaurants to limit service to takeout. People who venture out tend to wear masks in hopes of protection.

The number of confirmed swine flu cases in the United States rose to 66 in six states, with 45 in New York, 11 in California, six in Texas, two in Kansas and one each in Indiana and Ohio, but cities and states suspected more. In New York, the city's health commissioner said "many hundreds" of schoolchildren were ill at a school where some students had confirmed cases.

The WHO argues against closing borders to stem the spread, and the U.S. — although checking arriving travelers for the ill who may need care — agrees it's too late for that tactic.

"Sealing a border as an approach to containment is something that has been discussed and it was our planning assumption should an outbreak of a new strain of influenza occur overseas. We had plans for trying to swoop in and knockout or quench an outbreak if it were occurring far from our borders. That's not the case here," Besser told a telephone briefing of Nevada-based health providers and reporters. "The idea of trying to limit the spread to Mexico is not realistic or at all possible."

"Border controls do not work. Travel restrictions do not work," WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said in Geneva, recalling the SARS epidemic earlier in the decade that killed 774 people, mostly in Asia, and slowed the global economy.

Authorities sought to keep the crisis in context: Flu deaths are common around the world. In the U.S. alone, the CDC says about 36,000 people a year die of flu-related causes. Still, the CDC calls the new strain a combination of pig, bird and human viruses for which people may have limited natural immunity.

Hence the need for a vaccine. Using samples of the flu taken from people who fell ill in Mexico and the U.S., scientists are engineering a strain that could trigger the immune system without causing illness. The hope is to get that ingredient — called a "reference strain" in vaccine jargon — to manufacturers around the second week of May, so they can begin their own laborious production work, said CDC's Dr. Ruben Donis, who is leading that effort.

Vaccine manufacturers are just beginning production for next winter's regular influenza vaccine, which protects against three human flu strains. The WHO wants them to stay with that course for now — it won't call for mass production of a swine flu vaccine unless the outbreak worsens globally. But sometimes new flu strains pop up briefly at the end of one flu season and go away only to re-emerge the next fall, and at the very least there should be a vaccine in time for next winter's flu season, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the National Institutes of Health's infectious diseases chief, said Tuesday.

"Right now it's moving very rapidly," he said of the vaccine development.

Besser appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press," CNN and CBS's "The Early Show."

Please Note:  HLN just reported that the toddler who died today was from Mexico and was being treated in the United States....Mere

Please Note:  HLN just reported that the toddler who died today was from Mexico and was being treated in the United States....Mere

HLN further reports that child was treated in Houston and died on Monday.  This information was first known today.

Thank you for keeping up on this Mere.  It is such a scarey time, I am amazed more people are not concerned.

The case that was stated to occur in Orlando, FL but that has not yet been confirmed is frightening.  Disney World is the host this week for the Tennis and Track & Field finals and tournaments state wide for all schools. 
 ::MonkeyNoNo::
My 9 y/o sister asked last night, "If it comes from people in Mexico, why do we let them come here and give it to us?" 
 ::MonkeyEek::

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-04-28-swine-flu_N.htm

First U.S. swine flu fatality came from Mexico

By Martha T. Moore, USA TODAY

Officials say the first confirmed death in the United States from swine flu was a 23-month-old Mexican child who died in Houston. The Marine Corps commandant, meantime, says a troop at the Twenty-Nine Palms Base in California may have the illness.

In Texas, Kathy Barton, a spokeswoman for the Houston Health and Human Services Department, said Wednesday that the child who died had traveled with family from Mexico to Brownsville in south Texas. She says the child became ill in Brownsville and was taken to a Houston hospital and died Monday night.

Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told NBC's Today show that it's too soon to say if the death in Texas suggests the virus is spreading to more states.


MORE: USA TODAY coverage of the swine flu outbreak

CDC Reporting on CNN

91 confirmed cases in 10 States

New York 51
Texas 16
California 14
Massachusetts 2
Michigan 2
Arizona 1
Nevada 1
Kansas 2
Ohio 1

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

Swine Influenza (Flu)
Swine Flu website last updated April 29, 11:00 AM ET

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 City 51 
Ohio 1   
Texas 16 1
TOTAL COUNTS 91 cases 1 death
International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization 

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 interim 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 antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir. This is a rapidly evolving situation and CDC will provide updated guidance and new information as it becomes available

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hG6zmXnY6v5La-llZ8qbQIrdE-WAD97S79R80

Swine flu cases rise to 91 in U.S. with one death
A toddler from Mexico has died in a Houston hospital. A health official says the disease is spreading and shows no signs of slowing down.
By Thomas H. Maugh II
April 30, 2009
As the swine flu outbreak spread to four more states overnight, bringing the total to at least 91 cases, the United States reported its first death from the new virus, a 23-month old child who died in a Houston hospital.

The boy was a Mexican national from Matamoros, just across the border from Texas, who was brought to this country by his parents to seek medical treatment.


Arizona, Massachusetts, Michigan and Nevada joined the list of states with new cases. Texas said its total has now climbed to 16 cases, New York has 51, and California has 14.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there have been more hospitalizations as well and reported on its website that "a pattern of more severe illness associated with the virus may be emerging in the United States."

As with all flu strains, experts said, the more people who are infected, the greater the likelihood that some will develop more severe illnesses. At this time, however, there is little to suggest this strain will be more virulent than other strains currently already in the population.


Worldwide, new cases have been reported in Canada, the United Kingdom, Austria and New Zealand among other countries.

"It's clear that the virus is spreading and we don't see any evidence of it slowing down at this point," Dr. Keiji Fukuda, assistant director-general of the World Health Organization, said at a morning news conference in Geneva.

"The illness we are seeing is generally consistent with seasonal influenza infection," he added, but there is "a suggestion that cases are developing diarrhea more often."

He also added that "the epidemiologic information to date more strongly suggests that we are dealing with a virus that is being transmitted form person to person. It is this transmission and travel that are accounting for the cases."

President Obama issued a statement today, saying, "We are closely and continuously monitoring the emerging cases of the virus throughout the United States" and noting that his "thoughts and prayers go out" to the family of the child who died in Houston.

Public health officials recommended that schools where a case of the virus has been confirmed "should strongly consider temporarily closing." Several school systems in Texas and New York have done so.

Fukuda said that genetic analysis of the new virus indicated that it was originally a swine influenza virus "but is now behaving more or less like a human influenza virus." Reflecting that change -- as well as pressure from the pork industry -- many officials have begun referring to the virus as the H1N1 virus. European officials prefer to call it "novel flu."

"There is no evidence that people are getting infected from pigs or that it is dangerous to eat pork," Fukuda said.

Nonetheless, the Egyptian government today ordered the slaughter of 300,000 pigs in the country as a protective measure. Muslims in the country do not eat pork, but the animals are raised for the Christian minority.

thomas.maugh@latimes.com

Mark Silva in Washington contributed to this story.

Dolce...I want to give you a heads up so that you do not hear or read and not know about this....CNN-TV is reporting that there are two very sick patients in Texas....one a baby and another is a young woman who came in pregnant, had an emergency C-section, the baby is fine but the mom is very ill.

I am going to find any articles on this recent statement and I will post here.  Do you have any thoughts about this?  I do not want to stress you and would be happy not to post these.  Please let me know..... :smt060

WHO BREAKING NEWS

NOW GOING TO PHASE 5.....There will be following information.  Dr. Chan is now speaking.
I am watching this on CNN.

Governor Bobby Jindal says that an elementary school in Lafayette (Louisiana) is being closed after five children in the school have tested positive for flu-strain A. One of those students was recently in Mexico.

Neglected to say....this information became available from WWL_TV, Channel 4, New Orleans

Please post, it is fine, if it bothers me I will not read it.  :)  People need to be aware of what is happening.  Thank you for your concern though!! 

This is a repeat of the list of links to CDC, WHO, USA TODAY, YAHOO NEWS, GOOGLE NEWS,
CNN, FOX NEWS, MSNBC, and PANDEMIC FLU.

If anyone has local information links....that cover your area as to the flu, please add to this
list....If you have local or regional news, please join in.....thank you.

   
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/
 
World Health Organization
http://www.who.int/en/
 
USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-04-28-swine-flu_N.htm
 
Yahoo News
http://news.yahoo.com
 
Google News
http://news.google.com/
 
CNN
http://cnn.com
 
FOX
http://foxnews.com
 
MSNBC
http://msnbc.com
 
Pandemic Flu
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/index.html

NEW YORK NEWS STATION/WEBPAGE
http://www.1010wins.com/
 
 

Mere - thanks for starting this thread.  When I went to the pharmacy yesterday they told me they were all out of N95 masks.  I may go look at Lowes but to be honest, I'm not likely to wear a mask unless I'm forced to  ::MonkeyWink::.  I did pick up some extra Purell though. 

My husband isn't worried about this at all but I am a bit concerned.  Not overly concerned just cautious  ::MonkeyCool::

 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Statement by WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan
29 April 2009


Swine influenza



Ladies and gentlemen,

Based on assessment of all available information, and following several expert consultations, I have decided to raise the current level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 4 to phase 5.

Influenza pandemics must be taken seriously precisely because of their capacity to spread rapidly to every country in the world.

On the positive side, the world is better prepared for an influenza pandemic than at any time in history.

Preparedness measures undertaken because of the threat from H5N1 avian influenza were an investment, and we are now benefitting from this investment.

For the first time in history, we can track the evolution of a pandemic in real-time.

I thank countries who are making the results of their investigations publicly available. This helps us understand the disease.

I am impressed by the work being done by affected countries as they deal with the current outbreaks.

I also want to thank the governments of the USA and Canada for their support to WHO, and to Mexico.

Let me remind you. New diseases are, by definition, poorly understood. Influenza viruses are notorious for their rapid mutation and unpredictable behaviour.

WHO and health authorities in affected countries will not have all the answers immediately, but we will get them.

WHO will be tracking the pandemic at the epidemiological, clinical, and virological levels.

The results of these ongoing assessments will be issued as public health advice, and made publicly available.

All countries should immediately activate their pandemic preparedness plans. Countries should remain on high alert for unusual outbreaks of influenza-like illness and severe pneumonia.

At this stage, effective and essential measures include heightened surveillance, early detection and treatment of cases, and infection control in all health facilities.

This change to a higher phase of alert is a signal to governments, to ministries of health and other ministries, to the pharmaceutical industry and the business community that certain actions should now be undertaken with increased urgency, and at an accelerated pace.

I have reached out to donor countries, to UNITAID, to the GAVI Alliance, the World Bank and others to mobilize resources.

I have reached out to companies manufacturing antiviral drugs to assess capacity and all options for ramping up production.

I have also reached out to influenza vaccine manufacturers that can contribute to the production of a pandemic vaccine.

The biggest question, right now, is this: how severe will the pandemic be, especially now at the start?

It is possible that the full clinical spectrum of this disease goes from mild illness to severe disease. We need to continue to monitor the evolution of the situation to get the specific information and data we need to answer this question.

From past experience, we also know that influenza may cause mild disease in affluent countries, but more severe disease, with higher mortality, in developing countries.

No matter what the situation is, the international community should treat this as a window of opportunity to ramp up preparedness and response.

Above all, this is an opportunity for global solidarity as we look for responses and solutions that benefit all countries, all of humanity. After all, it really is all of humanity that is under threat during a pandemic.

As I have said, we do not have all the answers right now, but we will get them.

Thank you.





Corporate linksContacts | E-mail scams | Employment | FAQs | Feedback | Privacy | RSS feeds
© WHO 2009 

Klaas....I think you may be able to get a pack of 3-N95 masks at Lowe's for about $6.00....although many stores are running out of them.  They are kept at hospitals for use with disasters, while the
lighter masks are used in surgery, etc.

I would say that staying away for crowds, handwashing, not visiting anyone who is ill is what you can do....even if hubby is not the least bit concerned.

Just remember...every time you put your hands on a public object, it is possible that you have just touched the virus....a little scary....so use your Purell....LOL.....  :2waver:

Our authorities are well prepared for any outbreak here :

Increased checks for airport arrivals

    * Mark Metherell and Jonathan Dart
    * April 30, 2009

THE Australian Federal Government is stepping up measures to counter swine flu, although testing of suspect patients had by last night failed to show any confirmed cases of the virus in Australia.

Last night health authorities were investigating a total 112 "suspect" cases, 54 of them in NSW. But an official bulletin said that there were no "probable" or "confirmed" cases of swine flu yet identified.

The Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, earlier yesterday announced a significant upgrade to measures to identify passengers who might be infected with swine flu, expanding checks to incoming air travellers from all points overseas, not just the Americas as initially required.

This will require aircraft captains to notify Australian authorities before arrival of passengers with possible symptoms who would then be checked by quarantine officials after landing.

The measures will cover an average 33,000 incoming travellers who arrive from overseas, including New Zealand, every day.

Ms Roxon said the Government would heed the advice of its expert committee to send thermal scanners, which can detect elevated body temperature of arriving travellers, to eight international airports.

She said the Government was also preparing to introduce mandatory health declaration cards to be completed by international air travellers if that became necessary.

As yet the measures did not need to be implemented, Ms Roxon said.

"But I think when you look at the way the disease is spreading around the world it would be very unlikely that we would be able to protect ourselves entirely from this disease if it continues to spread with the speed that it has elsewhere around the world," she said.

More than a third of suspected cases in NSW of swine flu have been cleared.

However, one person tested positive for Influenza A - the virus subgroup containing swine flu - which will require a second round of testing at a specialist World Health Organisation laboratory in Melbourne.

"We need to send it to the specialist lab to do genetic sequencing," the NSW chief medical officer, Dr Kerry Chant, said. "It could just be a strain [of virus] that had been previously circulating or it could be [the swine flu] strain and this is the way that we can rapidly identify it"

The results of the additional tests, including the sample sent to the WHO, are expected today.

Dr Chant defended the high number of tests carried out as vital precautionary measures, and said it had not stretched emergency departments across the state.

"I think it's a really positive sign that people have been presenting to our emergency departments and attending their general practitioners and heeding the advice we've been putting out," she said.

Meanwhile, the state cabinet passed new measures to help health authorities deal with people who ignore instructions to stay at home.

Under the new measures, doctors were given powers to issue public health orders to enforce the isolation, although Dr Chant said that all the people who had been tested so far had co-operated with authorities.

As international authorities lowered the number of deaths directly attributable to swine flu to seven, the NSW Health Minister, John Della Bosca, appealed to people to keep a "sense of balance" over the outbreak.


Edit to add link:  http://www.examiner.com.au/

Masks on, passengers directed

    * Erik Jensen
    * April 30, 2009

PASSENGERS at Sydney Airport have been pulled out of queues by quarantine officials and directed to wear face masks - despite arriving from countries unaffected by swine influenza, and in contrast to the federal response overseen by the Department of Health.

The move suggests ruptures are beginning to show in the co-ordination of Australia's response to swine influenza, with agencies involved in screening incoming aircraft beginning to operate independently of each other - putting at risk the public's ability to gauge the seriousness of a potential outbreak and requests for preventative measures.

"It seemed as though it was a little bit ad hoc," said John Collyer, who was asked to wear a mask after flying back from the Philippines yesterday.

"They asked me to step out of the queue, then they took me to one side and asked me some questions.

"I did feel embarrassed, especially when I was walking out. When the girl asked me was I unwell, it seemed to be a bit like [the television show] Border Security - they get a guy and then they all tend to swarm."

Mr Collyer said he was passed between four quarantine officers and told to wait for a swab from a nurse, then told there was not a problem and ordered to wear a face mask instead.

"I said, 'Look, it's just a flu'," he said. "They said, 'No, no. You have to do this.' I was a bit put out."

The head of the School of Population Health and Clinical Practice at the University of Adelaide, Konrad Jamrozik, said it would be unfortunate if a poorly co-ordinated response clouded the public's ability to judge the seriousness of potential outbreaks.

Poor co-ordination "is a particularly unfortunate factor", Professor Jamrozik said.

"If you overcall it slightly but you have a co-ordinated response, that's probably less disruptive and more inspiring of confidence in the community … It's a very difficult time."

Normie Nankervis was also told to wear a face mask after coughing in a queue at Sydney Airport yesterday. "It's a dry cough, but not flu," she said. "They noticed."

The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service did not comment on the management of the influenza.

Edit to add link: http://www.examiner.com.au/

Students from affected countries may have to stay home

    * Heath Gilmore and Anna Patty
    * April 30, 2009

UNIVERSITIES are gearing up to stop students from countries afflicted by swine flu returning to their studies as part of protective measures against a possible outbreak in Australia.

Australian universities are already cancelling or advising deferral of travel to Mexico and monitoring the wellbeing of staff and students in Latin America, the US and Canada. Pandemic response guidelines developed during the SARS outbreak six years ago are being reviewed and updated. Universities and schools are regarded as major sites for the spread of disease.

If the virus reaches the level of human-to-human infection in small clusters, the Australian Catholic University has signalled it will require staff and students returning from an affected region to remain on leave until they gain medical clearance.

In the event of a pandemic, the university will shut down campuses, with the vice-chancellery building only staffed by four uninfected staff to monitor any communication. Macquarie University's staff health and safety manager, Michael Carley, said a crisis management plan would be activated in the event of a pandemic. However, he declined to reveal any specific details.

He said the university had identified and contacted students and staff travelling in Mexico, Canada and the US, with any non-essential travel to Mexico cancelled.

"The university … will continue to be guided by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing and the NSW Department of Health through integrated pandemic management plans."

A University of Sydney spokesman, Andrew Potter, said the university was monitoring an academic in Mexico, and one student on an exchange program in Monterrey. He said the issue of a pandemic or major disease outbreak had been considered with response strategies detailed in a crisis management handbook.

A spokesman for the University of Technology, Sydney, Robert Button, said a number of students were on exchange in Mexico as well as staff conducting research in Latin America.

A meeting involving deputy vice-chancellors, student services and occupational health and safety staff was held yesterday to discuss the response to a potential outbreak.

On Tuesday the Director General of Education, Michael Coutts-Trotter, sent a memo to all primary and secondary school principals and TAFE directors, advising them of guidelines to control the spread of infection.

Edit to add link: http://www.examiner.com.au/

All of this information is wonderful and bringing the articles here is great, but we need links, please.

Here ya go Muffy :

http://www.examiner.com.au/

Thanks Tib.  :thumleft:  I've added them to the articles.

Hi Muffy..... ::MonkeyDance::

Thank you Tib.....it is good to hear the reports from your area.

NY Swine Flu Cases at 51; 3 Possible Outside NYC

http://www.1010wins.com/The-Fight-Against-Swine-Flu/4295755

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP/1010 WINS)  -- The number of confirmed swine flu cases in New York rose to 51 Wednesday, and more schools closed because of concerns that students might have the virus. Tests were under way on the first three probable cases outside New York City.

City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said all those with confirmed cases in the city were recovering, including a
19-month-old baby who is hospitalized and a young woman who had been hospitalized and released.

"We have not seen any increase in the number of severely ill people,'' he said.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put the number of confirmed cases in New York state at 51, up from 45 the day before in the fast-evolving effort to track a disease that has proven deadly in Mexico.

Tests continue on Suffolk, Orange and Cortland county cases believed to have been caused by the same virus, state Health Commissioner Richard Daines said. One involves a worker at a long-term care facility in Orange County, prompting anti-viral treatment for as many as 70 workers and residents there.

All the confirmed New York City cases are associated either with travel to Mexico or with a large outbreak last week at a Catholic high school in Queens, Frieden said.

Hundreds of students fell ill there last week, but cases since have tapered off substantially, and the students are improving, he said.

That school, St. Francis Preparatory, is temporarily closed for the rest of the week, along with a nearby special education school where about 80 children called in sick.

After Frieden's briefing Wednesday, the Health Department said preliminary tests at the special education school had come back showing several probable swine flu cases there.

Two Brooklyn Catholic schools announced Wednesday they were closing because of suspected cases. The city did not ask them to do so, Frieden said.

A 10-year-old girl who attends JFK Elementary School in Deer Park is Suffolk County's first probable case of swine flu.

The girl has no connection to Mexico but attended a track meeting in Astoria over the weekend and came down with the symptoms Sunday. She was tested locally and found to be infected. However, test results are awaiting confirmation by the CDC.

Notifications went out to parents and classmates -- but her school remains open.
 

TM & Copyright 2009 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO & EYE Logo TM & Copyright 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. TheAssociated Press contributed to this report. 

Click on link to use this map with interactive feature....move mouse over countries to find
information:  http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-04-28-swine-flu_N.htm

(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d118/Sanddrops/SwineFlu1.jpg)

Yellowstone County prepares for Swine Flu
A never-before seen strain of Swine Flu has turned deadly in Mexico and is causing milder illness in the U.S. and across the globe.

World governments are now racing to find and contain pockets of the deadly virus face both the threat of a pandemic and public panic.

The virus is suspected in up to 152 deaths in Mexico while U.S. health officials are now reporting 50 Swine Flu cases, most of which are mild and none fatal.

Meanwhile, the government is shipping millions of doses of flu-fighting medicine to states along the Mexican border or where the virus has been detected.

So far, no cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Montana, but state health officials are testing several cases of influenza for the virus.

The Unified Health Command of Billings and Yellowstone County, which includes Billings Clinic, St. Vincent Health Care, and Riverstone Health, is also preparing for a possible outbreak by educating staff. 

RiverStone Health President and CEO Lil Anderson says that at this point, the influenza-like symptoms in the U.S. range from mild to moderate. 

The median age of the confirmed cases in the U.S. is 16, but the victims range from seven to 54 years old.   

In order to help prevent the spread of the disease experts say you should use a tissue to cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, wash your hands often, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and avoid touching your eyes.

The Centers for Disease Control will be sending Montana enough medicine to treat 25,000 people within a week.

http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=10261953

http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/testimony/testimony_1241017177339.shtm

Testimony by Secretary Napolitano to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and

Governmental Affairs on Federal Coordination in Response to the H1N1 Flu Outbreak
 
Release Date: April 29, 2009

Dirksen Senate Office Building



Also a thank you to San for helping put up the world map on the previous post... :2waver:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-swine-flu-orlando-theme-parks-042909,0,2124961.story


Swine flu another headache for Orlando theme parks
By Jason Garcia | Sentinel Staff Writer
2:44 PM EDT, April 29, 2009

http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/doctor_at_new_orleans_clinic_s.html


Doctor at New Orleans clinic suspects swine flu in boy, sample sent to state lab
by David Hammer, The Times-Picayune
Wednesday April 29, 2009, 6:38 PM

Swine Flu Concerns Shut Down Tennessee Valley Schools
Huntsville, Madison, Madison County Schools Closed til Monday
Denise Vickers News Director
April 29, 2009

http://www.whnt.com/whnt-swine-flu-madison-county-schools-closed,0,1233079.story


The school where two kids actually have swine flu is closed for 7 days.

Also at that site is a rather lengthy, wordy, long-winded news conference from Gov. Riley. 

Anna....I realized that these politicians do have the longest new conferences....LOL.  I have gone to links with a headline unless it is really important...!

Good night.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/30/swine.flu.outbreak/

WHO watching Spain for signs of flu transmission

Health agency counts 154 confirmed cases worldwide

Person-to-person transmission in Spain would signal new phase of outbreak

Thousands still streaming into hospitals in Mexico

President Obama calls on schools to close where necessary for safety

GENEVA, Switzerland (CNN) -- The number of confirmed swine flu cases worldwide has risen to 154, with six additional cases reported in Spain, the World Health Organization said Thursday.

 The WHO is troubled because in one of the 10 cases in Spain the virus was transmitted from person-to-person within the community.

The other nine infected people had returned from Mexico, where the crisis is most severe, according to WHO spokesman Dick Thompson.

If Spain sees more such cases of community transmission, the world body may have to elevate its pandemic alert to its highest level. Phase 6 is the pandemic phase and is characterized by a community-level outbreak in another country in a different WHO region.

Spain falls in a different region from the United States and Mexico -- the two countries that have until now shown human-to-human spread.

"The significance is that it's another phase," Thompson said. "The virus is becoming established in another area, another country."

But, Thompson added, the virus would have to show a sustained pattern of transmission in order for the level to be raised.  Watch how Mexican authorities are dealing with the outbreak »

"We're looking for intergenerational spread. So, that means from a traveler to a spouse to the butcher to the kindergarten, something like that -- through generations of spread in one community."

For now, the WHO's breakdown of confirmed cases is: United States, 91, including one death; Mexico, 26, seven deaths; Canada, 13; Spain, 10; United Kingdom, five; Germany, three; New Zealand, three; Israel, two; Austria, one.


Peru and Switzerland reported their first cases late Wednesday and early Thursday, respectively -- but they were not among the WHO's official tally.

Please note....this is a much longer article that can be read using the link above.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30491891//

New health threat system was slow to alert
Scores were dead before authorities were fully aware of swine flu outbreak
By David Brown
 
updated 5:52 a.m. ET, Thurs., April 30, 2009
WASHINGTON - Despite huge efforts in the past six years to make the reporting of disease outbreaks fast and automatic, there were significant delays in bringing Mexico's swine flu outbreak to the full attention of international authorities.

News of an outbreak of severe respiratory illness in Mexico burst into public consciousness last Friday, April 24.

That was 18 days after public health authorities there started looking into unusual cases of pneumonia in their country, eight days after Mexican authorities notified the World Health Organization of the growing outbreak and four days after the events came to the full attention of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Officials involved in pandemic preparedness at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, did not learn of the Mexican outbreak until the day the rest of the world did, April 24. They did know, however, that the CDC was investigating six rare cases of swine influenza in California and Texas.

As Mexican health authorities were finding cases of unusual illness, they at least once officially notified the WHO's regional office in Washington, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), of a possibly brewing epidemic. People in the WHO's Geneva headquarters also received several urgent warnings from a biosurveillance firm, Veratect, based in Kirkland, Wash.

The delay in making the global health community aware happened despite the adoption in 2005 of international health regulations requiring nations to report to the WHO within 24 hours any disease outbreak that is serious, unusual, at risk of spreading internationally or potentially disruptive of trade. By the time international authorities became fully aware of the outbreak, there were about 800 cases and at least 50 deaths, and the virus was unknowingly being carried into other countries.

What seems apparent is that the world health community's newly rebuilt, well-oiled — but never used — mechanism for warning the world about pandemics may have given nations far less lead time than intended.

Please note:  This is a much longer article that you can read by using the above link.

Swine flu in Alabama

Dozens of schools were closed and athletic activities halted Thursday as state and local officials tried to stop, or at least slow, the outbreak of the swine flu in Alabama and prepare for the possibility of more closings.


http://www.myfoxal.com/

State Health Officer Dr. Williamson gave morning press conference.  All school athletic events cancelled until further notice.

http://www.myfoxal.com/dpp/news/20090430_Swine_flu_in_Alabama

Better link to above information.

This is perhaps one of the most interesting articles.  It is a timeline documented by Veratect, a company that is worth reading about.  You can find information about them on line.  While much of the article is printed below, you might want to read from the link.

http://biosurveillance.typepad.com/biosurveillance/2009/04/swine-flu-in-mexico-timeline-of-events.html

Biosurveillance
Operational topics in biosurveillance


April 24, 2009
Swine Flu in Mexico- Timeline of Events
Introduction

At Veratect, we operate two operations centers based in the United States (one in the Washington, DC area and one in Seattle, WA) that provide animal and human infectious disease event detection and tracking globally.  Both operations centers are organizationally modeled after our National Weather Service using a distinct methodology inspired by the natural disaster and meteorology communities.  Our analysts handle information in the native vernacular language and have been thoroughly trained in their discipline, which include cultural-specific interpretation of the information.  We are currently partnered with 14 organizations that provide us with direct ground observations in 238 countries.  We are a multi-source, near-real time event detection and tracking organization with years of experience in this discipline.

March 30

Veratect reported that a 47-year-old city attorney for Cornwall was hospitalized in a coma at Ottawa General Hospital following a recent trip to Mexico.  Family members reported the individual voluntarily reported to the hospital after gradually feeling ill upon returning from his trip on 22 March.  The source stated that the hospital did not know the cause of illness.  The case was reportedly on a respirator and awaiting a blood transfusion, but sources did not provide symptoms or a suggested cause of illness. This information was available in our web portal to all clients, including CDC and multiple US state and local public health authorities, however no one had connected this man’s illness with a potential crisis in Mexico.

We have learned this case tested negative according to Canadian officials.  The only value this event would have had would have been to tip someone to take a closer look at where this individual traveled in Mexico, possibly stumbling on reports of 'unusual respiratory disease- we have absolutely no indication anyone did this, or if they did they found anything to prompt closer scrutiny.  We certainly didn't.

April 2

Local media source Imagen del Golfo reported that state health officials recorded a 15% increase in disease over an unspecified period in the highland areas of Veracruz, which includes La Gloria. The increase was primarily due to higher levels of upper respiratory disease and gastroenteritis. Specifically, officials noted an increase in pneumonia and bronchial pneumonia cases. Health officials attributed the increase to seasonal climate changes.

I would like to be clear here- we are aware local media sources apparently reported this on April 2nd, but we ourselves did not nor posted it on April 2nd.

April 6

Veratect reported local health officials declared a health alert due to a respiratory disease outbreak in La Gloria, Perote Municipality, Veracruz State, Mexico.  Sources characterized the event as a "strange" outbreak of acute respiratory infection, which led to bronchial pneumonia in some pediatric cases. According to a local resident, symptoms included fever, severe cough, and large amounts of phlegm. Health officials recorded 400 cases that sought medical treatment in the last week in La Gloria, which has a population of 3,000; officials indicated that 60% of the town’s population (approximately 1,800 cases) has been affected. No precise timeframe was provided, but sources reported that a local official had been seeking health assistance for the town since February.

Residents claimed that three pediatric cases, all under two years of age, died from the outbreak. However, health officials stated that there was no direct link between the pediatric deaths and the outbreak; they stated the three fatal cases were "isolated" and "not related" to each other.

Residents believed the outbreak had been caused by contamination from pig breeding farms located in the area. They believed that the farms, operated by Granjas Carroll, polluted the atmosphere and local water bodies, which in turn led to the disease outbreak. According to residents, the company denied responsibility for the outbreak and attributed the cases to "flu." However, a municipal health official stated that preliminary investigations indicated that the disease vector was a type of fly that reproduces in pig waste and that the outbreak was linked to the pig farms. It was unclear whether health officials had identified a suspected pathogen responsible for this outbreak.

And to be crystal clear, the way we used this information was to simply flag an event as worthy of closer scrutiny and higher awareness, as there was absolutely no proof of true involvement of this company in the outbreak- a proper epidemiological investigation is required to prove such links. 

Local health officials had implemented several control measures in response to the outbreak. A health cordon was established around La Gloria. Officials launched a spraying and cleaning operation that targeted the fly suspected to be the disease vector. State health officials also implemented a vaccination campaign against influenza, although sources noted physicians ruled out influenza as the cause of the outbreak. Finally, officials announced an epidemiological investigation that focused on any cases exhibiting symptoms since 10 March.

This information was available in our web portal to all clients, including CDC and multiple US state and local public health authorities.

We do know, after checking our web site logs, that the Pan American Health Organization, the WHO Regional Office of the Americas, accessed this specific report in our system on April 10th and again on April 11th.

April 16

Veratect reported the Oaxaca Health Department (SSO) indicated that an unspecified number of atypical pneumonia cases were detected at the Hospital Civil Aurelio Valdivieso in Reforma, Oaxaca State, Mexico.  No information was provided about symptoms or treatment for the cases.  NSS Oaxaca reported that rumors were circulating that human coronavirus was spreading at the hospital; sources did not provide any response to these statements from the hospital or health officials.   

Laboratory samples were sent to Mexico City for analysis; results were expected to be released sometime next week.  According to NSS Oaxaca, health officials had intensified preventive measures aimed at mitigating further spread of the disease.  Sources reported that the SSO also implemented a sanitary cordon around the hospital.         

This information was pushed to CDC in an email alert notification provided by Veratect on April 16 and April 17:

"16 Apr 2009 4:14 PM GMT     Respiratory Disease     Detailed     Mexico (Reforma, Oaxaca)  Reforma: Atypical Pneumonia Cases Reported at Hospital", sent at "April 16, 2009 10:08:06 AM PDT" and again at "April 17, 2009 10:08:06 AM PDT" to CDC and at "April 16, 2009 10:27:13 AM PDT" to the California State Department of Health.

April 20

Veratect was urgently asked to provide access to the VeraSight Global platform on 20 April by a client in the US public health community, and indicated they had received word from their counterparts in Canada that Mexican authorities had requested support.  This client speculated whether notification of all southern U.S. border states’ public health authorities should be done and were confused as to why the CDC had not issued an advisory.  Veratect contacted the CDC Emergency Operations Center to sensitize them about the situation in Mexico. CDC indicated they were already dealing with the crisis of recently detected H1N1 swine influenza in California and possibly Texas.

April 21

Veratect reported the Oaxaca Health Department (SSO) confirmed two adults died from atypical pneumonia at the Hospital Civil Aurelio Valdivieso in Oaxaca, Oaxaca State, Mexico.  One of the cases was a 39-year-old female; the other case was an adult male of unspecified age.  After the deaths, the hospital established a quarantine in the emergency room due to initial concerns that avian influenza was responsible for the cases.  However, the SSO subsequently stated that neither avian influenza nor coronaviruses, including that which causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), were the source of infection.  Additionally, the SSO denied the cases represented an epidemic.  According to local sources, the SSO indicated that the atypical pneumonia cases were caused by an unspecified bacterial pathogen and were treatable with antibiotics.  Sources indicated a total of 16 additional patients exhibited signs of respiratory infection; none of these patients exhibited complications.           

Veratect sources indicated the 39-year-old female was treated at the hospital for five days before dying on 13 April.  This case was reportedly immunocompromised; in addition to acute respiratory symptoms, she also had diabetes and diarrhea.  The SSO contacted 300 people that had been in contact with the woman; sources stated that between 33-61 contacts exhibited symptoms of respiratory disease, but none showed severe complications.  The SSO characterized the incident as an "isolated case;" they noted that over 5,000 cases of pneumonia occur annually in Oaxaca. 

Another local source reported the SSO launched surveillance measures in the former residential areas of the two fatal cases and in other targeted geographic areas.  No additional information was provided regarding the second fatal case at the hospital.   

Veratect reported that the Oaxaca State Congress Permanent Committee on Health had undertaken an investigation into the cases.  The committee inspected the Hospital Civil Aurelio Valdivieso on 20 April.  The director of the medical school at the University Autónoma "Benito Juárez" de Oaxaca (UABJO), along with other medical academics, publicly requested that national health authorities investigate the cases of atypical pneumonia.  No information was provided indicating that national health authorities plan to investigate the matter.  The director of the medical school also requested the SSO furnish evidence showing that the cases were negative for avian influenza, SARS, and other severe pathogens; his request was echoed by readers commenting on an online user forum.         

Veratect also reported the National Ministry of Health issued a health alert due to a significant increase in influenza cases during the spring season in Mexico.  Officials indicated that there have been 14 influenza outbreaks throughout the country.  The most heavily affected states are Baja California, Chihuahua, Distrito Federal (Mexico City), Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, and Veracruz.  Local case counts were not provided. 

Officials stated that 4,167 probable cases of influenza, 313 of which were confirmed, have been reported throughout the country in 2009.  Case counts for suspected and confirmed influenza cases have tripled in 2009 as compared to the equivalent time period in 2008.  The National Institute of Respiratory Diseases recorded two fatal cases of influenza in 2009, but specific dates and locations were not provided.   

Health officials stated they were unsure precisely why the incidence of influenza had increased.  However, they believed the increased presence of influenza B, in combination with influenza A, was a contributing factor.  In response, officials advised anyone exhibiting influenza symptoms to avoid self-medication and seek medical care immediately.  Officials had also enhanced epidemiological surveillance for influenza.  Lastly, health officials had focused efforts on providing antiviral medications and influenza vaccinations to the most vulnerable segments of the population.  According to the Mexican Ministry of Health, 44.3% of the national population was vaccinated against influenza in 2005-2006.

Veratect sensitized the International Federation of Red Cross who in turn requested broader access be provided to the Pan-American Disaster Response Unit (PADRU).  Veratect moved to notify several US state and local public health authorities, providing the caveat the situation in Mexico remained unclear due to pending laboratory results.  Veratect reached out to World Health Organization (WHO) operations, informing them the Veratect team was on an alert posture and available for situational awareness support.  They indicated they and their subordinate, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) were now aware of the situation but had no further information.  Veratect also extended contact to the British Columbia Center for Disease Control and offered assistance in tracking the events in Mexico.  All contacts indicated laboratory results were pending.

April 22

Veratect reported the Oaxaca Health Department (SSO) indicated 16 employees at the Hospital Civil Aurelio Valdivieso in Oaxaca, Oaxaca State, Mexico had contracted respiratory disease.  However, the SSO denied these cases were connected to the recently identified cases of atypical pneumonia at the hospital.  No information was provided indicating how many employees work at the hospital or whether the number of respiratory disease cases was higher than average.  The source reported that "fear" persisted among hospital physicians concerning the possible presence of a deadly bacteria or virus circulating in the hospital.  One anonymous hospital employee criticized hospital management as "unfair" for not providing clear information regarding the first fatal atypical pneumonia case.

An additional source reported the cause of the atypical pneumonia cases remained unknown; it stated that bacteria or virus could have caused the cases.  In contrast, according to an 18 April report, the SSO indicated that the atypical pneumonia cases were caused by an unspecified bacterial pathogen and were treatable with antibiotics.  The reason for this discrepancy was unclear at this time.

The Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), a national health entity, had now joined the SSO in responding to the cases; reports did not indicate the Mexican National Ministry of Health had joined in the response efforts.  The IMSS extended the sanitary cordon surrounding the hospital.  Patients exhibiting flu-like symptoms would be sent to the hospital’s epidemiology department for further study.  IMSS instructed physicians to hospitalize respiratory disease patients immediately if they meet certain standards for severity of symptoms.  Lastly, the hospital’s emergency room would remain closed for an additional 15 days so that cleaning and preventive disinfection could be carried out.

Veratect also reported the Mexican Ministry of Health indicated that an "unusual" outbreak of laboratory-confirmed influenza caused five deaths from 17-19 April 2009 in Mexico City, Mexico.  The deaths occurred at the following three hospitals: el Hospital de la Secretaría de Salud (2), el Institute Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias (2), and el Hospital Ángeles del Pedregal (1).  According to unofficial sources, the fatal case count was higher than that provided by officials.  There were currently 120 influenza cases hospitalized throughout Mexico City.  National health officials indicated that influenza vaccines were sold out in Mexico City and that they were attempting to acquire additional supplies of the vaccine.   

At this point, the Mexican Health Secretary reportedly stated there was an influenza epidemic in Mexico City and throughout the rest of the county.  In response to the cases, the official stated health authorities would launch a public awareness and vaccination campaigns.  He stated that 400,000 vaccines would be administered, primarily to medical staff; it was unclear whether these efforts would be focused on Mexico City or any other geographic area.  Health officials also ordered the provision of special masks, gloves, and gowns for medical personnel that were in contact with influenza cases.   

A total of 13 fatal cases of influenza were reported in Mexico City in the past three weeks.  However, several other media sources reported that the 13 deaths were recorded since 18 March 2009; the reason for this discrepancy was unclear.  Sources reported a total of 20 fatal cases of influenza throughout Mexico over the disputed timeframe.  The other cases were located in San Luis Potosí (4), Baja California (2), and Oaxaca (1).  The Director of Epidemiology at the National Center for Epidemiological Surveillance and Disease Control characterized the outbreak as "quite unusual."

No information was provided indicating that the strain of influenza itself was unusual.  Rather, several sources indicated that it was "unusual" to record this many fatal influenza cases during this time of year.  Influenza cases normally peak from October to February, while these cases had occurred during Mexico’s spring season.

Canada announced a national alert for travelers returning from Mexico with respiratory disease, beginning a campaign of public media announcements. Potentially ill contacts were identified returning from Mexico and isolated in Canada.  Internet blogs begin to spin up.  CDC indicates concern about the events unfolding in Mexico.  Veratect sensitizes the US community physician social network managed by Ozmosis.

April 23

Veratect reported the Secretary General of the Oaxaca Ministry of Health Workers Union confirmed that a doctor and a nurse from the Hospital Civil Aurelio Valdivieso in Oaxaca, Oaxaca State, Mexico were under observation for suspected "atypical" pneumonia.  This contradicted statements made by the Oaxaca Health Department (SSO) on 22 April that 16 hospital employees contracted respiratory disease, but none of the cases exhibited atypical pneumonia. 

The union official stated that a review by the Oaxaca State Board of Medical Arbitration indicated that the hospital faced serious difficulties caused by overcrowding; he stated that overcrowded conditions created a "breeding ground" for the spread of various epidemics.  According to the official, the hospital has 120 beds but the number of patients hospitalized had at times surpassed 240.       

Other sources reported that the Department of Livestock, Fisheries, Rural Development, and Feed (SAGARPA) declared on 20 April that Oaxaca, Mexico was free of avian influenza.  SAGARPA stated that authorities should remain vigilant in monitoring for the disease among birds.   

Canadian local health officials stated that a Rouge Valley resident with influenza-like illness was being monitored at Scarborough Centenary Hospital in Scarborough, Ontario.  The precaution was being taken in accordance with an alert issued by the Ministry of Health asking hospitals to watch for severe respiratory illnesses in travelers returning from Mexico.  Despite the warning, the Ministry had indicated that evidence is not suggestive of a novel pathogen or influenza strain, according to the source.  A representative for the Rouge Valley Health System stated that this case is being monitored related to the alert.  The source did not specifically indicate symptoms or that the person had traveled to Mexico.  No additional information regarding the case, including age or health status, was reported.   

The source stated that hospital employees were asking any patients admitted to the hospital if they had recently traveled to Mexico, which according to the source was a popular tourist destination for Durham-region residents.

Additional Canadian sources indicated Southlake Regional Health Centre officials treated a patient with influenza-like illness (ILI) who recently returned from Mexico.  The Ministry of Health recently notified Southlake, in addition to health units across the country, that an outbreak of severe respiratory disease was affecting areas of Mexico; ill travelers returning from that region with ILI symptoms were encouraged to be monitored.  Sources did not provide any specific information about the case, including age or current treatment status.  Information regarding the individual’s travel to Mexico was also not provided, including destinations and duration of time in country.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) noted that an Ontario resident who returned from Mexico on 22 March experienced severe respiratory illness, but has fully recovered and was not considered connected to the current situation.  Veratect recently reported on 30 March that a public official from Cornwall, Ontario was hospitalized with an unknown illness following a trip to Mexico; however, it is unclear if the cases are related, or if this was the case referenced by PHAC officials.   

Veratect assesses the situation and notes the following:

Affected areas:

Oaxaca, Distrito Federal, San Luis Potosí, Baja California

Distance to nearest international airport:

•    Oaxaca airport, located approximately 150 miles from Reforma, is connected via non-stop air traffic to Houston
•    Mexico City (Distrito Federal) airport is connected via non-stop air traffic to many cities in the US, Canada, Europe and Latin America, with the most outbound traffic to Los Angeles, Frankfurt, Houston, Dallas, and Amsterdam
•    San Luis Potosí airport is connected via non-stop air traffic to Dallas and Houston
•    Mexicali airport in Baja California is connected via non-stop traffic to Los Angeles
•    Veracruz airport is connected via non-stop air traffic to Houston

Large mass gatherings:

Semana Santa (April  ~April 3 – 12, Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday), which is Mexico’s second largest holiday.  Mexico’s population is approximately 90% Catholic, which results in substantial population migration patterns during this time period.  For instance, in Ixtapalapa (in Mexico City), one million people visit for Semana Santa.  Other well-known sites for the holiday include Pátzcuaro, San Cristobal de las Casas (Chiapas), and Taxco.  Veratect notes substantial population migration has just occurred that could facilitate the spread of respiratory disease.

Civil Unrest:

The recent surge in organized crime and drug-related violence in Mexico, including homicides, kidnappings, extortion, and theft, has disproportionately impacted Mexican states along the Pacific Coast and U.S.-Mexico border.  This factor may confound situational awareness of respiratory disease in Mexico and contribute to problems in epidemiological investigation and response measures.  Baja California is one of five states within this region that currently accounts for more than 75 percent of Mexico's drug-related homicides, and has recorded high levels of drug seizures and police corruption cases. Veracruz, a state with high drug cartel activity in the Gulf of Mexico, has recorded little violence, while the state of Oaxaca to the southwest, recently recorded the assassination of a political party leader. Mexico City, in the center of the country, recently arrested a major drug cartel leader, and recorded few homicides this month. The levels of unrest in Hidalgo, San Luis Potosi, and Tlaxcala, however, are very low, and have not reported a single homicide related to organized crime in the past month.


Veratect issues notification to additional public health authorities in two states.  Veratect reaches out to the Pan American Health Organization emergency operations team but is unable to establish contact.  Veratect notes no publicly available English language reporting from ProMED, HealthMap, FluNET, CDC, ECDC, or WHO about the unfolding events in Mexico.  Many of Veratect’s clients, including Canadian, ask why an alert has not been issued by the US to sensitize their healthcare community.

April 24

Veratect continues to process a dramatic increase in reporting on the situation in Mexico.

WHO requests access to the Veratect system.  Veratect is aware of laboratory samples from Mexico are positive for “swine flu” H1N1, a novel virus.  World media are now aware of the situation in Mexico.  CDC issues a press statement, as does WHO.

Veratect notifies the private US clinical laboratory community and activates a Twitter feed (twitter.com/veratect) to enable more rapid updating of information.


Note....there are further comments and questions by other individuals at the end of this
information.  Please use link above to access.

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

109 confirmed
11 states

U.S. Human Cases of Swine 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 cases 1 death
TOTAL COUNTS 109 cases 1 death
International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization 

The above post did not format correctly.  Texas should show 26 cases and 1 death.

http://www.pandemicflu.gov/index.html

Join us at 1:00PM EDT for a Webcast on H1N1 Flu

HHS Secretary Sebelius and DHS Secretary Napolitano will host a Webcast to answer questions from the American people regarding the H1N1 flu on Thursday at 1:00 PM EDT. They will be joined by Acting Director of CDC, Dr. Besser. The Webcast can be viewed at www.hhs.gov and www.cdc.gov. Submit questions for the webcast by emailing hhsstudio@hhs.gov.

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2009/04/27/daily90.html

Ga. gets first confirmed case of swine flu
Atlanta Business Chronicle

A 30-year-old woman visiting Georgia has become the Peach State’s first confirmed case of swine flu.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the office of Gov. Sonny Perdue confirmed Georgia’s first case of H1N1 flu. The unnamed woman is at a hospital in LaGrange.

“I want to stress that it is an isolated case appearing in a woman visiting our state for an event who had also recently traveled to Mexico,” Perdue said in a statement to the press. “The state of Georgia has worked diligently over the past several years to prepare for a situation like this, and we are partnering with local and federal officials to respond appropriately. I encourage Georgians to follow the advice of public health professionals and take the recommended precautions to protect themselves and their families. At this stage, the simplest things -- washing hands and using disinfectants -- can be the most effective safeguards.”

Masks sell out and airport fever checks for swine flu

Article from: The Courier-Mail

Renee Viellaris, Stefanie Balogh, Janelle Miles and Peter Michael

May 01, 2009 12:00am

SHOPS are running out of surgical masks, with people panic buying amid fears of a swine flu outbreak as Australia ramps up its border security.

While no cases have so far been confirmed in Australia, it appears many people believe it is only a matter of time.

More than 100 Australians have been tested for the potentially deadly virus, as federal and state governments prepare to step up a co-ordinated crisis plan.

In Queensland, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Cairns were among eight Australian airports that would begin screening for elevated body temperature, which helps identify the sick.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the world has to look out for outbreaks of the swine flu virus in the southern hemisphere, as the region heads into the winter months.

WHO acting assistant director-general Keiji Fukuda pointed out the swine flu virus had been behaving like a typical influenza virus.

As such, it could have a bigger impact on countries that are heading into winter.

Chemists on the NSW Central Coast and parts of Sydney were reportedly running out of masks.

Health officials said there was no need for drastic action at this stage.

In Mexico, the embassy has told all Australians to gather two weeks worth of supplies, while local authorities have shut down places where people gather such as cinemas and restaurants for at least a week.

Australian Jesse Inglis said from his apartment in Mexico City that supermarkets and pharmacies were virtually the only stores open and all staff wore surgical masks and gloves.

He said the local Burger King was open but not allowing anyone to sit down inside. Instead, meals were brought out to take away.

"It's as though all life in Mexico is dying," Mr Inglis said.

"It's paralysed the city, a lot of silence on the street now. The mayor of the city has just shut down absolutely everything. People are in a bit of a panic."

Back home, all passengers entering the country will have to fill out health declaration cards. However, those who lie about being ill will not be penalised.

Premier Anna Bligh said the State Government was working hard to ensure Queensland was ready.

"Now is the time for us to be working very hard to ensure we are prepared for this and ready to respond if we do see this escalate," Ms Bligh said after a Council of Australian Government's meeting in Tasmania yesterday.

"Given the incubation time is around seven to 10 days, I think the next couple of weeks will give us a much clearer picture of what we can expect here in Australia and in Queensland."

Queensland Health director-general Mick Reid, who worked in China during the deadly SARS outbreak, said the state's medical system was "ready and prepared".

Queensland Health placed nurses at Brisbane, Cairns and Gold Coast airports as border surveillance measures were stepped up to detect sick people arriving.

Thermal scanners will be used at the airports to identify passengers who have fevers.

Also, pilots of all international flights – not just those from the Americas – are required to report any people who were ill.

Late yesterday, 19 people in Queensland were awaiting test results for swine flu, a type of influenza A.

The final two passengers on the same flight as three New Zealanders who have tested positive to swine flu were tracked down and given a course of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu.

Police had to be called in to help find the pair, who were on a Los Angeles to Auckland flight with the NZ cases and then travelled on to Brisbane on Saturday.

Health authorities in NSW said they had been inundated with people concerned about swine flu, with 85 people currently being tested for the virus.

Mr Reid said "millions and millions" of doses of anti-viral drug Tamiflu had been stockpiled in major hospitals.

"We have more than adequate supplies and if there is an outbreak, more supplies can be flown in within a matter of hours," he said.

On a tour of Cairns International Airport and Cairns Base Hospital yesterday morning, Mr Reid said airline pilots flying into Australia were obliged to assess and report any passengers with flu-like symptoms.

Under new quarantine measures, officials have the power to detain and hold people with flu-like symptoms.

Medical experts said any confirmed cases were likely to be isolated in home or hotel detention unless they needed urgent medical attention. Infectious disease specialist Enzo Binotto said isolation wards had been identified within the state's hospitals in the event of a pandemic.

Mr Rudd said leaders would do "whatever necessary" to keep the disease from spreading and urged Australians to wash their hands.

Aussie tourists in Mexico left without masks

AUSTRALIAN tourists in Mexico are going without protective face masks as supplies in the capital dwindle.

With a full-blown flu pandemic imminent, Aussie backpackers have to gamble their health with every sightseeing trip.

Sydney ski shop worker Ellen Smith, 25, arrived in Mexico City this week to find pharmacies were out of masks.

She and fellow traveller Josh had no choice but to scrub up as often as they could.

"We're being really vigilant about washing our hands and hand-to-mouth contact – normal precautions against the flu," Ms Smith said.

Officials in the Mexican capital have issued masks to about one in five of the city's 20 million residents in a bid to halt the spread of swine flu. They are also handing out disinfectant wipes on the streets.

But some tourists have had to scour the city for a mask.

The Courier-Mail tried to buy masks from four pharmacies in the city yesterday. All had sold out.

World Vision this week warned of a shortage.

"Most places have run out of masks and similar products since everyone is trying to get them," World Vision's emergency director in Mexico City, Aldo Pontecorvo, said.

"Also, the type of mask most people are using needs to be changed every four hours or so to be useful, so this also creates the needs for many, many masks per person."

Ms Smith feared becoming stranded. "We're mainly worried about other countries closing their borders and being stuck here," she said.

Fellow traveller Teboni Carlisle, 25, from Melbourne, learned of the outbreak the night before she arrived.

Although she wears a mask, she said she felt unaffected by the threat. "People tell you to worry about it but we haven't really seen anything much except people walking around in masks," she said.

People who cancelled overseas trips because of swine flu stood to lose their money, the Insurance Council of Australia said yesterday.

"Most (travel insurance) policies do not cover cancellation as a result of government prohibiting or advising against travel to a particular destination or changing a travel advice," the ICA said.

 
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25411132-952,00.html

http://media.myfoxal.com/live/index.html

Dr Williamson State Health Officer and Mayor of Birmingham giving the second live press conference today.  We have two confirmed cases in Madison and 1 in Montgomery County right now and yet are not listed on WHO list.

Next press conference is for 11 a.m. tomorrow.

Why do they have two press conferences in one day and keep telling us not to panic?

http://www.thepath.fm/news/newsitem.cfm?id=36615

Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky Dealing With Swine Flu Cases

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indiana's health department has received more test results on suspected swine flu cases, but no new instances of the illness have yet been confirmed.

Health department spokeswoman Melissa Dexter says the agency has decided to only release to the public the number of confirmed cases of the virus because it doesn't want to cause panic.

So far, Indiana has had one confirmed swine flu case _ that of a University of Notre Dame student who has since recovered.

Dexter said today the state will release no further information on how many suspected swine flu samples are being analyzed.

On Tuesday, the state health commissioner said Indiana had submitted about 30 suspected swine flu viral samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for analysis.

Swine-flu worries in Ohio have prompted a parochial school near Cleveland to close until Monday.

St. Felicitas School in Euclid called off Thursday and Friday classes after a student's mother reported she has flu-like symptoms. Swine flu has not been confirmed and the mother hasn't been to the school since developing symptoms.

Officials say the school with an enrollment of a little over 400 is acting out of caution and will sanitize the building.

There's been only one confirmed case of swine flu in Ohio, a 9-year-old boy who is recovering at his home in Elyria southwest of Cleveland. His school called off classes for this week.

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear says a woman who is hospitalized in Georgia with the swine flu is from Warren County.

Beshear said officials from the Barren River Health District are investigating to determine whether any contact of the patient may be ill or in need of treatment.

The head of Georgia's Division of Public Health said Thursday a 30-year-old woman from Kentucky who had traveled to LaGrange in west Georgia had fallen ill. She had been in Cancun, Mexico earlier this month.

Swine flu has symptoms nearly identical to regular flu _ fever, cough and sore throat _ and spreads like regular flu, through tiny particles in the air, when people cough or sneeze.

People with flu symptoms are advised to stay at home, wash their hands and cover their sneezes.

http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/ppe/masksrespirators.html

 



On this page:

About surgical masks and surgical N95 respirators
When to use surgical masks and surgical N95 respirators
Types of masks and respirators used in patient care
Choosing between surgical masks and surgical N95 respirators
Non-medical respirators

What you should know before using surgical masks and surgical N95 respirators

Find all FDA-cleared surgical masks and surgical N95 respirators



Surgical masks and surgical N95 respirators are disposable devices that cover the mouth and nose during medical procedures. They help protect the caregiver and patient against microorganisms, body fluids, and small particles in the air.

Surgical masks and surgical N95 respirators are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FDA evaluates the performance of these devices in areas including fluid resistance and filtration efficiency to ensure that they are at least as safe and effective as similar devices already on the market. FDA encourages manufacturers to follow specific performance standards for their masks, and FDA also requires that these products be produced using good manufacturing practices.

Respirators may also be certified by NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) in accordance with regulations in 42 CFR part 84. When a mask is both cleared by FDA as a surgical mask and certified by NIOSH as an N95 respirator mask, FDA calls it a "surgical N95 respirator."

For more information, see FDA’s Role in Regulating PPE.



When to use surgical masks and surgical N95 respirators

Use surgical masks and surgical N95 respirators to cover your mouth and nose when you may be splattered by or exposed to someone else’s body fluids (such as blood, respiratory secretions, vomit, urine or feces).



Types of masks and respirators used in patient care

Surgical masks

include masks labeled as surgical, laser, isolation, dental, or medical procedure masks
help protect against microorganisms, body fluids, and large particles in the air
are designed to cover the mouth and nose loosely; not sized for individual fit
help prevent exposure to the wearer’s saliva and respiratory secretions
are made of soft materials and are comfortable to wear
are usually packaged in boxes of single-use masks

Surgical N95 respirators

are surgical masks that are designed to protect against small droplets of respiratory fluids and other airborne particles in addition to all the protection of surgical masks
fit closely to form a tight seal over the mouth and nose
require fit-testing and must be adjusted to your face to provide intended effectiveness
may be uncomfortable due to tight fit
are usually packaged as single devices or in boxes of single-use devices
 

Choosing between surgical masks and surgical N95 respirators

CDC recommends the use of surgical masks or surgical N95 respirators based on the ways that specific diseases are transmitted. For more information about CDC recommendations, see Infection Control in Healthcare Settings.

Choose a surgical mask to

help protect yourself if you may be splattered by someone else's body fluids (such as blood, respiratory secretions, vomit, urine or feces).
help protect others if you are performing surgery, are caring for an open wound, or if you are sick.
 
Choose a surgical N95 respirator to provide the same protections as a surgical mask AND

help protect yourself if you will be exposed to very small particles (e.g., fine aerosolized droplets) such as those produced by coughing.
care for persons with known or suspected pulmonary and laryngeal tuberculosis per Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations.

Non-medical respirators

FDA regulates as devices those respirators and other articles that are intended for use in preventing or treating infectious disease. There are a variety of respirators available for various occupational exposures that do not make medical claims and are not regulated by FDA. Many of these respirators are intended to filter out particles of dust and mist from wood, metal, and masonry work. Non-medical respirators are available from many sources including hardware stores and online. Non-medical respirators may look very similar to one another and to respirators that are regulated by FDA. However, there are differences among these respirators and between these non-medical respirators and respirators that have been cleared by FDA as surgical N95 respirators.

Only respirators that have passed specific testing by NIOSH may be labeled as NIOSH-certified. Each NIOSH-certified respirator contains a rating, such as N95, which refers to its certified level of filtration efficiency. If a non-medical respirator is not labeled as NIOSH-certified, it has not been evaluated by the government to determine whether or not it works.

Although NIOSH-certified nonmedical respirators have met filtration efficiency requirements, they are not subject to the additional requirements of FDA-cleared surgical N95 respirators (i.e. fluid and flammability resistance).

Additional Information About Respirators for Public Health Emergencies
 
What you should know before using surgical masks and surgical N95 respirators
The use of surgical masks and surgical N95 respirators alone will not fully protect you from acquiring an infection. Other infection control practices such as hand-washing, isolating infected patients, and practicing appropriate coughing etiquette, are also important to minimize your risk of infection.
 
Surgical N95 respirators must be fit properly. A surgical N95 respirator that has not been fitted properly may leave unprotected gaps between the respirator and your face. These gaps will impair the respirator’s effectiveness. Facial hair or unusual facial features make it difficult to fit surgical N95 respirators properly.
 
Be aware that surgical masks are not fit-tested to your face and may leave unprotected gaps between the mask and your face.
 
Be aware that masks lose their protective properties and must be changed when they become wet from saliva or respiratory secretions.

Know that surgical masks and surgical N95 respirators are not tested against specific microorganisms and should not claim to prevent specific diseases.

See CDC recommendations for using surgical masks and surgical N95 respirators in the care of patients needing isolation precautions (Guidelines for Isolation Precautions in Hospitals).

Never reuse surgical masks or surgical N95 respirators.
Never wash or disinfect surgical masks or surgical N95 respirators.
Never share surgical masks or surgical N95 respirators with others.

See About PPE for information on disposing of surgical masks and surgical N95 respirators.


Find all FDA-cleared surgical masks and surgical N95 respirators
FDA’s  website lets you search for medical devices that FDA has cleared or approved, including personal protective equipment.

Search for all FDA-cleared surgical masks

Search for all FDA-cleared surgical N95 respirators


CDRH Home Page | CDRH A-Z Index | Contact CDRH | Accessibility | Disclaimer
FDA Home Page | Search FDA Site | FDA A-Z Index | Contact FDA | HHS Home Page

Center for Devices and Radiological Health / CDRH

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/ 


H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
H1N1 Flu website last updated May 1, 2009, 11:00 AM ET

U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection
(As of May 1, 2009, 11:00 AM ET) 

States
# of laboratory confirmed cases Deaths

Arizona 4   
California 13   
Colorado 2   
Delaware 4   
Illinois 3   
Indiana 3   
Kansas 2   
Kentucky 1   
Massachusetts 2   
Michigan 2   
Minnesota 1   
Nebraska 1   
Nevada 1   
New Jersey 5   
New York 50   
Ohio 1   
South Carolina 16   
Texas 28 1
Virginia 2   
TOTAL COUNTS 141 cases 1 death

International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization 

CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to an expanding outbreak caused by H1N1 (swine flu). CDC’s response 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 this emergency.

CDC continues to issue and update interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation. Early this morning, CDC provided interim guidance on school closures. Supplies from CDC’s Division of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) are being sent to all 50 states and U.S. territories to help them respond to the outbreak. In addition, the Federal Government and manufacturers have begun the process of developing a vaccine against this new virus.

Response actions are aggressive, but they may vary across states and communities depending on local circumstances. Communities, businesses, places of worship, schools and individuals can all take action to slow the spread of this outbreak. People who are sick are urged to stay home from work or school and to avoid contact with others, except to seek medical care. This action can avoid spreading illness further.

CDC: H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) Infections Alert for Institutions of Higher Education

CDC has identified cases of H1N1 influenza virus infection in people in a number of states. CDC is working with local and state health agencies to investigate these cases.

The same virus has been found in people in Mexico, the United States and Canada and is being reported in other countries as well. Symptoms for H1N1 flu have included fever, headache, upper respiratory tract symptoms (cough, sore throat, rhinorrhea), myalgia, fatigue, vomiting, or diarrhea.    Illnesses among persons infected with H1N1 flu virus have mostly been treated at home, but some cases have been hospitalized and deaths have been reported.  It is anticipated that many more cases, including cases that require hospitalizations and some that result in death, will occur.  Most people will not have immunity to this new virus and, as it continues to spread, more cases are expected in the coming days and weeks. 

Read full article>>


 

For more information on H1N1 situation, please visit PandemicFlu.gov



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The link to the above article is:  http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/college-alert.htm

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentSwineFluMexico.aspx

CDC: Updated Travel Health Warning: H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) and Severe Cases of Respiratory Illness in Mexico -- Avoid Nonessential Travel to Mexico


Current Situation
As of April 28, 2009, the Government of Mexico has reported 26 confirmed human cases of  H1N1 flu (swine flu), including seven deaths. Investigation is continuing to clarify the spread and severity of the disease in Mexico. The World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Alert and Response Network (GOARN), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have sent experts to Mexico to work with health authorities. CDC has confirmed that seven of 14 respiratory specimens sent to CDC by the Mexican National Influenza Center are positive for influenza A (H1N1) and are similar to the swine influenza viruses recently identified in the United States.

On April 25, the WHO Director-General declared this event a Public Health Emergency of International Concern under the rules of the International Health Regulations. CDC and state public and animal health authorities are currently investigating the outbreak in the United States. Click here to see today’s case count. Some of the U.S. cases have been linked to travel to Mexico. CDC is concerned that continued travel by U.S. travelers to Mexico presents a serious risk for their health and the health of others during travel and after they return to the United States.

Read full article>>   Use link above


 

For more information on H1N1 situation, please visit PandemicFlu.gov







 

http://www.emergencyemail.org/newsemergency/anmviewer.asp?a=368&z=1

The above link is to Government Issued Guidance on Facility Closure: School Dismissal
and Childcare

The article is dated May 1, 2009 and can be read from the above link.

Mere,

Thank you for staying on top of all the updates.

One thing that concerns me greatly is that there are three confirmed cases in Alabama as of yesterday and hundreds of specimens sent for testing.  And yet, Alabama is not even listed on the CDC list of states with confirmed cases.


Now this could happen if the testing was done here instead of sending to the CDC and there is a lag in reporting.  But if this is the case here, I have to wonder if there are not many more cases in many more states also not listed.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090501/ap_on_he_me/med_swine_flu

AP:  MEXICO'S EPIDEMIOLOGY BOSS FAULTS WHO
By Andrew O. Selsky, AP Writer - 21 Minutes ago

Anna....I think the following statement in the AP article above will help us understand that these guys do not count like we do:

"In the United States, the confirmed case count stood at 132. State lab operators say there are more cases than the confirmed number because they are not testing all suspected cases, focusing on finding new outbreak hot spots and limiting the flu's spread."

http://news.yahoo/s/ap/20090501/ap_on_me/med_swine_flu

Sorry Anna....bad link I guess....Here is a copy and paste of the post on the bottom of page four
and that article on Mexico Blames WHO contains the paragraph on how State Lab Operators are
checking and counting....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090501/ap_on_he_me/med_swine_flu

AP:  MEXICO'S EPIDEMIOLOGY BOSS FAULTS WHO
By Andrew O. Selsky, AP Writer - 21 Minutes ago

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-swine-flu-tracker-map,0,2301019.framedurl

While reading at the orlando sentinel, I found an interactive map showing cases around the
world.  I cannot tell you how updated the material is, but this is the first map (like this) that
I have found.

It is exceeding difficult to find actual numbers of cases as each case must be confirmed by
the CDC.  The CDC, at this time, is publishing it's numbers one a day....around 11 a.m.

Please add to this thread with articles from your area.  Thank you.

FOX NEWS.....covering Swine Flu....Janet Napolitano...

Note....wish San were here....I am not good with this kind of coverage....

National Guard handling security for some drugs
Moving 11 million courses to the States
Travel Advisory for non-essential travel to Mexico
She does not think that the actual number is not relevant....as much as the number of States.

Education Secretary....

430 schools closed...less that 1/2 of 1%
if there is a case in a school, CDC recommends closure of school
teachers may be able to provide information for students at home

Janet Napolitano - want kids home when schools are closed....trying to stop the
movement of swine flu from person to person.

DHS is preparing for situation to go to Level 6
Everyone has a role

In 19 States...confirmed cases

2 confirmed cases in Florida
Others are being checked

Interviewing Loyola - Chicago student with flu who is now with parents in Missouri - was very ill with high fever (102) - roommates iced him down.

END

Sorry....do not know how to delete a word....if a mod is around, please delete that error.
Thank you.

Canada swine flu cases rise to 47

VANCOUVER, Canada (AFP) — Canada raised its number of swine flu cases to 47 Friday with patients being treated coast to coast of the vast country.

Gordon Campbell, premier of westernmost British Columbia province, said a total of 15 cases had been identified in the province, four more than previously announced.

"All of them are relatively mild (cases)," he said, adding the infected people were recovering or had already recovered.

But he warned: "Unfortunately we may see some deaths. It's important for us to recognize that."

Two cases were also detected in neighboring Alberta province, the hub of Canada's oil industry, said local authorities. Public broadcaster CBC said one of two infected Alberta women had traveled to Mexico.

Six new mild cases of H1N1 human swine influenza were also reported in easternmost Nova Scotia province. All of them were connected to an outbreak at a local school that recently welcomed back students from a Mexican vacation.

"These new numbers are what we expected," said Robert Strang, chief public health officer for Nova Scotia.

Earlier, eastern New Brunswick province also reported its first case of swine flu.

Canada has now recorded the third highest number of cases of swine flu after the epicenter Mexico, and the United States.

Canada's breakdown of cases is: 14 in Nova Scotia, eight in Ontario, one in New Brunswick and one in Quebec in the east of the country, eight in Alberta and 15 in British Columbia to the west.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g5FIT-Duo67IEiIR4D4KqQXz2agA

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090430/D97T2ALO1.html


State labs: US swine flu cases likely higher
 
 
 Email this Story

Apr 30, 6:25 PM (ET)

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE
 
(AP) Microbiologist Gilbert Ortiz, left, handles samples while testing for swine flu along with lead...

 

MILWAUKEE (AP) - A hundred cases of swine flu in the U.S.? Health officials say there are likely more. Just how many is not important, they say. As the world faces a potential pandemic, swamped labs are not testing all possible cases. Getting an exact tally has taken a back seat to finding new outbreak hot spots or ways to limits its spread, health officials said.

"The specimens are coming in faster than they can possibly be tested," said Dr. Jeffrey P. Davis, state epidemiologist in Wisconsin, where a lab helped spot the nation's first known case, in a 10-year-old boy from San Diego.

New York, which has more cases than any other U.S. location, also has had to limit the samples it tests, said Dr. Don Weiss of that city's health department.

"Sure, we'd want to diagnose every case, but we don't have that resource," he said. Instead of trying to confirm every sign of the virus, "we're focused on where else is it going and how do we prevent it."

 
(AP) Microbiologist Gilbert Ortiz handles samples while testing for swine flu at the Houston Department...
Full Image
 
 
On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will start shipping kits so states can do their own swine flu tests. Until now, state labs could only rule out previously known flu strains and send suspicious samples to CDC.

With the new kits from CDC, states will be able to declare presumed swine flu cases, allowing doctors to start treatment. Medicines to fight the virus, such as Tamiflu and Relenza, must be taken within 48 hours of first symptoms to do any good.

Until now, many busy labs have been so overrun that they could do preliminary tests only on samples that meet a strict case definition or that involve people who traveled to Mexico.

"The capacity of the state laboratories to test all the swabs is being exceeded," said Dr. Paul Jarris, executive director of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

Initially, labs just needed to detect the virus, he said. "Once it's in the community, it's not as important to detect every single case. You can actually treat based on the clinical picture."

 
(AP) Lead scientist Lupe Garbalena handles a sample while testing for swine flu at the Houston...
Full Image
 
 
Sending samples to CDC was "getting to be a challenge," said Alabama State Health Officer Don Williamson. The first eight were negative, and the state lab had 29 more to test on Wednesday, he said.

Without a confirmed case, state officials still took the precaution of ordering 1.5 million face masks and other supplies.

"We are preparing for the worst while praying for the best," Williamson said.

CDC has had to be selective, too. The agency generally can process about 100 samples a night, said Michael Shaw, associate director for laboratory science. CDC has not said how many specimens they have received for testing.

"As the number of specimens increases, the time slows down," Shaw said. "It's not just a matter of running tests. It takes time to unpack boxes, make a record of receiving, enter into the database."

 
(AP) Lead scientist Lupe Garbalena, right, and microbiologist Gilbert Ortiz, left, handle samples while...
Full Image
 
 
The CDC added just 18 new cases to its official list on Thursday, and its acting director said it may stop doing confirmatory testing as the virus becomes more common in a community.

"We may move away from case updates," Dr. Richard Besser said. "The numbers become a little murkier, and we'll focus more on where things are occurring and what that tells us about the spread of infection."

The public may be surprised to know it's not so important to have an exact tally, or to tell a person whether he or she has the germ, said Sharon Shea. She is director of infectious disease programs at the Association of Public Health Laboratories, the network of labs that work with CDC.

"It's not what people want to hear. As an individual, you want to know what's making you sick," she said.

Each state's epidemiologist will have to decide what samples should be tested, said Scott Becker, executive director of the lab association.

 
(AP) A scientist handles viral samples at the West of Scotland Specialist Virology Centre at the...
Full Image
 
 
The common cold and other viruses are also circulating and cause similar symptoms.

In the last two days, the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene "had a huge spike," about 150 samples of suspected swine flu cases, said its communicable disease chief, Pete Shult. Wisconsin has five probable cases awaiting CDC confirmation.

Through a fluke, his lab helped confirm the nation's first case. A private company doing a study of an experimental rapid flu test it wants to sell had agreed to send any samples that could not be typed to a more experienced lab - in this case, the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation in Wisconsin.

The clinic, in turn, had agreed to alert the state to any flu viruses that did not match a known strain.

"I got a call on Good Friday. They had such a specimen," he said. That was from the boy in San Diego who was the first known U.S. case of swine flu.

 
(AP) Israel's Dr. Michael Averbuch holds a fake blood test as he shows media members how tests taken...
Full Image
 
 
The sample was tested on Monday, April 13, and shipped overnight to CDC, which confirmed it as the novel swine flu on Tuesday, April 14.

The San Diego boy had fallen ill on March 30. Since then, the CDC and the public health lab association have suggested that state labs go back through samples since February to look for signs of the virus. At CDC, stored samples show no earlier sign of it, Shaw said.

"That's the odd thing about this. It just appeared out of the blue the last week of March," he said.

Shult said the hunt now is "an academic exercise" and a lower priority than testing the hundreds of samples that might help contain the outbreak.

"I'm going to be trying to stay afloat" of the crush of current samples, he said.

---

Associated Press writers Mike Stobbe in Atlanta, Sara Kugler in New York, and Desiree Hunter in Montgomery, Ala., contributed to this report.



http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090430/D97T2ALO1.html

Mtnmom and Anna.....thank you for your articles.  I think somehow the government and/or the media thinks the world will panic if given accurate information.  I think most people are stressed
if they do not receive accurate information.

The following article from the Food and Drug Administration warns about fraudulent activity and scams to be aware of.....this is a long report.  If anyone is interested, you should read from the
link.

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2009/NEW02007.html

FDA News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 1, 2009
 Media Inquiries:
Christopher Kelly, 301-796-4676
Consumer Inquiries:
888-INFO-FDA
 


FDA, FTC Warn Public of Fraudulent 2009 H1N1 Influenza Products
Offending web sites and illegal activity targeted for action

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission are alerting the public to be wary of Internet sites and other promotions for products that claim to diagnose, prevent, mitigate, treat or cure the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.  The agencies are also advising operators of offending web sites that they must take prompt action to correct and/or remove promotions of these fraudulent products or face enforcement action



Note:  This is a long report.......Full Report/Warning Available by clicking link above

http://www.epa.gov/oppad001/influenza-disinfectants.html

Antimicrobial Products Registered for Use Against Influenza A Viruses on Hard Surfaces
Resources

Questions On Pesticides?
National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC)  1-800-858-7378
 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Swine Flu Info
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are currently tracking an H1N1 flu outbreak that has caused infections in humans in the United States, Mexico, Canada and other countries. Information on this Web page will help you identify antimicrobial products that are registered by EPA to disinfect hard, non-porous surfaces that may be contaminated with the 2009-H1N1 flu.

EPA registers pesticide products, including disinfectants. As part of the registration process, EPA evaluates the product efficacy to make sure the public health label claims are accurate. Currently, over 500 disinfectant products are registered for use on hard, non-porous surfaces against influenza A viruses. EPA believes, based on available scientific information, that the currently registered influenza A virus products will be effective against the 2009-H1N1 flu strain and other influenza A virus strains on hard, non-porous surfaces. For safe and effective use of these products, always follow label instructions for these products, paying special attention to the product’s dilution rate (if applicable) and contact time.

Choose a product whose label states that it is effective against "Influenza A virus" and lists your specific site of concern, such as: farm premises, hospitals and other healthcare facilities, schools, offices or homes.

As the CDC stresses, your first line of defense is to wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use an alcohol-based cleaner. These registered disinfectant products are for use on hard, non-porous surfaces, such as door knobs, handles, tables, floors, etc. EPA emphasizes that these products are not to be used on the skin or to be taken orally.

More than 500 antimicrobial products (17 pp, 137 K PDF) are registered by EPA specifically for use against influenza A virus. This is not a complete list since some products may have different distributor or product names and may not be referenced. We will continue to update this list as more information becomes available. Approved products specifically have label information which states they provide effectiveness against “Influenza A virus.”

Re the 500 disinfectant products mentioned in the above article, this link brings you to a pdf file which lists those products:

http://www.epa.gov/oppad001/influenza-a-product-list.pdf

Fox News Gretawire has a large list of newspapers from around the country.

 I have tried using
these papers to get additional information on the flu.

Scroll down and look to the right for the list of papers.

http://gretawire.foxnews.com/

Swine flu may be less potent than first feared

The swine flu outbreak that has alarmed the world for a week now appears less ominous, with the virus showing little staying power in the hardest-hit cities and scientists suggesting it lacks the genetic fortitude of past killer bugs.

President Barack Obama even voiced hope Friday that it may turn out to be no more harmful than the average seasonal flu.

In New York City, which has the most confirmed swine flu cases in the U.S. with 49, swine flu has not spread far beyond cases linked to one Catholic school. In Mexico, the epicenter of the outbreak, very few relatives of flu victims seem to have caught it.

A flu expert said he sees no reason to believe the virus is particularly lethal. And a federal scientist said the germ's genetic makeup lacks some traits seen in the deadly 1918 flu pandemic strain and the more recent killer bird flu.

Still, it was too soon to be certain what the swine flu virus will do. Experts say the only wise course is to prepare for the worst. But in a world that's been rattled by the specter of a global pandemic, glimmers of hope were more than welcome Friday.

"It may turn out that H1N1 runs its course like ordinary flus, in which case we will have prepared and we won't need all these preparations," Obama said, using the flu's scientific name.

The president stressed the government was still taking the virus very seriously, adding that even if this round turns out to be mild, the bug could return in a deadlier form during the next flu season.

New York officials said after a week of monitoring the disease that the city's outbreak gives little sign of spreading beyond a few pockets or getting more dangerous.

All but two of the city's confirmed cases so far involve people associated with the high school where the local outbreak began and where several students had recently returned from Mexico.

More than 1,000 students, parents and faculty there reported flu symptoms over just a few days last month. But since then, only a handful of new infections have been reported — only eight students since last Sunday.

Almost everyone who became ill before then are either recovering or already well. The school, which was closed this past week, is scheduled to reopen Monday. No new confirmed cases were identified in the city on Friday, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the outbreak in New York had so far proved to be "a relatively minor annoyance."

In Mexico, where swine flu has killed at least 16 people and the confirmed case count has surpassed 300, the health secretary said few of the relatives of 86 suspected swine flu patients had caught the virus. Only four of the 219 relatives surveyed turned up as probable cases.

As recently as Wednesday, Mexican authorities said there were 168 suspected swine flu deaths in the country and almost 2,500 suspected cases. The officials have stopped updating that number and say those totals may have even been inflated.

Mexico shut down all but essential government services and private businesses Friday, the start of a five-day shutdown that includes a holiday weekend. Authorities there will use the break to determine whether emergency measures can be eased.

In the Mexican capital, there were no reports of deaths overnight — the first time that has happened since the emergency was declared a week ago, said Mayor Marcelo Ebrard.

"This isn't to say we are lowering our guard or we think we no longer have problems," Ebrard said. "But we're moving in the right direction."

The U.S. case count rose to 155 on Friday, based on federal and state counts, although state laboratory operators believe the number is higher because they are not testing all suspected cases.

Worldwide, the total confirmed cases neared 600, although that number is also believed to be much larger. Besides the U.S. and Mexico, the virus has been detected in Canada, New Zealand, China, Israel and eight European nations.

There were still plenty of signs Friday of worldwide concern.

China decided to suspend flights from Mexico to Shanghai because of a case of swine flu confirmed in a flight from Mexico, China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

And in Hong Kong, hundreds of hotel guests and workers were quarantined after a tourist from Mexico tested positive for swine flu, Asia's first confirmed case.

Evoking the 2003 SARS outbreak, workers in protective suits and masks wiped down tables, floors and windows. Guests at the hotel waved to photographers from their windows.

Scientists looking closely at the H1N1 virus itself have found some encouraging news, said Nancy Cox, flu chief at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its genetic makeup doesn't show specific traits that showed up in the 1918 pandemic virus, which killed about 40 million to 50 million people worldwide.

"However, we know that there is a great deal that we do not understand about the virulence of the 1918 virus or other influenza viruses" that caused serious illnesses, Cox said. "So we are continuing to learn."

She told The Associated Press that the swine flu virus also lacked genetic traits associated with the virulence of the bird flu virus, which grabbed headlines a few years ago and has killed 250 people, mostly in Asia.

Researchers will get a better idea of how dangerous this virus is over the next week to 10 days, said Peter Palese, a leading flu researcher with Mount Sinai Medical School in New York.

So far in the United States, he said, the virus appears to look and behave like the garden-variety flus that strike every winter. "There is no real reason to believe this is a more serious strain," he said.

Palese said many adults probably have immune systems primed to handle the virus because it is so similar to another common flu strain.

As for why the illness has predominantly affected children and teenagers in New York, Palese said older people probably have more antibodies from exposure to similar types of flu that help them fight off infection.

"The virus is so close," he said.

In the United States, most of the people with swine flu have been treated at home. Only nine people are known to have ended up in the hospital, though officials suspect there are more.

In Mexico, officials have voiced optimism for two days that the worst may be over. But Dr. Scott F. Dowell of the CDC said it's hard to know whether the outbreak is easing up in Mexico. "They're still seeing plenty of cases," Dowell said.

He said outbreaks in any given area might be relatively brief, so that they may seem to be ending in some areas that had a lot of illness a few weeks ago. But cases are occurring elsewhere, and national numbers in Mexico are not abating, he said.

A top Mexican medical officer questioned the World Health Organization's handling of the early signs of the swine flu scare, suggesting Thursday that a regional arm of the WHO had taken too long to notify WHO headquarters of about a unusually late rash of flu cases in Mexico.

The regional agency, however, provided a timeline to the AP suggesting it was Mexico that failed to respond to its request to alert other nations to the first hints of the outbreak.

The Mexican official, chief epidemiologist Dr. Miguel Angel Lezana, backtracked Friday, telling Radio Formula: "There was no delay by the Mexican authorities, nor was there any by the World Health Organization."

In the U.S., Obama said efforts were focused on identifying people who have the flu, getting medical help to the right places and providing clear advice to state and local officials and the public.

The president also said the U.S. government is working to produce a vaccine down the road, developing clear guidelines for school closings and trying to ensure businesses cooperate with workers who run out of sick leave.

He pointed out that regular seasonal flus kill about 36,000 people in the United States in an average year and send 200,000 to the hospital.

LINK (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090502/ap_on_he_me/med_swine_flu)

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

Note...The above link is new CDC link for Swine Flu - H1N1 -
The text is updated as of May 2, 2009 - the numbers are as of May 1, 2009


Site last updated May 2, 2009, 2:25 AM ET

U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection
(As of May 1, 2009, 11:00 AM ET)  

States
# of laboratory confirmed cases
Deaths

Arizona 4   
California 13   
Colorado 2   
Delaware 4   
Illinois 3   
Indiana 3   
Kansas 2   
Kentucky* 1   
Massachusetts 2   
Michigan 2   
Minnesota 1   
Nebraska 1   
Nevada 1   
New Jersey 5   
New York 50   
Ohio 1   
South Carolina 16   
Texas 28     1 death
Virginia 2   
TOTAL (19) 141 cases 1 death

International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization

*Case is resident of KY but currently hospitalized in GA.
 
CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to an expanding outbreak caused by H1N1 (swine flu). CDC’s response 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 this emergency.

CDC continues to issue and update interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation. Early this morning, CDC provided interim guidance on school closures. Supplies from CDC’s Division of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) are being sent to all 50 states and U.S. territories to help them respond to the outbreak. In addition, the Federal Government and manufacturers have begun the process of developing a vaccine against this new virus.

Response actions are aggressive, but they may vary across states and communities depending on local circumstances. Communities, businesses, places of worship, schools and individuals can all take action to slow the spread of this outbreak. People who are sick are urged to stay home from work or school and to avoid contact with others, except to seek medical care. This action can avoid spreading illness further.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/k12_dismissal.htm

This is just a headline of a larger article regarding School Closing Recommendations....use link to read entire message.

Update on School (K – 12) Dismissal and Childcare Facilities: Interim CDC Guidance in Response to Human Infections with the 2009 Influenza A H1N1 Virus
Page last updated May 1, 2009 4:35 PM ET

These recommendations are based on current information and are subject to change based on ongoing surveillance and continuous risk assessment. 

http://www.who.int/en/

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION - USE LINK TO ACCESS ALL AREAS - FULL TEXT

INFLUENZA A(H1N1): SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Influenza A(H1N1) - update 9
2 May 2009 -- The situation continues to evolve. As of 06:00 GMT, 2 May 2009, 15 countries have officially reported 615 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.
Full text


No rationale for travel restrictions
1 May 2009 -- WHO is not recommending travel restrictions related to the outbreak of the Influenza A(H1N1) virus. Limiting travel and imposing travel restrictions would have very little effect on stopping the virus from spreading, but would be highly disruptive to the global community.
Full text


Influenza pandemic alert raised from phase 4 to 5
29 April 2009

Full coverage of influenza A(H1N1) 


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Vaccines for the new influenza A(H1N1) (2 May 2009)

What can I do?

Frequently asked questions - full list
SITUATION UPDATES



Including global number of laboratory confirmed cases


2 May 2009
Influenza A(H1N1) - update 9


1 May 2009
Influenza A(H1N1) - update 8.1


Previous situation updates
FOR THE MEDIA

Press briefings
Audio and transcripts of the virtual press briefings
    GUIDANCE


Technical guidance for professionals is being released daily. Latest additions:


Pandemic influenza prevention and mitigation in low resource communities
2 May 2009


Considerations of influenza A(H1N1) and HIV infection
1 May 2009


Infection prevention and control in health care in providing care for confirmed or suspected A(H1N1) swine influenza patients
29 April 2009


More guidance documents 


30 April 2009 -- From today, WHO will refer to the new influenza virus as influenza A(H1N1).

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090502/ap_on_he_me/us_med_swine_flu_q_a

Questions and answers about the new swine flu
By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer – 1 hr 4 mins ago



http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124126480414780235.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Wall Street Journal - 20 minutes ago - Also Great TimeLine Information on the Right

MAY 2, 2009, 11:43 A.M. ET
 
Mexico Says No New Flu Deaths
More Cases Emerge World-Wide; Officials Vigilant on Assessing Virus's Spread

U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection
(As of May 2, 2009, 11:00 AM ET)
 
States # of
laboratory
confirmed
cases
Deaths

Arizona 4   
California 24   
Colorado 2   
Connecticut 1   
Delaware 4   
Florida 2   
Illinois 3   
Indiana 3   
Kansas 2   
Kentucky* 1   
Massachusetts 8   
Michigan 2   
Minnesota 1   
Missouri 1   
Nevada 1   
New Jersey 7   
New York 50   
Ohio 1   
South Carolina 13   
Texas 28 1
Virginia 2   
TOTAL (21) 160 cases 1 death

International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization

*Case is resident of KY but currently hospitalized in GA.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/
 

A very good Wall Street Journal Article on origin of Flu - click link below for entire article




http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124113876438075685.html

Obama Seeks To Reassure Country On Flu

In this weekend's Presidential YouTube address, President Obama discussed the action that the government has taken to deal with the swine flu, including distributing antiviral treatments from the country's strategic stockpile, and also discusses the precautions that schools and businesses should take:

http://www.youtube.com/v/I6iNiOBw9rc&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1

"It is my greatest hope and prayer that all of these precautions and preparations prove unnecessary," said Obama. "But because we have it within our power to limit the potential damage of this virus, we have a solemn and urgent responsibility to take the necessary steps."

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/    Note:  Use this link to access all parts of this article.
 

 More imagesH1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)

Site last updated May 3, 2009, 2:30 AM ET

U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection
(As of May 2, 2009, 11:00 AM ET)  States # of
laboratory
confirmed
cases Deaths
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
International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization

*Case is resident of KY but currently hospitalized in GA.
 
CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to an expanding outbreak caused by H1N1 (swine flu).

CDC’s response 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 this emergency.
CDC continues to issue and update interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation. This includes guidance on when to close schools and how to care for someone who is sick at home. Supplies from CDC’s Division of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) are being sent to all 50 states and U.S. territories to help them respond to the outbreak. In addition, the Federal Government and manufacturers have begun the process of developing a vaccine against this new virus.

Response actions are aggressive, but they may vary across states and communities depending on local circumstances. Communities, businesses, places of worship, schools and individuals can all take action to slow the spread of this outbreak. People who are sick are urged to stay home from work or school and to avoid contact with others, except to seek medical care. This action can avoid spreading illness further. More on the Situation
Guidance
Reports & Publications
Press Briefings
Past Updates on the Situation

General Info on H1N1 Flu
H1N1 Flu & You
Antiviral Drugs
Taking Care of a Sick Person
Facemask & Respirator Use
Images of the Virus
Audio & Video

Info for Specific Groups
Parents & Caregivers
Child Care Providers
K-12 Schools
Colleges & Universities
Travelers & Travel Industry
What You Can Do to Stay Healthy
Stay informed. This website will be updated regularly as information becomes available.
Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
Take everyday actions to stay healthy.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.
Develop a family emergency plan as a precaution. This should include storing a supply of food, medicines, facemasks, alcohol-based hand rubs and other essential supplies.
Call 1-800-CDC-INFO for more information.

Additional Links
PandemicFlu.gov
FDA: FDA Authorizes Emergency Use of Influenza Medicines, Diagnostic Test in Response to Swine Flu Outbreak in Humans
GenBank Influenza Virus Resource (swine influenza A [H1N1] sequences)
WHO: Reducing excess mortality from common illnesses during severe pandemic
WHO: Pandemic flu preparedness & mitigation in refugee & displaced populations
WHO: Influenza-Like Illness in U.S. & Mexico
WHO: Protocol for antiviral susceptibility testing by pyrosequencing
WHO: Sequencing primers & protocol
WHO: CDC protocol of realtime RTPCR for swine influenza A(H1N1)
WHO: Additional Guidance

NOTE: This is a rapidly evolving situation and current guidance and other web content may contain variations in how this new H1N1 virus of swine origin is referred to. Over the coming days and weeks, these inconsistencies will be addressed, but in the interests of meeting the agency's response goals, all guidance will remain posted and new guidance will continue to be issued.

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_05_03/en/index.html

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION - Update 11 - May 3, 2009

Influenza A(H1N1) - update 11
3 May 2009 -- As of 0600 GMT, 3 May 2009, 17 countries have officially reported 787 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.

Mexico has reported 506 confirmed human cases of infection, including 19 deaths. The higher number of cases from Mexico in the past 48 hours reflects ongoing testing of previously collected specimens. The United States Government has reported 160 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (70), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Costa Rica (1), Denmark (1), France (2), Germany (6), Ireland (1), Israel (3), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (4), Republic of Korea (1), Spain (13), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (15).

Further information on the situation will be available on the WHO website on a regular basis.

WHO advises no restriction of regular travel or closure of borders. It is considered prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention, in line with guidance from national authorities.

Canada on 2 May reported the identification of the A(H1N1) virus in a swine herd in Alberta. It is highly probable that the pigs were exposed to the virus from a Canadian farm worker recently returned from Mexico, who had exhibited flu-like symptoms and had contact with the pigs. There is no indication of virus adaptation through transfer from human to pigs at this time.

There is no risk of infection from this virus from consumption of well-cooked pork and pork products.

Individuals are advised to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water on a regular basis and should seek medical attention if they develop any symptoms of influenza-like illness.

Related links
Influenza A(H1N1) web site
Daily updates will be posted on this site.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/01/catching-flu-from-money/ 

New York Times Article

Click on link to read and connect with other related articles.May 1, 2009, 10:13 am

Catching Flu From Money

The influenza virus can survive on paper money for 10 or more days — suggesting that when we shop, spend and bank, there’s more than cash that is changing hands.

The link between flu virus and paper currency is explained this week in a story on SmartMoney.com. The findings don’t mean we should fret about handling currency — but it does illustrate why health officials repeatedly tell people to wash hands frequently. From the SmartMoney report:

Generally speaking, scientists interviewed by SmartMoney estimate the lifetime of a plain flu virus deposited on money at an hour or so. But mix in some human nasal mucus, and the potential for the virus to hang on long enough to find a victim increases, according to one of the few scientific studies done on flu transmission through cash.

In a study conducted at Switzerland’s Central Laboratory of Virology at the University Hospitals of Geneva, researchers tested to see what would happen when flu virus was placed on Swiss franc notes. In some of these tests, researchers placed flu virus mixed in with nasal secretions from children on banknotes —and saw some unexpected results.

When protected by human mucus, the flu cells were much hardier—in some cases, lasting up to 17 days on the franc notes. The virus that persisted for 17 days was a form of influenza A called H3N2. In an e-mail interview, Dr. Yves Thomas said samples of an influenza A strain called H1N1 also endured for quite a bit — in some cases, up to 10 days. That bug was similar but not identical to the virus at the center of the current swine flu outbreak, which is considered a new strain of H1N1.

The story goes on to explain how money could theoretically spread a virus.

Three things must happen for a flu virus to be transmitted from one person to another via money. First, a person who is infected with the swine flu must sneeze or cough onto the bill or blow their nose and leave remnants of their mucus on the currency. Next, an uninfected person would need to touch the money while the virus is still present.

Finally, that person would need to put their contaminated hand in their mouth or pick their nose, says Dr. Murray Grossan, an otolaryngologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

A 2002 report in the Southern Medical Journal showed that money can be a vector for more than just flu. Dollar bills collected in western Ohio were tested. The researchers found pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae, on 94 percent of the bills.

The SmartMoney story is packed with additional insights about money and germs, explaining why new U.S. dollars may be more resistant to germs than used money (the ink in new bills contains a fungicide), how coins are more likely to be virus free, the development of cash-cleaning ATM machines and why plastic credit cards are a better option during a pandemic. To read the full story, click on “Can You Catch Swine Flu from Money?”

And to read the full study on influenza and Swiss francs, check out “Survival of Influenza Virus on Banknotes,” in the May 2008 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

CDC UPDATE - MAY 3, 2009

(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

International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization

*Case is resident of KY but currently hospitalized in GA.
 


CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to an expanding outbreak caused by novel H1N1 flu.

CDC’s response 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 this emergency.
CDC continues to issue and update interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation. CDC will issue updated interim guidance for clinicians on how to identify and care for people who are sick with novel H1N1 flu illness. This guidance will provide priorities for testing and treatment for novel H1N1 flu infection. The priority use for influenza antiviral drugs during this outbreak will be to treat people with severe flu illness.


On May 3, CDC is scheduled to complete deployment of 25 percent of the supplies in the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) to all states in the continental United States. These supplies and medicines will help states and U.S. territories respond to the outbreak. In addition, the Federal Government and manufacturers have begun the process of developing a vaccine against the novel H1N1 flu virus.


Response actions are aggressive, but they may vary across states and communities depending on local circumstances. Communities, businesses, places of worship, schools and individuals can all take action to slow the spread of this outbreak. People who are sick are urged to stay home from work or school and to avoid contact with others, except to seek medical care. This action can avoid spreading illness further.

Numbers Coming Into Focus

We have some more tentatively encouraging news emerging about the Swine Flu virus.

Yesterday, we noted that the Mexican government had substantially revised downward  (http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/05/probable_deaths_before_the_number.php) the number of deaths attributed to the Swine Flu, from 159 to 84, after tests had ruled out many of the suspected cases.

Now comes word from the Times that Mexican officials have now reported (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/02/health/02flu.html?hp) that of the 908 suspected cases that have now been tested, only 397 turned out to have suffered from the Swine Flu.

Finally, there appears to be some clinical evidence suggesting  (http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/SwineFlu/2009/05/01/9317801.html) that people over 60 may have some immunity to the virus.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,518754,00.html


CDC: U.S. Swine Flu Cases Now at 226; in 30 States

CDC: U.S. Swine Flu Cases Now at 244; in 34 States

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,518754,00.html

Thanks Anna and OBG....looks like the CDC is catching up on their cases.  I have been reading in areas where I live and also where I have family.....relatively few cases per numbers of the
population of those States.

See you tomorrow.... :2waver:

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_05_04/en/index.html

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION UPDATE 13 - MAY 4, 2009

Influenza A(H1N1) - update 13       ----    4 May 2009 --

As of 06:00 GMT, 4 May 2009, 20 countries have officially reported 985 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection.

Mexico has reported 590 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 25 deaths. The higher number of cases from Mexico reflects ongoing testing of previously collected specimens. The United States has reported 226 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (85), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Costa Rica (1), Colombia (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (2), France (2), Germany (8), Ireland (1), Israel (3), Italy (1), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (4), Republic of Korea (1), Spain (40), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (15).

There is no risk of infection from this virus from consumption of well-cooked pork and pork products.

It is considered prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention, in line with guidance from national authorities. Individuals are advised to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water on a regular basis and should seek medical attention if they develop any symptoms of influenza-like illness.

WHO advises no restriction of regular travel or closure of borders.

Further information on the situation will be available on the WHO website on a regular basis.

Related links
Influenza A(H1N1) web site
Daily updates will be posted on this site.

Please note:  I did not put the smiley in the above post.....it occurred when I entered the article and the actual number for Germany is "8".  Thank you.

 http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

CDC UPDATE FOR MAY 4, 2009

More imagesH1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)

Site last updated May 4, 2009 11:00 AM ET

U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection
(As of May 4, 2009, 11:00 AM ET) 
States
# of laboratory confirmed cases Deaths

Alabama 4   
Arizona 17   
California 30   
Colorado 7   
Connecticut 2   
Delaware 20   
Florida 5   
Idaho 1   
Illinois 8   
Indiana 3   
Iowa 1   
Kansas 2   
Kentucky* 1   
Louisiana 14   
Maryland 4   
Massachusetts 6   
Michigan 2   
Minnesota 1   
Missouri 1   
Nebraska 1   
Nevada 1   
New Hampshire 1   
New Jersey 7   
New Mexico 1   
New York 73   
North Carolina 1   
Ohio 3   
Oregon 3   
Pennsylvania 1   
Rhode Island 1   
South Carolina 15   
Tennessee 1   
Texas 41 1
Utah 1   
Virginia 3   
Wisconsin 3   
TOTAL (36) 286 cases 1 death

International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization

*Case is resident of KY but currently hospitalized in GA.
 
CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to an expanding outbreak caused by novel H1N1 flu.

CDC’s response 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 this emergency.
CDC continues to issue and update interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation. CDC will issue updated interim guidance for clinicians on how to identify and care for people who are sick with novel H1N1 flu illness. This guidance will provide priorities for testing and treatment for novel H1N1 flu infection. The priority use for influenza antiviral drugs during this outbreak will be to treat people with severe flu illness.


On May 3, CDC is scheduled to complete deployment of 25 percent of the supplies in the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) to all states in the continental United States. These supplies and medicines will help states and U.S. territories respond to the outbreak. In addition, the Federal Government and manufacturers have begun the process of developing a vaccine against the novel H1N1 flu virus.


Response actions are aggressive, but they may vary across states and communities depending on local circumstances. Communities, businesses, places of worship, schools and individuals can all take action to slow the spread of this outbreak. People who are sick are urged to stay home from work or school and to avoid contact with others, except to seek medical care. This action can avoid spreading illness further.

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_05_04a/en/index.html

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION - UPDATE 14

Influenza A(H1N1) - update 14
4 May 2009 -- As of 18:00 GMT, 4 May 2009, 21 countries have officially reported 1085 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection.

Mexico has reported 590 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 25 deaths. The United States has reported 286 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (101), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Costa Rica (1), Colombia (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (2), France (4), Germany (8), Ireland (1), Israel (4), Italy (2), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (6), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (1), Spain (54), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (18).

It is considered prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention, in line with guidance from national authorities. Individuals are advised to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water on a regular basis and should seek medical attention if they develop any symptoms of influenza-like illness.

WHO advises no restriction of regular travel or closure of borders.

There is no risk of infection from this virus from consumption of well-cooked pork and pork products.

Further information on the situation will be available on the WHO website on a regular basis.

Related links
Influenza A(H1N1) web site
Daily updates will be posted on this site

The actual amount reported for Germany in the WHO report above is 8.

Apparently if you put an 8 in parenthesis, you get an automatic smiley (8)(8)(8)....

I have my mask on  ::MonkeyCool::

(http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o100/klaasen3/Sub6_022109/monkeymask1.gif)

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

Please note:  When checking CDC site, I noted that the numbers for Louisiana, which had
      been 14 at 11:00 a.m. on May 4, 2009 are now 7 and are still dated 11:00 am May 4, 2009.

As of May 4, 2009, 11:00 AM ET)  States # of
laboratory
confirmed
cases Deaths
Alabama 4   
Arizona 17   
California 30   
Colorado 7   
Connecticut 2   
Delaware 20   
Florida 5   
Idaho 1   
Illinois 8   
Indiana 3   
Iowa 1   
Kansas 2   
Kentucky* 1   
Louisiana 7   
Maryland 4   
Massachusetts 6   
Michigan 2   
Minnesota 1   
Missouri 1   
Nebraska 1   
Nevada 1   
New Hampshire 1   
New Jersey 7   
New Mexico 1   
New York 73   
North Carolina 1   
Ohio 3   
Oregon 3   
Pennsylvania 1   
Rhode Island 1   
South Carolina 15   
Tennessee 1   
Texas 41 1
Utah 1   
Virginia 3   
Wisconsin 3   
TOTAL (36) 279 cases 1 death
International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization

*Case is resident of KY but currently hospitalized in GA.
 
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)

Site last updated May 4, 2009 6:58 PM ET

CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to an expanding outbreak caused by novel H1N1 flu.

CDC’s response 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 this emergency.
CDC continues to issue and update interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation. CDC will issue updated interim guidance for clinicians on how to identify and care for people who are sick with novel H1N1 flu illness. This guidance will provide priorities for testing and treatment for novel H1N1 flu infection. The priority use for influenza antiviral drugs during this outbreak will be to treat people with severe flu illness.


CDC has completed deployment of 25 percent of the supplies in the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) to all states in the continental United States. These supplies and medicines will help states and U.S. territories respond to the outbreak. In addition, the Federal Government and manufacturers have begun the process of developing a vaccine against the novel H1N1 flu virus.


Response actions are aggressive, but they may vary across states and communities depending on local circumstances. Communities, businesses, places of worship, schools and individuals can all take action to slow the spread of this outbreak. People who are sick are urged to stay home from work or school and to avoid contact with others, except to seek medical care. This action can avoid spreading illness further.

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_05_05/en/index.html

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION UPDATE 15 - MAY 5, 2009

WHO Updates International H1N1 Situation Including Global Number of Laboratory Confirmed Cases
 

5 May 2009 -- As of 06:00 GMT, 5 May 2009, 21 countries have officially reported 1124 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection.

Mexico has reported 590 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 25 deaths. The United States has reported 286 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (140), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Costa Rica (1), Colombia (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (2), France (4), Germany (8), Ireland (1), Israel (4), Italy (2), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (6), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (1), Spain (54), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (18).

Read full article>>

For more information on H1N1 situation, please visit www.PandemicFlu.gov

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/sick.htm 

What to Do If You Get Flu-Like Symptoms

  The novel H1N1 flu virus is causing illness in infected persons in the United States and countries around the world. CDC expects that illnesses may continue for some time. As a result, you or people around you may become ill. If so, you need to recognize the symptoms and know what to do.

Read full article>> Use link above

For more information on H1N1 situation, please visit www.PandemicFlu.gov

Klaas....that is precious....sent it to my niece who is in a "closed school" area.  She loved it...!

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

CDC UPDATE - MAY 5, 2009

 
More images
H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
Site last updated May 5, 2009, 11:00 AM ET

U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection
(As of May 5, 2009, 11:00 AM ET)  States # of
laboratory
confirmed
cases Deaths

Alabama 4   
Arizona 17   
California 49   
Colorado 6   
Connecticut 2   
Delaware 20   
Florida 5   
Georgia 1   
Idaho 1   
Illinois 82   
Indiana 3   
Iowa 1   
Kansas 2   
Kentucky* 1   
Louisiana 7   
Maine 1   
Maryland 4   
Massachusetts 6   
Michigan 2   
Minnesota 1   
Missouri 1   
Nebraska 1   
Nevada 1   
New Hampshire 1   
New Jersey 6   
New Mexico 1   
New York 90   
North Carolina 1   
Ohio 3   
Oregon 15   
Pennsylvania 1   
Rhode Island 1   
South Carolina 16   
Tennessee 2   
Texas 41 1
Utah 1   
Virginia 3   
Wisconsin 3   
TOTAL (38) 403 cases 1 death

International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization

*Case is resident of KY but currently hospitalized in GA.
 
The ongoing outbreak of novel influenza A (H1N1) continues to expand in the United States and internationally. CDC expects that more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths from this outbreak will occur over the coming days and weeks.

CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to an expanding outbreak caused by novel H1N1 flu.

CDC’s response 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 this emergency.
CDC is issuing updated interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation. This includes updated interim guidance for clinicians on how to identify and care for people who are sick with novel H1N1 flu now that more widespread illness has been detected in the United States. CDC recommends that testing and antiviral treatment be prioritized for those with severe respiratory illness and those at highest risk of complications from seasonal influenza. This includes children younger than 5 years old, pregnant women, people with chronic medical conditions and weakened immune systems, and people 65 years and older. In addition, CDC has provided information for the public on what to do if they develop flu-like symptoms.

CDC has completed deployment of 25 percent of the supplies in the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) to all states in the continental United States. These supplies and medicines will help states and U.S. territories respond to the outbreak. In addition, the Federal Government and manufacturers have begun the process of developing a vaccine against the novel H1N1 flu virus.

Response actions are aggressive, but they may vary across states and communities depending on local circumstances. Communities, businesses, places of worship, schools and individuals can all take action to slow the spread of this outbreak. People who are sick are urged to stay home from work or school and to avoid contact with others, except to seek medical care. This action can avoid spreading illness further.

First case of Swine Flu in Oklahoma today.

Thank you Always.....are there other cases waiting to be tested?  Does your case involve an adult or a child....or is that known?

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm

CDC UPDATE - H1N1 FLU - MAY 5, 2009

 H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) and You*

On this Page
Novel H1N1 Flu
Novel H1N1 Flu in Humans
Exposures Not Thought to Spread New H1N1 Flu
Prevention & Treatment
Response & Investigation
May 5, 2009 12:30 PM ET

Novel H1N1 Flu


What is H1N1 (swine flu)?
H1N1 (referred to as “swine flu” early on) is a new influenza virus causing illness in people. This new virus was first detected in people in the United States in April 2009. Other countries, including Mexico and Canada, have reported people sick with this new virus. This virus is spreading from person-to-person, probably in much the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread.

Why is this new H1N1 virus sometimes called “swine flu”?
This virus was originally referred to as “swine flu” because laboratory testing showed that many of the genes in this new virus were very similar to influenza viruses that normally occur in pigs in North America. But further study has shown that this new virus is very different from what normally circulates in North American pigs. It has two genes from flu viruses that normally circulate in pigs in Europe and Asia and avian genes and human genes. Scientists call this a “quadruple reassortant” virus.



Novel H1N1 Flu in Humans


Are there human infections with this H1N1 virus in the U.S.?
Yes. Cases of human infection with this H1N1 influenza virus were first confirmed in the U.S. in Southern California and near Guadalupe County, Texas. The outbreak intensified rapidly from that time and more and more states have been reporting cases of illness from this virus. An updated case count of confirmed novel H1N1 flu infections in the United States is kept at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/investigation.htm. CDC and local and state health agencies are working together to investigate this situation.

Is this new H1N1 virus contagious?
CDC has determined that this new H1N1 virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human. However, at this time, it is not known how easily the virus spreads between people.

What are the signs and symptoms of this virus in people?
The symptoms of this new H1N1 flu virus in people are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with this virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting.  Also, like seasonal flu, severe illnesses and death has occurred as a result of illness associated with this virus.

How severe is illness associated with this new H1N1 virus?
It’s not known at this time how severe this virus will be in the general population. CDC is studying the medical histories of people who have been infected with this virus to determine whether some people may be at greater risk from infection, serious illness or hospitalization from the virus. In seasonal flu, there are certain people that are at higher risk of serious flu-related complications. This includes people 65 years and older, children younger than five years old, pregnant women, and people of any age with chronic medical conditions. It’s unknown at this time whether certain groups of people are at greater risk of serious flu-related complications from infection with this new virus. CDC also is conducting laboratory studies to see if certain people might have natural immunity to this virus, depending on their age.

How does this new H1N1 virus spread?
Spread of this H1N1 virus is thought to be happening in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing by people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

How long can an infected person spread this virus to others?
At the current time, CDC believes that this virus has the same properties in terms of spread as seasonal flu viruses. With seasonal flu, studies have shown that people may be contagious from one day before they develop symptoms to up to 7 days after they get sick.  Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods. CDC is studying the virus and its capabilities to try to learn more and will provide more information as it becomes available.

Exposures Not Thought to Spread New H1N1 Flu


Can I get infected with this new H1N1 virus from eating or preparing pork?
No. H1N1 viruses are not spread by food. You cannot get this new HIN1 virus from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe.

Is there a risk from drinking water?
Tap water that has been treated by conventional disinfection processes does not likely pose a risk for transmission of influenza viruses. Current drinking water treatment regulations provide a high degree of protection from viruses. No research has been completed on the susceptibility of the novel H1N1 flu virus to conventional drinking water treatment processes. However, recent studies have demonstrated that free chlorine levels typically used in drinking water treatment are adequate to inactivate highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza. It is likely that other influenza viruses such as novel H1N1 would also be similarly inactivated by chlorination. To date, there have been no documented human cases of influenza caused by exposure to influenza-contaminated drinking water.

Can the new H1N1 flu virus be spread through water in swimming pools, spas, water parks, interactive fountains, and other treated recreational water venues?
Influenza viruses infect the human upper respiratory tract. There has never been a documented case of influenza virus infection associated with water exposure. Recreational water that has been treated at CDC recommended disinfectant levels does not likely pose a risk for transmission of influenza viruses. No research has been completed on the susceptibility of the H1N1 influenza virus to chlorine and other disinfectants used in swimming pools, spas, water parks, interactive fountains, and other treated recreational venues. However, recent studies have demonstrated that free chlorine levels recommended by CDC (1–3 parts per million [ppm or mg/L] for pools and 2–5 ppm for spas) are adequate to disinfect avian influenza A (H5N1) virus. It is likely that other influenza viruses such as novel H1N1 virus would also be similarly disinfected by chlorine.

Can H1N1 influenza virus be spread at recreational water venues outside of the water?
Yes, recreational water venues are no different than any other group setting. The spread of this novel H1N1 flu is thought to be happening in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

Prevention & Treatment


What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?
There is no vaccine available right now to protect against this new H1N1 virus. There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza.

Take these everyday steps to protect your health:

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
Stay home if you are sick for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. This is to keep from infecting others and spreading the virus further.

Other important actions that you can take are:

Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.
Be prepared in case you get sick and need to stay home for a week or so; a supply of over-the-counter medicines, alcohol-based hand rubs, tissues and other related items might could be useful and help avoid the need to make trips out in public while you are sick and contagious.
What is the best way to keep from spreading the virus through coughing or sneezing?
If you are sick, limit your contact with other people as much as possible. If you are sick, stay home for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Put your used tissue in the waste basket. Then, clean your hands, and do so every time you cough or sneeze.



What is the best technique for washing my hands to avoid getting the flu?
Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. Wash with soap and water or clean with alcohol-based hand cleaner. CDC recommends that when you wash your hands -- with soap and warm water -- that you wash for 15 to 20 seconds. When soap and water are not available, alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers may be used. You can find them in most supermarkets and drugstores. If using gel, rub your hands until the gel is dry. The gel doesn't need water to work; the alcohol in it kills the germs on your hands.

What should I do if I get sick?
If you live in areas where people have been identified with new H1N1 flu and become ill with influenza-like symptoms, including fever, body aches, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people, except to seek medical care.

If you have severe illness or you are at high risk for flu complications, contact your health care provider or seek medical care. Your health care provider will determine whether flu testing or treatment is needed

If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care.

In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

Fast breathing or trouble breathing
Bluish or gray skin color
Not drinking enough fluids
Severe or persistent vomiting
Not waking up or not interacting
Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Sudden dizziness
Confusion
Severe or persistent vomiting
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

Are there medicines to treat infection with this new virus?
Yes. CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with the new H1N1 flu virus. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) that fight against the flu by keeping flu viruses from reproducing in your body. If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. During the current outbreak, the priority use for influenza antiviral drugs during is to treat severe influenza illness.

Contamination & Cleaning


How long can influenza virus remain viable on objects (such as books and doorknobs)?
Studies have shown that influenza virus can survive on environmental surfaces and can infect a person for up to 2-8 hours after being deposited on the surface.

What kills influenza virus?
Influenza virus is destroyed by heat (167-212°F [75-100°C]). In addition, several chemical germicides, including chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, detergents (soap), iodophors (iodine-based antiseptics), and alcohols are effective against human influenza viruses if used in proper concentration for a sufficient length of time. For example, wipes or gels with alcohol in them can be used to clean hands. The gels should be rubbed into hands until they are dry.

What surfaces are most likely to be sources of contamination?
Germs can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. Droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person move through the air. Germs can be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets from another person on a surface like a desk, for example, and then touches their own eyes, mouth or nose before washing their hands.

How should waste disposal be handled to prevent the spread of influenza virus?


To prevent the spread of influenza virus, it is recommended that tissues and other disposable items used by an infected person be thrown in the trash. Additionally, persons should wash their hands with soap and water after touching used tissues and similar waste.

How long can influenza virus remain viable on objects (such as books and doorknobs)?
Studies have shown that influenza virus can survive on environmental surfaces and can infect a person for up to 2-8 hours after being deposited on the surface.

What kills influenza virus?
Influenza virus is destroyed by heat (167-212°F [75-100°C]). In addition, several chemical germicides, including chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, detergents (soap), iodophors (iodine-based antiseptics), and alcohols are effective against human influenza viruses if used in proper concentration for a sufficient length of time. For example, wipes or gels with alcohol in them can be used to clean hands. The gels should be rubbed into hands until they are dry.

How should waste disposal be handled to prevent the spread of influenza virus?
To prevent the spread of influenza virus, it is recommended that tissues and other disposable items used by an infected person be thrown in the trash. Additionally, persons should wash their hands with soap and water after touching used tissues and similar waste.

What household cleaning should be done to prevent the spread of influenza virus?
To prevent the spread of influenza virus it is important to keep surfaces (especially bedside tables, surfaces in the bathroom, kitchen counters and toys for children) clean by wiping them down with a household disinfectant according to directions on the product label.

How should linens, eating utensils and dishes of persons infected with influenza virus be handled?
Linens, eating utensils, and dishes belonging to those who are sick do not need to be cleaned separately, but importantly these items should not be shared without washing thoroughly first.
Linens (such as bed sheets and towels) should be washed by using household laundry soap and tumbled dry on a hot setting. Individuals should avoid “hugging” laundry prior to washing it to prevent contaminating themselves. Individuals should wash their hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub immediately after handling dirty laundry.

Eating utensils should be washed either in a dishwasher or by hand with water and soap.

Response & Investigation


What is CDC doing in response to the outbreak?
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. CDC continues to issue new interim guidance for clinicians and public health professionals. 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.

What epidemiological investigations are taking place in response to the recent outbreak?
CDC works very closely with state and local officials in areas where human cases of new H1N1 flu infections have been identified. In California and Texas, where EpiAid teams have been deployed, many epidemiological activities are taking place or planned including:

Active surveillance in the counties where infections in humans have been identified;
Studies of health care workers who were exposed to patients infected with the virus to see if they became infected;
Studies of households and other contacts of people who were confirmed to have been infected to see if they became infected;
Study of a public high school where three confirmed human cases of H1N1 flu occurred to see if anyone became infected and how much contact they had with a confirmed case; and
Study to see how long a person with the virus infection sheds the virus.
Who is in charge of medicine in the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) once it is deployed?
Local health officials have full control of SNS medicine once supplies are deployed to a city, state, or territory. Federal, state, and local community planners are working together to ensure that SNS medicines will be delivered to the affected area as soon as possible. Many cities, states, and territories have already received SNS supplies. After CDC sends medicine to a state or city, control and distribution of the supply is at the discretion of that state or local health department. Most states and cities also have their own medicines that they can access to treat infected persons.

*Note: Much of the information in this document is based on studies and past experience with seasonal (human) influenza.  CDC believes the information applies to the new H1N1 (swine) viruses as well, but studies on this virus are ongoing to learn more about its characteristics. This document will be updated as new information becomes available.

For general information about swine influenza (not new H1N1 flu) see Background Information about Swine Influenza.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/K12_dismissal.htm  Please click on link for full article.....

Update on School (K – 12) and Childcare Facilities: Interim CDC Guidance in Response to Human Infections with the Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus
May 5, 2009, 2:00 PM EDT

Background

This document provides updated interim guidance for schools and childcare facilities regarding the prevention of the spread of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus.

Initial cases of novel influenza A (H1N1) in the United States included school-aged students and were associated with travel to Mexico and school-based outbreaks. Early information from Mexico indicated that many previously healthy young adults were hospitalized with rapidly progressive pneumonia, frequently resulting in respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation and death.

Based on this initial information, CDC recommended consideration of school closure as an option to lessen the risk of infection with this novel influenza virus in order to protect students, staff, parents and other caregivers from a potentially severe disease as well as limit spread into the community.

New information on disease severity warrant revision of the school closure guidance. Most U.S. cases have not been severe and are comparable in severity to seasonal influenza.  CDC and local and state health officials will continue to closely monitor the severity and spread of this novel H1N1 influenza outbreak.

At this time, CDC recommends the primary means to reduce spread of influenza in schools focus on early identification of ill students and staff, staying home when ill, and good cough and hand hygiene etiquette.  Decisions about school closure should be at the discretion of local authorities based on local considerations, including public concern and the impact of school absenteeism and staffing shortages.
 
Please click on link for all recommendations.....

http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/05/navy-cancels-deployment-of-ship-cites-flu-concerns/

May 5th, 2009

Navy cancels deployment of ship, cites flu concerns
Posted: 04:37 PM ET
From Barbara Starr and Mike Mount
CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The U.S. Navy has canceled the deployment of one of its ships because of a number of possible cases of swine flu, Navy officials said Tuesday.

The USS Dubuque, an amphibious transport dock ship, was due to deploy on June 1 to the South Pacific on a humanitarian mission, according to Cmdr. Joseph Surette, a Navy spokesman.

He said there was one confirmed case of H1N1 virus and 49 possible other cases among crew members over the past several days. The 50 crew members are off the ship recovering and being given Tamiflu medication, Surette said. The ship is being scrubbed and disinfected, and the remaining 370 crew members are being given Tamiflu as a precaution, according to Surette.

Officials said there are no other cases of the H1N1 virus on any other Navy ships, though at total of five total sailors throughout the Navy have been confirmed as contracting the virus.
 

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hNkUqwzLRY-8nSc_6e5AM0Vf2FIgD980D3380

Texas confirms first flu death of US resident
By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN – 46 minutes ago

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — Texas health officials on Tuesday announced the first death of a U.S. resident with swine flu, and said she was a 33-year-old schoolteacher who had recently given birth to a healthy baby.

The woman died early Tuesday and had been hospitalized since April 19, said Leonel Lopez, Cameron County epidemiologist.

Health officials stopped short of saying that swine flu caused the woman's death. State health department spokeswoman Carrie Williams said the woman had "chronic underlying health conditions" but wouldn't give any more details.

Lopez said the flu exacerbated the woman's condition. "The swine flu is very benign by itself," Lopez said. But "by the time she came to see us it was already too late."

The only other swine flu death in the U.S. was of a Mexico City boy who also had underlying health problems and had been visiting relatives in Brownsville, near Harlingen. He died last week at a Houston children's hospital.

There have been 26 other confirmed swine flu deaths, all in Mexico. Hundreds of cases of the disease have been confirmed in several countries, but mostly in Mexico and the U.S.

The teacher was from Harlingen, a city of about 63,000 near the U.S.-Mexico border. The school district where she worked announced it would close its schools for the rest of the week, though officials said anyone who might have contracted the disease from her would have shown symptoms by now.

The teacher was first seen by a physician April 14 and was hospitalized on the 19th. The woman delivered a healthy baby while hospitalized and stayed in the hospital until her death, said Lopez, who declined to give further details about the baby.

Doctors knew she had a flu when she came in, but did not know what kind, Lopez said. The area is undergoing a Type A influenza epidemic right now, of which the swine flu is one variety, he said. She was confirmed to have swine flu shortly before she died, he said.

Dr. Joseph McCormick, regional dean of the University of Texas School of Public Health's Brownsville campus, said the woman was extremely ill when she was hospitalized.

Mercedes Independent School District, where the woman taught, announced it would close its schools starting Wednesday and reopen May 11.

Based on the time the patient was admitted to the hospital and began to show symptoms of swine flu, anyone who had contracted the disease from her would have shown symptoms by now, McCormick said. Lopez also said students and employees of the school district where she worked shouldn't worry if they are currently healthy.

U.S. health officials changed course on their advice to schools Tuesday, saying they are no longer recommending that schools close for the swine flu. Last week, the government had advised schools to shut down for about two weeks if there were suspected cases of swine flu.

Associated Press writers Alicia A. Caldwell in El Paso and Jamie Stengle in Dallas contributed to this report.

NEWS LINKS FOR SWINE FLU - H1N1 FLU ARTICLES

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/
 
http://www.who.int/en/
 
http://www.usatoday.com
 
http://news.yahoo.com
 
http://news.google.com/
 
http://cnn.com
 
http://foxnews.com
 
http://msnbc.com
 
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/index.html

http://new.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1316&Itemid=1

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Situation Report on H1N1

 

Summary

Today, the first case of Influenza A (H1NI) in Guatemala was confirmed. To date, the total number of confirmed cases of Influenza A (H1N1) in the Americas Region is 1,370 in 7 countries of the Americas (Mexico, United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Colombia, El Salvador and Guatemala).
From the WHO briefing today, it the Influenza (H1N1) virus seems to be similar across the different geographical regions, and that is responding to antiviral treatment.
The following countries outside the Americas have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Denmark (1), France (4), Germany (9), Ireland (1), Israel (4), Italy (5), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (6), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (2), Spain (57), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (27).
Today the WHO Director General, Dr. Margaret Chan, briefed international partners that form part of the UN Health Cluster, should this mechanism need to be activated in the future. She stressed that countries in the Southern hemisphere will be entering winter soon and are therefore at increased risk for influenza. She also highlighted the importance of ongoing surveillance, reporting and monitoring of Influenza A/H1N1.
Investigative work in Mexico and USA is providing a clearer picture of the outbreak. In his press briefing on 4 May 2009, Dr. Jon Andrus stated “You are now seeing that work is paying off, with a clearer picture of the epidemic curve and how the outbreak is evolving within the country.”
Read full article>>

For more information on H1N1 situation, please visit www.PandemicFlu.gov

http://new.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1314&Itemid=1

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Urges Southern Hemisphere to Remain Alert for Influenza A(H1N1)

  Washington, D.C., May 5, 2009 (PAHO/WHO) – While the vast majority of confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) have been in the Northern Hemisphere, a top Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) expert today cautioned that Southern Hemisphere countries should remain on high alert, as their winter season is just now beginning. 


Read full article>>  Please click link above to read full article

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

CDC DAILY REPORT - UPDATE, MAY 6, 2009

 
More images
H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
Site last updated May 6, 2009, 11:00 AM ET

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

International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization

*Case is resident of KY but currently hospitalized in GA.
 
The ongoing outbreak of novel influenza A (H1N1) continues to expand in the United States. CDC expects that more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths from this outbreak will occur over the coming days and weeks.

CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to the expanding outbreak. CDC’s response goals are to reduce spread and illness severity, and provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this emergency.

CDC is issuing updated interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation.

School Guidance

This includes updated interim guidance for schools and childcare facilities on preventing the spread of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus. At this time, CDC recommends the primary means to reduce spread of influenza in schools focus on early identification of ill students and staff, staying home when sick, and good cough etiquette and frequent hand washing. Decisions about school closure should be at the discretion of local authorities based on local considerations.

Increased Testing

CDC has developed a PCR diagnostic test kit to detect this novel H1N1 virus and has now distributed test kits to all states in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The test kits are being shipped internationally as well. This will allow states and other countries to test for this new virus. This increase in testing capacity is likely to result in an increase in the number of reported confirmed cases in this country, which should provide a more accurate picture of the burden of disease in the United States.

More on the Situation  - Use main link above

Guidance
Reports & Publications
Press Briefings
Past Updates on the Situation

WHO Updates International H1N1 Situation Including Global Number of Laboratory Confirmed Cases
Edit to add link: http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_05_06/en/index.html
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION - UPDATE - CONFIRMED CASES - MAY 6, 2009  

6 May 2009 -- As of 06:00 GMT, 6 May 2009, 22 countries have officially reported 1516 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection.

Mexico has reported 822 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 29 deaths. The United States has reported 403 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (165), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Colombia (1), Costa Rica (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (2), France (4), Germany (9), Guatemala (1), Ireland (1), Israel (4), Italy (5), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (6), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (2), Spain (57), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (27).

 
 

It is considered prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention, in line with guidance from national authorities. Individuals are advised to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water on a regular basis and should seek medical attention if they develop any symptoms of influenza-like illness.

WHO advises no restriction of regular travel or closure of borders.

There is no risk of infection from this virus from consumption of well-cooked pork and pork products.

Further information on the situation will be available on the WHO website on a regular basis.

Read full article>>

For more information on H1N1 situation, please visit www.PandemicFlu.gov



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------





 

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/05/confirmed-illinois-swine-flu-cases-soar.html

Confirmed Illinois swine flu cases soar
May 6, 2009 10:59 AM | 1 Comment
There are now 225 confirmed case of swine flu in Illinois, the state Department of Public Health reported this morning.

The dramatic climb into triple digits over a few days was attributed to state labs tackling test backlogs because they are able for the first time to conduct confirmation tests without sending them away, officials say.

Chicago remains the apparent epicenter of the swine flu outbreak in Illinois, with 93 confirmed cases. Suburban Cook County has another 57 confirmed cases, the IDPH reported this morning.

Other counties reporting confirmed cases included DuPage County with 26 cases, Will County with 15, Kane County with 12, Lake County with four cases, two cases each in Boone, McHenry, Winnebago Counties, and single cases reported in Kendall and Knox Counties.

Two other confirmed cases could not be assigned to a specific county.

An additional 20 probable but unconfirmed cases were reported in at least eight counties - DeKalb, Sangamon, Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, Winnebago and Kendall Counties. One probable case had not been assigned to a county.

Hi Mere!  The lady is an adult and she had been to Mexico.  She is expected to recover.  No other cases reported.

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2009/NEW02008.html


     

FDA Home Page | Search FDA Site | FDA A-Z Index | Contact FDA



FDA News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 6, 2009
 Media Inquiries:
Peper Long, 301-796-4540
Consumer Inquiries:
888-INFO-FDA
 


FDA Approves New Influenza Vaccine Production Facility

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that it has approved a new manufacturing facility used to produce influenza virus vaccines.  The facility is approved for seasonal influenza vaccine production and could be used for the production of vaccine against the new 2009 H1N1 influenza strain.

As part of its overall pandemic influenza preparedness efforts, the FDA meets with vaccine manufacturers to guide the efficient establishment of influenza vaccine facilities that comply with agency requirements.  The agency promptly reviews applications and manufacturing supplements that could increase both the number of manufacturers and the overall supply of vaccine.

The facility, located in the United States, is owned and operated by sanofi pasteur, which manufactures Fluzone Influenza Virus Vaccine. This new facility will greatly increase sanofi pasteur’s production capability.

“This approval represents an important step towards increasing the availability of influenza vaccines,” said Karen Midthun, M.D., the FDA’s acting director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

“Increased manufacturing capacity for influenza vaccine is critical to our preparedness for an influenza pandemic,” said Jesse Goodman, M.D., M.P.H., the FDA’s acting chief scientist and deputy commissioner for scientific and medical programs. “This action also enhances the ability to produce and provide vaccines to protect the public from seasonal influenza, still estimated to cause more than 30,000 deaths per year. Thanks to strategic investments by the federal government and proactive efforts and engagement by the FDA and the vaccine industry, our nation’s preparedness has come a long way over the last five years.”

The FDA has interacted with the company throughout the regulatory process to help ensure compliance with applicable requirements.

The bulk manufacturing facility will be used for the production of Fluzone, sanofi pasteur’s egg-based influenza vaccine. 

Sanofi Pasteur is located in Swiftwater, Pa.

Information on the FDA’s response to the new 2009 H1N1 influenza virus may be found on the FDA’s Web site at http://www.fda.gov/h1n1flu/default.htm.

Information on seasonal influenza vaccine may be found on the FDA’s Web site at http://www.fda.gov/cber/flu/flu.htm.

The FDA’s Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Strategic Plan may be found on the FDA’s Web site at http://www.fda.gov/oc/op/pandemic/strategicplanupdate03_08.html.

#



 

Good news...! 
Thank you Always...... :2waver:

http://www.who.int/en/

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION - UPDATE 18 - MAY 6, 2009

Influenza A(H1N1) - update 18
6 May 2009 -- As of 16:00 GMT, 6 May 2009, 23 countries have officially reported 1893 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection.

Mexico has reported 942 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 29 deaths. The United States has reported 642 laboratory confirmed human cases, including two deaths.

Related links -


The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (165), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Colombia (1), Costa Rica (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (2), France (5), Germany (9), Guatemala (1), Ireland (1), Israel (4), Italy (5), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (5), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (2), Spain (73), Sweden (1), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (28).

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-swine_flu_wedmay07,0,5423657.story

chicagotribune.com

Swine flu: Confirmed cases jump to 225 in Illinois

Only Chicago public school to close during outbreak reopens
By Dahleen Glanton and Azam Ahmed

Tribune reporters

May 7, 2009

The number of confirmed cases of swine flu in Illinois soared to 225 on Wednesday -- including a first at Cook County Jail -- but state health officials assured that the increase was due to new testing capabilities that continue to reduce a backlog of suspected flu samples.

As a result of the surge in cases, Illinois rose to the top of the list of states with the flu, recording more confirmed cases than any other state, health officials said. The state had 20 probable cases not yet confirmed.

"We want to make sure that people are reassured and understand that this is not an increase in community spread," said Kelly Jakubek, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Public Health. "We have had hundreds upon hundreds of specimens come into our lab, and now ... we have been able to move through those much more quickly."

New testing guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with the reduction of the backlog, are expected to stabilize numbers in Illinois in the coming days, Jakubek said.

Previously, the state Health Department tested specimens from anyone with flulike symptoms that were determined not to be common influenza strains. Since Friday, the state has tested samples only from people who are hospitalized, have severe symptoms or have a high-risk condition, such as pregnancy, Jakubek said.

At the reopening of Kilmer Elementary School on Chicago's Far North Side -- the only city public school closed because of swine flu -- Chicago Public Schools chief Ron Huberman said the school system has sent home 132 children who exhibited flu symptoms, a number he called "reasonable" in light of the system's 400,000 students.

The 12-year-old girl whose illness prompted Kilmer's shutdown a week ago won't return to school until next week, Huberman said.

Most of the parents walking their children back to school said they were happy the school was reopening. At least one parent thought the school system had overreacted and caused panic.

"They shouldn't have closed the school in the first place," said Cynthia McDonald, who accompanied her 11-year-old son, Sidney, to school.

The ill County Jail inmate was a 35-year-old Chicago man who was detained Saturday on a drug charge. The next day he began showing flulike symptoms and was immediately moved to an isolation unit at Cermak Hospital.

The medium-security jail tier where his cell was located was quarantined, and workers and inmates were allowed to move around it only with surgical masks. But, in a statement, jail officials said no one else on that tier has experienced flulike symptoms.

dglanton@tribune.com

aahmed@tribune.com



Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_05_07/en/index.html

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION - UPDATE 19 - MAY 7, 2009

Influenza A(H1N1) - update 19

7 May 2009 -- As of 06:00 GMT, 7 May 2009, 23 countries have officially reported 2099 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.

Mexico has reported 1112 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 42 deaths. The United States has reported 642 laboratory confirmed human cases, including two deaths.

Related links


Map of the spread of Infuenza A(H1N1): number of laboratory confirmed cases and deaths [jpg 1.15Mb]
As of 7 May 2009, 09:00 GMT

Influenza A(H1N1) web site
Daily updates will be posted on this site.

 

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (201), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Colombia (1), Costa Rica (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (2), France (5), Germany (9), Guatemala (1), Ireland (1), Israel (4), Italy (5), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (5), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (2), Spain (73), Sweden (1), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (28).

Please use link above to access entire article.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm

Use the above link to show Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Cases by HHS Joint Field Office Coordination Groups - by REGION
May 7, 2009, 11:00 AM ET
 
CDC H1N1 Flu Update: U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection

Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Cases by HHS Joint Field Office Coordination Groups
May 7, 2009, 11:00 AM ET

896 Confirmed Cases in 41 States


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
International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization

*Case is resident of KY but currently hospitalized in GA.
 
The ongoing outbreak of novel influenza A (H1N1) continues to expand in the United States. CDC expects that more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths from this outbreak will occur over the coming days and weeks.

CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to the expanding outbreak. CDC’s response goals are to reduce spread and illness severity, and provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this emergency.

CDC is issuing updated interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation.

Antiviral Guidance
CDC has issued guidance for health care providers on the use of antiviral medications during the current outbreak. The priority use for influenza antiviral drugs is to treat severe influenza illness and people who are at high risk of serious influenza-related conditions.

School Guidance
At this time, CDC recommends the primary means to reduce spread of influenza in schools focus on early identification of ill students and staff, staying home when sick, and good cough etiquette and frequent hand washing. Decisions about school closure should be at the discretion of local authorities based on local considerations.

Increased Testing
CDC has developed a PCR diagnostic test kit to detect this novel H1N1 virus and has now distributed test kits to all states in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The test kits are being shipped internationally as well. This will allow states and other countries to test for this new virus. This increase in testing capacity is likely to result in an increase in the number of reported confirmed cases in this country, which should provide a more accurate picture of the burden of disease in the United States.

More on the Situation
Guidance
Reports & Publications
Press Briefings
Past Updates on the Situation

 http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1241646562350.shtm

Please use above link to access entire article.  This Media Briefing occurred on May 6, 2009 and includes confirmed and probable cases.

DHS: Remarks by Secretary Napolitano at Media Briefing on the H1N1 Flu Outbreak

Secretary Napolitano:  Good afternoon. Let me begin by saying this is the last day we plan to hold a daily briefing on the H1N1 flu situation. We will have briefings on an as-needed basis as new details warrant. So today I want to talk about where we are and then where we are going.

The CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] has confirmed 642 cases of H1N1 flu in 41 states. Additionally, CDC has begun reporting probable cases as well, which now stand at 845 in 42 states. Sadly, we also learned of the second death in the United States from H1N1 flu. This death was reported in Texas. We are respecting the privacy of that individual and that individual's family, and our thoughts and our prayers are with them.

Read full article>>

For more information on H1N1 situation, please visit www.PandemicFlu.gov



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


 

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/sick.htm

What to Do If You Get Flu-Like Symptoms
May 6, 2009 10:49 PM ET

Background
The novel H1N1 flu virus is causing illness in infected persons in the United States and countries around the world. CDC expects that illnesses may continue for some time. As a result, you or people around you may become ill. If so, you need to recognize the symptoms and know what to do.

Symptoms

The symptoms of this new H1N1 flu virus in people are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with this new H1N1 virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting.   

The high risk groups for novel H1N1 flu are not known at this time but it’s possible that they may be the same as for seasonal influenza. People at higher risk of serious complications from seasonal flu include people age 65 years and older, children younger than 5 years old, pregnant women, people of any age with chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), and people who are immunosuppressed (e.g., taking immunosuppressive medications, infected with HIV).

Avoid Contact With Others

If you are sick, you may be ill for a week or longer. You should stay home and avoid contact with other persons, except to seek medical care. If you leave the house to seek medical care, wear a mask or cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue. In general you should avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness.

At the current time, CDC believes that this virus has the same properties in terms of spread as seasonal flu viruses. With seasonal flu, studies have shown that people may be contagious from one day before they develop symptoms to up to 7 days after they get sick. Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods.

Treatment is Available for Those Who Are Seriously III

It is expected that most people will recover without needing medical care.

If you have severe illness or you are at high risk for flu complications, contact your health care provider or seek medical care. Your health care provider will determine whether flu testing or treatment is needed. Be aware that if the flu becomes wide spread, there will be little need to continue testing people, so your health care provider may decide not to test for the flu virus.


Antiviral drugs can be given to treat those who become severely ill with influenza. These antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) with activity against influenza viruses, including H1N1 flu virus. These medications must be prescribed by a health care professional.


There are two influenza antiviral medications that are recommended for use against H1N1 flu. The drugs that are used for treating H1N1 flu are called oseltamivir (trade name Tamiflu ®) and zanamivir (Relenza ®). As the H1N1 flu spreads, these antiviral drugs may become in short supply. Therefore, the drugs will be given first to those people who have been hospitalized or are at high risk of complications. The drugs work best if given within 2 days of becoming ill, but may be given later if illness is severe or for those at a high risk for complications.

Aspirin or aspirin-containing products (e.g. bismuth subsalicylate – Pepto Bismol) should not be administered to any confirmed or suspected ill case of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus infection aged 18 years old and younger due to the risk of Reye syndrome. For relief of fever, other anti-pyretic medications are recommended such as acetaminophen or non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. For more information about Reye’s syndrome, visit the National Institute of Health website.

Check ingredient labels on over-the-counter cold and flu medications to see if they contain aspirin.
Teenagers with the flu can take medicines without aspirin, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®) and ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®, Nuprin®), to relieve symptoms.
Children younger than 4 years of age should not be given over-the-counter cold medications without first speaking with a healthcare provider. 

Emergency Warning Signs

If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care.

In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

Fast breathing or trouble breathing
Bluish or gray skin color
Not drinking enough fluids
Severe or persistent vomiting
Not waking up or not interacting
Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Sudden dizziness
Confusion
Severe or persistent vomiting
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

Protect Yourself, Your Family, and Community
Stay informed. Health officials will provide additional information as it becomes available. Visit the CDC H1N1 Flu website.

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

If you are sick with a flu-like illness, stay home for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. Keep away from other household members as much as possible. This is to keep you from infecting others and spreading the virus further.
Learn more about how to take care of someone who is ill in "Taking Care of a Sick Person in Your Home"
Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds, and other social distancing measures.

If you don’t have one yet, consider developing a family emergency plan as a precaution. This should include storing a supply of extra food, medicines, and other essential supplies. Further information can be found in the "Flu Planning Checklist"

7 cases in Maine now.

http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/105220.html

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/   Please use link to access entire article.

CDC Update - MAY 7, 2009 7:15 PM

Site last updated May 7, 2009, 7:15 PM ET

U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection

(As of May 7, 2009, 11:00 AM ET)  States Laboratory
confirmed
cases Deaths
TOTAL (41) 896 cases 2 deaths  

International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection,
see World Health Organization

View state-by-state table >>  Use link above

View complete map >>  Use link above

The ongoing outbreak of novel influenza A (H1N1) continues to expand in the United States. CDC expects that more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths from this outbreak will occur over the coming days and weeks.

CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to the expanding outbreak. CDC’s response goals are to reduce spread and illness severity, and provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this emergency.

CDC is issuing updated interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation.

Antiviral Guidance
CDC has issued guidance for health care providers on the use of antiviral medications during the current outbreak. The priority use for influenza antiviral drugs is to treat severe influenza illness and people who are at high risk of serious influenza-related conditions.

School Guidance
At this time, CDC recommends the primary means to reduce spread of influenza in schools focus on early identification of ill students and staff, staying home when sick, and good cough etiquette and frequent hand washing. Decisions about school closure should be at the discretion of local authorities based on local considerations. (See the School Guidance.)

Increased Testing
CDC has developed a PCR diagnostic test kit to detect this novel H1N1 virus and has now distributed test kits to all states in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The test kits are being shipped internationally as well. This will allow states and other countries to test for this new virus. This increase in testing capacity is likely to result in an increase in the number of reported confirmed cases in this country, which should provide a more accurate picture of the burden of disease in the United States.

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_05_07a/en/index.html  Please use link to read all...

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION - UPDATE 20 - 5/7/09

Influenza A(H1N1) - update 20

7 May 2009 -- As of 18:00 GMT, 7 May 2009, 24 countries have officially reported 2371 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection.

Mexico has reported 1112 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 42 deaths. The United States has reported 896 laboratory confirmed human cases, including two deaths.

Related links


Map of the spread of Infuenza A(H1N1): number of laboratory confirmed cases and deaths [png 201kb]
As of 7 May 2009, 18:00 GMT

Influenza A(H1N1) web site
Daily updates will be posted on this site.

 

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (201), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Colombia (1), Costa Rica (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (2), France (5), Germany (10), Guatemala (1), Ireland (1), Israel (6), Italy (5), Netherlands (2), New Zealand (5), Poland (1), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (3), Spain (81), Sweden (1), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (32).

WHO is not recommending travel restrictions related to the outbreak of the influenza A(H1N1) virus.

Individuals who are ill should delay travel plans and returning travelers who fall ill should seek appropriate medical care. These recommendations are prudent measures which can limit the spread of many communicable diseases, including influenza.

Further information on the situation will be available on the WHO website on a regular basis

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_05_08/en/index.html

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION UPDATE - UPDATE 21 - MAY 8, 2009

24 countries have officially reported 2384 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection.

Please use link above to read entire article.


http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

CDC UPDATE - MAY 8, 2009 - 9:15 A.M. -  H1N1 Flu - includes yesterday's Confirmed Number of Cases

Please use link above to read entire article.

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE5473S520090508

United States has 1,639 cases of new flu, CDC says
Fri May 8, 2009 11:25am EDT

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The United States has 1,639 cases of the new H1N1 flu in 43 states, with two deaths, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Friday.

U.S. officials have said they expect the swine influenza virus to spread to all 50 states and to cause many infections ranging from mild to severe. The case count on Thursday was 896 but there has been a backlog of likely cases that need extra testing to confirm.

(Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen, editing by Jackie Frank)

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm#statetable
Please use this link to see Regional Map of Confirmed Cases

CDC H1N1 Flu Update: U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection

Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Cases by HHS Joint Field Office Coordination Groups
May 8, 2009, 11:00 AM ET

1639 Confirmed Cases in 43 States
(includes the District of Columbia)

U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection
(As of May 8, 2009, 11:00 AM ET) 
States* Laboratory
confirmed
cases Deaths
 
Alabama 4   
Arizona 131   
California 107   
Colorado 25   
Connecticut 4   
Delaware 39   
Florida 6   
Georgia 3   
Hawaii 5   
Idaho 1   
Illinois 392   
Indiana 29   
Iowa 5   
Kansas 12   
Kentucky** 3   
Louisiana 7   
Maine 4   
Maryland 4   
Massachusetts 83   
Michigan 49   
Minnesota 1   
Missouri 9   
Nebraska 4   
Nevada 8   
New Hampshire 3   
New Jersey 7   
New Mexico 8   
New York 174   
North Carolina 7   
Ohio 6   
Oklahoma 4   
Oregon 15   
Pennsylvania 2   
Rhode Island 7   
South Carolina 29   
South Dakota 1   
Tennessee 36   
Texas 93 2
Utah 24   
Virginia 14   
Washington 33   
Washington, D.C. 1   
Wisconsin 240   
TOTAL*(43) 1639 cases 2 deaths

International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization

*includes the District of Columbia

**case is resident of KY but currently hospitalized in GA.

NOTE: Because of daily reporting deadlines, the state totals reported by CDC may not always be consistent with those reported by state health departments. If there is a discrepancy between these two counts, data from the state health departments should be used as the most accurate number.
 

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_05_11/en/index.html

Please use link to access entire article.

Influenza A(H1N1) - update 25
11 May 2009 -- As of 06:00 GMT, 11 May 2009, 30 countries have officially reported 4694 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.

Mexico has reported 1626 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 48 deaths. The United States has reported 2532 laboratory confirmed human cases, including three deaths. Canada has reported 284 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death. Costa Rica has reported eight laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.

Related links


Map of the spread of Infuenza A(H1N1): number of laboratory confirmed cases and deaths [jpg 435kb]
As of 06:00 GMT, 11 May 2009

Influenza A(H1N1) web site
Daily updates will be posted on this site.

 

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Argentina (1), Australia (1), Austria (1), Brazil (8), China (2, comprising 1 in China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and 1 in mainland China), Colombia (3), Denmark (1), El Salvador (4), France (13), Germany (11), Guatemala (1), Ireland (1), Israel (7), Italy (9), Japan (4), Netherlands (3), New Zealand (7), Norway (2), Panama (15), Poland (1), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (3), Spain (95), Sweden (2), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (47).

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

PLEASE USE LINK TO ACCESS TOTAL ARTICLE....INCLUDING STATES AND NUMBER OF CONFIRMED CASES PER STATE.....


H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
Site last updated May 11, 2009, 11:00 AM ET


U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection

(As of May 11, 2009, 11:00 AM ET)  States* Laboratory confirmed cases Deaths

TOTAL (44) 2618 cases 3 deaths  
*includes the District of Columbia

CDC INFORMATION FROM THE LINK AT THE ABOVE POST

U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection

(As of May 11, 2009, 12:41 PM ET)  States* Laboratory
confirmed
cases Deaths

Alabama 4   
Arizona 182   
California 191   
Colorado 39   
Connecticut 24   
Delaware 44   
Florida 54   
Georgia 3   
Hawaii 6   
Idaho 1   
Illinois 487   
Indiana 39   
Iowa 43   
Kansas 18   
Kentucky** 10   
Louisiana 9   
Maine 4   
Maryland 23   
Massachusetts 88   
Michigan 130   
Minnesota 7   
Missouri 14   
Nebraska 13   
Nevada 9   
New Hampshire 4   
New Jersey 7   
New Mexico 30   
New York 190   
North Carolina 11   
Ohio 6   
Oklahoma 14   
Oregon 17   
Pennsylvania 10   
Rhode Island 7   
South Carolina 32   
South Dakota 1   
Tennessee 54   
Texas 179 2
Utah 63   
Vermont 1   
Virginia 16   
Washington 128 1
Washington, D.C. 4   
Wisconsin 384   

TOTAL*(44) 2600 cases 3 deaths

International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization

*includes the District of Columbia

**one case is resident of KY but currently hospitalized in GA.

NOTE: Because of daily reporting deadlines, the state totals reported by CDC may not always be consistent with those reported by state health departments. If there is a discrepancy between these two counts, data from the state health departments should be used as the most accurate number.
 

 http://tinyurl.com/o9hl63
 
H1N1 flu cases, death toll rise: WHO
1 hr 31 mins ago
 
GENEVA (Reuters) – The number of confirmed cases of the new Influenza A (H1N1) flu has climbed to 6,497, including 65 deaths, the World Health Organization said on Thursday.

The number of countries reporting confirmed cases remains at 33, with the vast majority of cases in Mexico and the United States, the WHO said in a twice-daily update.

The latest update appeared before a meeting of experts later on Thursday by the WHO to decide whether drugmakers should switch production of flu vaccine to deal with the new outbreak, widely known as swine flu, from seasonal flu.

Seasonal flu kills 500,000 people a year, mainly the elderly or those with respiratory problems like asthma.

So the WHO will want to be sure that the H1N1 outbreak poses a severe threat before recommending the switch.

Drugmakers do not have the capacity to make both. One question the experts will examine is whether a course against swine flu would require two shots rather than one, taking up twice as much manufacturing capacity.

Recommendations by the experts will be put to the WHO's World Health Assembly next week. In the meantime manufacturers have already started producing the H1N1 vaccine.

The spread of the disease has led the WHO to declare a pandemic is imminent. On April 29 it raised its pandemic alert to 5 on a 6-level scale.

Evidence the new flu was spreading in a sustained manner in countries outside North America would trigger a move to phase 6 for a full-blown pandemic.

Conversely, signs the infection is not spreading in new countries and is slowing in North America could allow the WHO to lower the alert level.

Mexico's Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova told Reuters the flu was infecting fewer people and was likely to cause no more than 100 deaths in the country.

WHO experts say it is not possible to create a scale giving a scientific assessment of the severity of the outbreak, on the lines of hurricane warnings or the Richter scale for earthquakes.

That is because the new flu affects people differently in various countries, depending on their stage of development, healthcare systems and experience in dealing with epidemics.

The WHO's tally lags national reports but is considered more secure. Rising numbers can indicate that a backlog of cases is being processed, as well as the spread of the disease.

The WHO said Mexico has reported 2,446 confirmed cases including 60 deaths. The United States has reported 3,352 confirmed cases including 3 deaths. Canada has 389 confirmed cases and Costa Rica 8 cases, both with one death.

Other countries with confirmed cases but no deaths are Argentina (1), Australia (1), Austria (1), Brazil (8), Britain (71), China (4), Colombia (7), Cuba (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (4), Finland (2), France (14), Germany (12), Guatemala (3), Ireland (1), Israel (7), Italy (9), Japan (4), Netherlands (3) New Zealand (7), Norway (2), Panama (29), Poland (1), Portugal (1), South Korea (3), Spain (100), Sweden (2), Switzerland (1) and Thailand (2).

(Reporting by Jonathan Lynn, editing by Mark Trevelyan)


Copyright © 2009 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.


Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.Questions or CommentsPrivacy PolicyTerms of ServiceCopyright/IP Policy
 

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm

PLEASE USE ABOVE LINK TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE AND SEE MAP OF STATES INVOLVED

CDC H1N1 Flu Update: U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection

Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Cases by HHS Joint Field Office Coordination Groups
May 14, 2009, 11:00 AM ET

4,298 Confirmed and Probable Cases in 47 States
(includes the District of Columbia)


U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection
(As of May 14, 2009, 11:00 AM ET) 

Alabama 41   
Arkansas 1   
Arizona 431   
California 473   
Colorado 47   
Connecticut 38   
Delaware 58   
Florida 65   
Georgia 36   
Hawaii 10   
Idaho 5   
Illinois 620   
Indiana 70   
Iowa 58   
Kansas 28   
Kentucky** 13   
Louisiana 45   
Maine 13   
Maryland 28   
Massachusetts 109   
Michigan 141   
Minnesota 34   
Missouri 20   
Montana 5   
Nebraska 23   
Nevada 25   
New Hampshire 18   
New Jersey 12   
New Mexico 51   
New York 224   
North Carolina 12   
North Dakota 1   
Ohio 12   
Oklahoma 22   
Oregon 94   
Pennsylvania 50   
Rhode Island 8   
South Carolina 34   
South Dakota 5   
Tennessee 63   
Texas 439 2
Utah 80   
Vermont 1   
Virginia 20   
Washington 195 1
Washington, D.C. 10   
Wisconsin 510   
TOTAL*(47) 4,298 cases 3 deaths
*includes the District of Columbia

**one case is resident of KY but currently hospitalized in GA.

This table will be updated daily Monday-Friday at around 11 AM ET.

International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization.

NOTE: Because of daily reporting deadlines, the state totals reported by CDC may not always be consistent with those reported by state health departments. If there is a discrepancy between these two counts, data from the state health departments should be used as the most accurate number.
 
A New Influenza Virus
Novel influenza A (H1N1) is a new flu virus of swine origin that was first detected in April, 2009. The virus is infecting people and is spreading from person-to-person, sparking a growing outbreak of illness in the United States. An increasing number of cases are being reported internationally as well.

It’s thought that novel influenza A (H1N1) flu spreads in the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread; mainly through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus.

It’s uncertain at this time how severe this novel H1N1 outbreak will be in terms of illness and death compared with other influenza viruses. Because this is a new virus, most people will not have immunity to it, and illness may be more severe and widespread as a result. In addition, currently there is no vaccine to protect against this novel H1N1 virus. CDC anticipates that there will be more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths associated with this new virus in the coming days and weeks.

Novel influenza A (H1N1) activity is now being detected through CDC’s routine influenza surveillance systems and reported weekly in FluView. CDC tracks U.S. influenza activity through multiple systems across five categories. The fact that novel H1N1 activity can now be monitored through seasonal surveillance systems is an indication that there are higher levels of influenza-like illness in the United States than is normal for this time of year. About half of all influenza viruses being detected are novel H1N1 viruses.

CDC Response
CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to the outbreak. CDC’s response goals are to reduce the spread and severity of illness, and to provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this new public health threat.
CDC is issuing updated interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation.

Clinician Guidance
CDC has issued interim guidance for clinicians on identifying and caring for patients with novel H1N1, in addition to providing interim guidance on the use of antiviral drugs. Influenza antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) with activity against influenza viruses, including novel influenza H1N1 viruses. The priority use for influenza antiviral drugs during this outbreak is to treat severe influenza illness, including people who are hospitalized or sick people who are considered at high risk of serious influenza-related complications.

Public Guidance
In addition, CDC has provided guidance for the public on what to do if they become sick with flu-like symptoms, including infection with novel H1N1. CDC also has issued instructions on taking care of a sick person at home. Novel H1N1 infection has been reported to cause a wide range of symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. In addition, a significant number of people also have reported nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Everyone should take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs, including frequent hand washing and people who are sick should stay home and avoid contact with others in order to limit further spread of the disease.

Testing
CDC has developed a PCR diagnostic test kit to detect this novel H1N1 virus and has now distributed test kits to all states in the U.S. and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The test kits are being shipped internationally as well. This will allow states and other countries to test for this new virus. This increase in testing will likely result in an increase in the number of confirmed cases of illness reported. This, combined with ongoing monitoring through Flu View should provide a fuller picture of the burden of disease in the United States over time.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm

PLEASE CLICK ON LINK TO ACCESS ENTIRE ARTICLE

 
CDC H1N1 Flu Update: U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection

Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Cases by HHS Joint Field Office Coordination Groups
May 15, 2009, 11:00 AM ET

4,714 Confirmed and Probable Cases in 47 States
(includes the District of Columbia)


U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection
(As of May 15, 2009, 11:00 AM ET) 

States* Confirmed and Probable Cases Deaths
Alabama 55 
Arkansas 2 
Arizona 435 1
California 504 
Colorado 55 
Connecticut 47 
Delaware 60 
Florida 68 
Georgia 18 
Hawaii 10 
Idaho 5 
Illinois 638 
Indiana 71 
Iowa 66 
Kansas 30 
Kentucky** 13 
Louisiana 57 
Maine 14 
Maryland 28 
Massachusetts 135 
Michigan 142 
Minnesota 36 
Missouri 19 
Montana 4 
Nebraska 27 
Nevada 26 
New Hampshire 18 
New Jersey 14 
New Mexico 68 
New York 242 
North Carolina 12 
North Dakota 2 
Ohio 14 
Oklahoma 26 
Oregon 94 
Pennsylvania 47 
Rhode Island 8 
South Carolina 36 
South Dakota 4 
Tennessee 74 
Texas 506 2
Utah 91 
Vermont 1 
Virginia 21 
Washington 246 1
Washington, D.C. 12 
Wisconsin 613 
TOTAL*(47) 4,714 cases 4 deaths
*includes the District of Columbia

**one case is resident of KY but currently hospitalized in GA.

This table will be updated daily Monday-Friday at around 11 AM ET.

International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization.

NOTE: Because of daily reporting deadlines, the state totals reported by CDC may not always be consistent with those reported by state health departments. If there is a discrepancy between these two counts, data from the state health departments should be used as the most accurate number.
 
A New Influenza Virus
Novel influenza A (H1N1) is a new flu virus of swine origin that was first detected in April, 2009. The virus is infecting people and is spreading from person-to-person, sparking a growing outbreak of illness in the United States. An increasing number of cases are being reported internationally as well.

It’s thought that novel influenza A (H1N1) flu spreads in the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread; mainly through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus.

It’s uncertain at this time how severe this novel H1N1 outbreak will be in terms of illness and death compared with other influenza viruses. Because this is a new virus, most people will not have immunity to it, and illness may be more severe and widespread as a result. In addition, currently there is no vaccine to protect against this novel H1N1 virus. CDC anticipates that there will be more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths associated with this new virus in the coming days and weeks.

Novel influenza A (H1N1) activity is now being detected through CDC’s routine influenza surveillance systems and reported weekly in FluView. CDC tracks U.S. influenza activity through multiple systems across five categories. The fact that novel H1N1 activity can now be monitored through seasonal surveillance systems is an indication that there are higher levels of influenza-like illness in the United States than is normal for this time of year. About half of all influenza viruses being detected are novel H1N1 viruses.

CDC Response
CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to the outbreak. CDC’s response goals are to reduce the spread and severity of illness, and to provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this new public health threat.
CDC is issuing updated interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation.

Clinician Guidance
CDC has issued interim guidance for clinicians on identifying and caring for patients with novel H1N1, in addition to providing interim guidance on the use of antiviral drugs. Influenza antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) with activity against influenza viruses, including novel influenza H1N1 viruses. The priority use for influenza antiviral drugs during this outbreak is to treat severe influenza illness, including people who are hospitalized or sick people who are considered at high risk of serious influenza-related complications.

Public Guidance
In addition, CDC has provided guidance for the public on what to do if they become sick with flu-like symptoms, including infection with novel H1N1. CDC also has issued instructions on taking care of a sick person at home. Novel H1N1 infection has been reported to cause a wide range of symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. In addition, a significant number of people also have reported nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Everyone should take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs, including frequent hand washing and people who are sick should stay home and avoid contact with others in order to limit further spread of the disease.

Testing
CDC has developed a PCR diagnostic test kit to detect this novel H1N1 virus and has now distributed test kits to all states in the U.S. and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The test kits are being shipped internationally as well. This will allow states and other countries to test for this new virus. This increase in testing will likely result in an increase in the number of confirmed cases of illness reported. This, combined with ongoing monitoring through Flu View should provide a fuller picture of the burden of disease in the United States over time.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention   1600 Clifton Rd. Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) TTY: (888) 232-6348, 24 Hours/Every Day - cdcinfo@cdc.gov

 

Thanks, Mere, checking daily.  Alabama took a big jump in the last 24 hours.  There are several more suspected cases that I am aware of. 

Thankfully the death toll remains very low on all levels of this new virus.

QUEENS AST PRINCIPAL MITCHELL WEINER DEAD FROM SWINE FLU

http://www.nypost.com/seven/05162009/news/regionalnews/queens/queens_ast_principa_mitchell_weiner_dead_169754.htm

By ALEX GINSBERG

The Queens assistant principal stricken with swine flu succumbed to the deadly virus today, the first person to die in the city from the disease, hospital officials said.

"We were treating him very aggressively," said Flushing Hospital spokesman Ole Pedersen. "Unfortunately, he did expire at 6:17 p.m. this evening."

The sick man, Mitchell Wiener, 55, an assistant principal at IS 238 in Jamaica Estates, first fell ill more than a week ago, but didn't seek help at the hospital until his symptoms became severe early Wednesday morning.

Since that time, he's been in a medically induced coma, on a ventilator.

Just hours before his death, his wife, Bonnie, said there were hopeful signs.

"There's no change," she told The Post earlier today. "He's stabilized. They're just giving him supporting care and hoping the treatment will kick in."

Hello Monkeys....I have been out of town....so will be back today with the "numbers".  San....thank you for the information on the Assistant Principal, Mr. Weiner.

These numbers came in e-mail this morning and do not format as well as they did in the past....
making the list a bit more difficult to read.

CDC Updates U.S. H1N1 Flu Situation: 48 states | 5710 cases

  Table. U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection
(As of May 20, 2009, 11:00 AM ET) 

States*  Confirmed and Probable Cases  Deaths  
Alabama  64 cases  0 deaths 
Arkansas  3 cases  0 deaths 
Arizona  488 cases  2 deaths 
California  553 cases  0 deaths 
Colorado  55 cases  0 deaths 
Connecticut  59 cases  0 deaths 
Delaware  88 cases  0 deaths 
Florida  122 cases  0 deaths 
Georgia  25 cases  0 deaths 
Hawaii  26 cases  0 deaths 
Idaho  8 cases  0 deaths 
Illinois  794 cases  0 deaths 
Indiana  105 cases  0 deaths 
Iowa  71 cases  0 deaths 
Kansas  34 cases  0 deaths 
Kentucky**  20 cases  0 deaths 
Louisiana  73 cases  0 deaths 
Maine  9 cases  0 deaths 
Maryland  39 cases  0 deaths 
Massachusetts  175 cases  0 deaths 
Michigan  171 cases  0 deaths 
Minnesota  39 cases  0 deaths 
Mississippi  5 cases  0 deaths 
Missouri  20 cases  1 deaths 
Montana  9 cases  0 deaths 
Nebraska  28 cases  0 deaths 
Nevada  33 cases  0 deaths 
New Hampshire  22 cases  0 deaths 
New Jersey  22 cases  0 deaths 
New Mexico  68 cases  0 deaths 
New York  284 cases  1 deaths 
North Carolina  12 cases  0 deaths 
North Dakota  5 cases  0 deaths 
Ohio  13 cases  0 deaths 
Oklahoma  43 cases  0 deaths 
Oregon  94 cases  0 deaths 
Pennsylvania  55 cases  0 deaths 
Rhode Island  8 cases  0 deaths 
South Carolina  36 cases  0 deaths 
South Dakota  4 cases  0 deaths 
Tennessee  86 cases  0 deaths 
Texas  556 cases  3 deaths 
Utah  72 cases  0 deaths 
Vermont  1 cases  0 deaths 
Virginia  23 cases  0 deaths 
Washington  411 cases  1 death 
Washington, D.C.  13 cases  0 deaths 
Wisconsin  766 cases  0 deaths 
TOTAL*(48)  5,710 cases  8 deaths 
*includes the District of Columbia

**one case is resident of KY but currently hospitalized in GA.

This table will be updated daily Monday-Friday at around 11 AM ET.

International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization .

NOTE: Because of daily reporting deadlines, the state totals reported by CDC may not always be consistent with those reported by state health departments. If there is a discrepancy between these two counts, data from the state health departments should be used as the most accurate number.
 


Read full article>>

For more information on H1N1 situation, please visit www.PandemicFlu.gov

Tell us what you think of our News Window at newmedia@hhs.gov

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Monkeys....this report came in email this morning and also does not format well in transferring.
There are four columns of numbers following each country....and heading should read:
Country.....1.  Cumulative Total of Cases....2.  Deaths....3.  Newly Confirmed Cases....4.  Deaths


WHO Updates International H1N1 Situation: 41 Countries Reported 10243 Cases

Influenza A(H1N1) - update 34
20 May 2009 -- As of 06:00 GMT, 20 May 2009, 41 countries have officially reported 10 243 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 80 deaths.

The breakdown of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases by country is given in the following table and map.

Map of the spread of Influenza A(H1N1): number of laboratory confirmed cases and deaths [jpg 1.29Mb]
As of 06:00 GMT, 20 May 2009


Laboratory-confirmed cases of new influenza A(H1N1) as officially reported to WHO by States Parties to the International Health Regulations (2005)

Country 
Cumulative total of Cases....Deaths
Newly confirmed since the last reporting period....Deaths     
   Cases  Deaths  Cases  Deaths 
Argentina   1  0    0    0   
Australia    1  0    0    0   
Austria      1  0    0    0   
Belgium      5  0    0    0   
Brazil         8  0    0    0   
Canada   496  1    0    0   
Chile          5  0    1    0   
China         7  0    0    0   
Colombia   12  0    1    0   
Costa Rica  9  1    0    0   
Cuba          3  0    0    0   
Denmark     1  0    0    0   
Ecuador      1  0    0    0   
El Salvador  6  0    0    0   
Finland       2  0    0    0   
France      15  0    1    0   
Germany    14  0    0    0   
Greece        1  0    1    0   
Guatemala   3  0    0    0   
India          1  0    0    0   
Ireland        1  0    0    0   
Israel          7  0    0    0   
Italy           9  0    0    0   
Japan      210  0    51  0   
Korea,
Republic of   3  0    0    0   
Malaysia      2  0    0    0   
Mexico   3648  72   0    0   
Netherlands  3  0    0    0   
New Zealand  9  0    0    0   
Norway        2  0    0    0   
Panama       65  0    6   0   
Peru             3  0    1   0   
Poland          2  0    1   0   
Portugal        1  0    0    0   
Spain         107  0    4   0   
Sweden         3  0    0    0   
Switzerland    1  0    0    0   
Thailand        2  0    0    0   
Turkey          2  0    0    0   
United Kingdom  102  0    0    0   
United States of America  5469  6  346  1 
Grand Total  10243  80  413  1 

Cumulative and new figures are subject to revision
 

Read full article>>

For more information on H1N1 situation, please visit www.PandemicFlu.gov

Tell us what you think of our News Window at newmedia@hhs.gov

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http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/cdc-/627396.html
Viable Swine Flu Shot Closer to Reality
MONDAY, May 25 (HealthDay News) -- Progress has been made toward developing a viable H1N1 swine flu vaccine, with experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying they have two promising candidate viruses for use in such a shot.

Meanwhile, a 50-year-old woman died of swine flu in New York City over the weekend, becoming the second swine flu fatality in that city and the 11th in the United States, according to the Associated Press.

As with most of the other reported swine flu deaths, the woman had other health conditions, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene spokeswoman Jessica Scaperotti said. No other information on her case was disclosed Sunday.

But good news came Friday from CDC officials, who reported that they are closer to a viable vaccine for this new strain of flu.

"Today CDC received, from one institution, a candidate vaccine virus," Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDC's interim deputy director for science and public health program, said during a news conference on Friday.

The strain was created by "combining the genes of the novel H1N1 virus with other parts from other viruses," Schuchat explained. This type of hybrid virus will grow more easily in eggs -- an essential part of the vaccine production process.

The CDC, along with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has also created a second candidate virus using reverse genetics, Schuchat added.

The CDC is testing both viruses to make sure they can stimulate an optimal immune response, Schuchat said. "After that work is done, suitable viruses will be sent out to manufacturers. We expect by the end of May that will happen," she added.

Also Friday, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the federal government was allocating $1 billion to the search for a swine flu vaccine, the AP reported. The funding is aimed at pilot testing of a vaccine and the setting up of a "pre-pandemic" stockpile that HHS said would cover at least 20 million people, including health-care workers and people at high risk for complications from the illness.

In related news, a study released on Friday suggests that many of the genes that make up the new H1N1 swine flu virus have been circulating undetected in pigs for more than a decade.

Scientists at the CDC and elsewhere sequenced the genomes of dozens of samples of the swine flu strain and found it is distantly connected to its closest viral relatives.

The researchers also found that the new H1N1 strain lacks genes that -- in other influenza A strains -- confer ease of transmission and virulence.

CDC officials discussed the findings at a teleconference Friday. The findings were released early in the journal Science because of the broad interest in this new strain of swine flu.

"From our analysis, we have confirmed that the novel H1N1 virus likely originated from pigs, based on data that each of the genetic components of this virus are most closely related to corresponding influenza virus genes identified from swine influenza viruses," said Dr. Nancy Cox, chief of CDC's Influenza Division.

However, this new virus is not similar to seasonal H1N1 viruses, she said. In their analysis of 70 samples of the new H1N1 virus from the United States and Mexico, the researchers found minor genetic differences, but consider the virus to be basically homogeneous, Cox noted.

Knowing the genetic makeup of the virus makes it easier to come up with a candidate vaccine, Cox said. "We see much less variation among these new H1N1 viruses than we do for typical seasonal influenza viruses," she said.

Sequencing the virus' genetic code is also important for planning the public health response, including knowing which antiviral medications will be effective and which won't, Cox said.

And, Cox added, "We can take measures to be sure that the virus doesn't reemerge in a slightly different form."

In the future, scientists will need to keep a closer eye on pig populations to spot similar emerging flu viruses, the researchers said in the Science paper.

In the United States, most cases of the swine flu continue to be no worse than seasonal flu. Testing has found that the swine flu virus remains susceptible to two common antiviral drugs, Tamiflu and Relenza, according to the CDC.

While the new swine flu only seems to cause relatively mild infection, experts worry that, if the virus mutates, people would have limited immunity to it. The CDC is concerned that, as the H1N1 virus moves into the Southern Hemisphere, where the flu season is just getting under way, it could mutate and return in a more virulent form in the Northern Hemisphere next fall.

On Thursday, U.S. health officials said that, while many states are still reporting new cases of infection, there seems to be an overall decline in visits to doctors and hospitals by people with the disease, indicating that the outbreak might be subsiding.

The CDC reported on Wednesday that some older people may have partial immunity to the new H1N1 swine flu virus because of possible exposure to another H1N1 flu strain circulating prior to 1957. So far, 64 percent of cases of swine flu infection in the United States have been among people aged 5 to 24, while only 1 percent involves people over 65, officials said.

On Friday, the CDC was reporting 6,552 U.S. cases of swine flu in 48 states, including nine deaths, although health officials said the death toll could be as high as 10.

The World Health Organization on Saturday was reporting 12,022 diagnosed cases in 43 countries, including 86 deaths, mostly in Mexico, believed to be the source of the outbreak.

Mexico City on Thursday lowered its swine flu alert level from yellow to green after no new infections had been reported for a week, the Associated Press reported.

Hello Monkeys....hope you had a good holiday.  I had to leave for a funeral, so I am back with the "numbers".  Muffy thank you for that article.  The following is the CDC May 25th update. Mere

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm      Link includes entire article with map...

Novel H1N1 Flu Situation Update
May 25, 2009, 11:00 AM ET
Map: Weekly Influenza Activity Estimates, Including Novel H1N1 Flu

Summary of Situation

A New Influenza Virus

Novel influenza A (H1N1) is a new flu virus of swine origin that was first detected in April, 2009. The virus is infecting people and is spreading from person-to-person, sparking a growing outbreak of illness in the United States. An increasing number of cases are being reported internationally as well.
It’s thought that novel influenza A (H1N1) flu spreads in the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread; mainly through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus.
It’s uncertain at this time how severe this novel H1N1 outbreak will be in terms of illness and death compared with other influenza viruses. Because this is a new virus, most people will not have immunity to it, and illness may be more severe and widespread as a result. In addition, currently there is no vaccine to protect against this novel H1N1 virus. CDC anticipates that there will be more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths associated with this new virus in the coming days and weeks.

Novel influenza A (H1N1) activity is now being detected through CDC’s routine influenza surveillance systemsand reported weekly in FluView. CDC tracks U.S. influenza activity through multiple systems across five categories. The fact that novel H1N1 activity can now be monitored through seasonal surveillance systems is an indication that there are higher levels of influenza-like illness in the United States than is normal for this time of year. Most of the influenza viruses being detected now are novel H1N1 viruses.

CDC Response

CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to the outbreak. CDC’s response goals are to reduce the spread and severity of illness, and to provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this new public health threat.
CDC is issuing updated interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation.

Clinician Guidance

CDC has issued interim guidance for clinicians on identifying and caring for patientswith novel H1N1, in addition to providing interim guidance on the use of antiviral drugs. Influenza antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) with activity against influenza viruses, including novel influenza H1N1 viruses. The priority use for influenza antiviral drugs during this outbreak is to treat severe influenza illness, including people who are hospitalized or sick people who are considered at high risk of serious influenza-related complications.

Public Guidance

In addition, CDC has provided guidance for the public on what to do if they become sick with flu-like symptoms, including infection with novel H1N1.

CDC also has issued instructions on taking care of a sick person at home. Novel H1N1 infection has been reported to cause a wide range of symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.

In addition, a significant number of people also have reported nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Everyone should take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs, including frequent hand washing and people who are sick should stay home and avoid contact with others in order to limit further spread of the disease.

Testing

CDC has developed a PCR diagnostic test kit to detect this novel H1N1 virus and has now distributed test kits to all states in the U.S. and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The test kits are being shipped internationally as well. This will allow states and other countries to test for this new virus. This increase in testing will likely result in an increase in the number of confirmed cases of illness reported. This, combined with ongoing monitoring through Flu View should provide a fuller picture of the burden of disease in the United States over time.

Table. U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection
(As of May 25, 2009, 11:00 AM ET)  

States* Confirmed and Probable Cases Deaths

Alabama 66 cases 0 deaths
Arkansas 4 cases 0 deaths
Arizona 531 cases 3 deaths
California 553 cases 0 deaths
Colorado 60 cases 0 deaths
Connecticut 102 cases 0 deaths
Delaware 102 cases 0 deaths
Florida 139 cases 0 deaths
Georgia 28 cases 0 deaths
Hawaii 40 cases 0 deaths
Idaho 9 cases 0 deaths
Illinois 896 cases 0 deaths
Indiana 120 cases 0 deaths
Iowa 71 cases 0 deaths
Kansas 34 cases 0 deaths
Kentucky** 27 cases 0 deaths
Louisiana 86 cases 0 deaths
Maine 9 cases 0 deaths
Maryland 41 cases 0 deaths
Massachusetts 238 cases 0 deaths
Michigan 176 cases 0 deaths
Minnesota 44 cases 0 deaths
Mississippi 7 cases 0 deaths
Missouri 24 cases 1 deaths
Montana 12 cases 0 deaths
Nebraska 29 cases 0 deaths
Nevada 49 cases 0 deaths
New Hampshire 23 cases 0 deaths
New Jersey 29 cases 0 deaths
New Mexico 97 cases 0 deaths
New York 343 cases 1 deaths
North Carolina 12 cases 0 deaths
North Dakota 6 cases 0 deaths
Ohio 14 cases 0 deaths
Oklahoma 51 cases 0 deaths
Oregon 116 cases 0 deaths
Pennsylvania 88 cases 0 deaths
Rhode Island 10 cases 0 deaths
South Carolina 36 cases 0 deaths
South Dakota 3 cases 0 deaths
Tennessee 94 cases 0 deaths
Texas 900 cases 3 deaths
Utah 122 cases 1 deaths
Vermont 2 cases 0 deaths
Virginia 25 cases 0 deaths
Washington 517 cases 1 death
Washington, D.C. 13 cases 0 deaths
Wisconsin 766 cases 0 deaths

TOTAL*(48) 6,764 cases 10 deaths
*includes the District of Columbia

**one case is resident of KY but currently hospitalized in GA.

This table will be updated daily Monday-Friday at around 11 AM ET.

International Human Cases of Swine
 

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/masks.htm

The above link will take you to an article on Recommendations for Face Mask and Respirator Use.

WHO Updates International H1N1 Situation: 46 Countries Reported 12954 Cases

Influenza A(H1N1) - update 39
26 May 2009 -- As of 06:00 GMT, 26 May 2009,

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_05_26/en/index.html

The link will take you to the entire article and show map and countries reporting.
 

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_05_27a/en/index.html

The above link will take you to the entire article with map and numbers of cases by country.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DAILY REPORT - NUMBER 40

Influenza A(H1N1) - update 40
27 May 2009 -- As of 06:00 GMT, 27 May 2009, 48 countries have officially reported 13,398 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 95 deaths.

The breakdown of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases by country is given in the following table and map.

Map of the spread of Influenza A(H1N1): number of laboratory confirmed cases and deaths [jpg 1.37Mb]
As of 08:00 GMT, 27 May 2009

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm 

The above link from the CDC will take you to today's update (05-27-2009) along with the map of cases
and the list of cases by State.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm

Questions & Answers

H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) and You*

dated - May 27, 2009 12:45 PM ET

Use above link to read comprehensive article and access other links.

http://www.reuters.com/article/middleeastCrisis/idUSLS990265

British scientists make H1N1 flu strain for vaccine
Thu May 28, 2009 8:58am EDT

LONDON, May 28 (Reuters) - British scientists have produced a strain of H1N1 flu virus which could be used for large scale production of a vaccine, health authorities said on Thursday.

The virus strain is being made available to the pharmaceutical industry and other flu laboratories, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said, describing it as "a crucial step towards large scale production of a vaccine against swine flu".

Some 13,000 people across the world have been confirmed as infected with H1N1 flu -- often referred to as swine flu -- with at least 50 countries affected. It has killed 95 people, according to officially confirmed figures from the World Health Organisation.

Britain has 185 confirmed cases, said the HPA, an independent body whose remit includes the monitoring of infectious diseases.

It said the vaccine was produced by its National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) -- one of several laboratories around the world belonging to a World Health Organisation (WHO) network racing to produce a strain suitable for manufacturing vaccine.

NIBSC director Stephen Inglis said WHO network laboratories in the United States and Australia were "also making good progress and we expect there soon to be a number of possible strains to use for large scale manufacture of swine flu vaccine. (Reporting by Kate Kelland. Editing by Jon Hemming)

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm

Novel H1N1 Flu Situation Update
May 29, 2009, 11:00 AM ET

States* Confirmed and Probable Cases Deaths

Alabama 71 cases 0 deaths
Arkansas 6 cases 0 deaths
Arizona 540 cases 3 deaths
California 553 cases 0 deaths
Colorado 68 cases 0 deaths
Connecticut 149 cases 0 deaths
Delaware 115 cases 0 deaths
Florida 165 cases 0 deaths
Georgia 28 cases 0 deaths
Hawaii 71 cases 0 deaths
Idaho 12 cases 0 deaths
Illinois 1002 cases 2 deaths
Indiana 138 cases 0 deaths
Iowa 71 cases 0 deaths
Kansas 34 cases 0 deaths
Kentucky** 50 cases 0 deaths
Louisiana 114 cases 0 deaths
Maine 11 cases 0 deaths
Maryland 48 cases 0 deaths
Massachusetts 416 cases 0 deaths
Michigan 229 cases 0 deaths
Minnesota 47 cases 0 deaths
Mississippi 13 cases 0 deaths
Missouri 29 cases 1 death
Montana 14 cases 0 deaths
Nebraska 43 cases 0 deaths
Nevada 84 cases 0 deaths
New Hampshire 35 cases 0 deaths
New Jersey 72 cases 0 deaths
New Mexico 97 cases 0 deaths
New York 553 cases 4 deaths
North Carolina 14 cases 0 deaths
North Dakota 6 cases 0 deaths
Ohio 18 cases 0 deaths
Oklahoma 67 cases 0 deaths
Oregon 132 cases 0 deaths
Pennsylvania 123 cases 0 deaths
Rhode Island 13 cases 0 deaths
South Carolina 41 cases 0 deaths
South Dakota 6 cases 0 deaths
Tennessee 100 cases 0 deaths
Texas 1403 cases 3 deaths
Utah 122 cases 1 death
Vermont 3 cases 0 deaths
Virginia 29 cases 0 deaths
Washington 575 cases 1 death
Washington, D.C. 14 cases 0 deaths
Wisconsin 1430 cases 0 deaths
Wyoming 1 case 0 deaths

TOTAL*(49) 8,975 cases 15 deaths
*includes the District of Columbia

**one case is resident of KY but currently hospitalized in GA.

This table will be updated Monday, Wednesday and Friday at around 11 AM ET

International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization.

NOTE: Because of daily reporting deadlines, the state totals reported by CDC may not always be consistent with those reported by state health departments. If there is a discrepancy between these two counts, data from the state health departments should be used as the most accurate number.
 

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_05_29/en/index.html

Monkeys, please note....it is always better to use the link when reading information on the
latest update from the World Health Organization (WHO) and from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as there is much information, it is clearer and formatted better and includes other links that you may want to read.  Thank you.


Influenza A(H1N1) - update 41
29 May 2009 -- As of 06:00 GMT, 29 May 2009, 53 countries have officially reported 15,510 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 99 deaths.

The breakdown of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases by country is given in the following table.

Laboratory-confirmed cases of new influenza A(H1N1) as officially reported to WHO by States Parties to the International Health Regulations (2005)

Country  Cumulative total     Newly confirmed since the last reporting period
   
   Cases  Deaths  Cases  Deaths 

Argentina  37  0    18  0   
Australia  147  0    108  0   
Austria  1  0    0    0   
Bahrain  1  0    0    0   
Belgium  8  0    1  0   
Brazil  10  0    1  0   
Canada  1118  2  197  1 
Chile  165  0    79  0   
China  30  0    8  0   
Colombia  17  0    1  0   
Costa Rica  33  1  0    0   
Cuba  4  0    0    0   
Czech Republic  1  0    1  0   
Denmark  1  0    0    0   
Dominican Republic  2  0    2  0   
Ecuador  32  0    4  0   
El Salvador  11  0    0    0   
Finland  3  0    1  0   
France  21  0    5  0   
Germany  19  0    2  0   
Greece  3  0    2  0   
Guatemala  5  0    0    0   
Honduras  1  0    0    0   
Iceland  1  0    0    0   
India  1  0    0    0   
Ireland  3  0    2  0   
Israel  11  0    2  0   
Italy  26  0    3  0   
Japan  364  0    4  0   
Korea, Republic of  33  0    12  0   
Kuwait  18  0    0    0   
Malaysia  2  0    0    0   
Mexico  4910  85  369  2 
Netherlands  3  0    0    0   
New Zealand  9  0    0    0   
Norway  4  0    0    0   
Panama  107  0    31  0   
Peru  31  0    4  0   
Philippines  6  0    4  0   
Poland  4  0    1  0   
Portugal  1  0    0    0   
Romania  3  0    3  0   
Russia  2  0    0    0   
Singapore  4  0    3  0   
Slovakia  1  0    1  0   
Spain  143  0    5  0   
Sweden  4  0    1  0   
Switzerland  4  0    1  0   
Thailand  2  0    0    0   
Turkey  2  0    0    0   
United Kingdom  203  0    66  0   
United States of America  7927  11  1163  1 
Uruguay  2  0    2  0   
 
Grand Total  15510  99  2112  4 

Chinese Taipei has reported 9 confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1) with 0 deaths. Cases from Chinese Taipei are included in the cumulative totals provided in the table above.
Cumulative and new figures are subject to revision
 
 




Corporate linksContacts | E-mail scams | Employment | FAQs | Feedback | Privacy | RSS feeds
© WHO 2009 
 

Hi Monkeys....in trying to see if cases that are reported in one State are close by, I found this link and report that shows the cases by County (link is in report).  You may want to also check your area for the same type report.

http://healthalerts.ky.gov/

 

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

H1N1 FLU - SWINE FLU - USE LINK TO ACCESS ENTIRE ARTICLE

Site last updated June 1, 2009, 11:00 AM ET


Web page updated June 1, 2009,
11:00 AM ET
Data reported to CDC by May 28, 2009, 12:00 AM (midnight) ET
(Updated Mon, Wed, and Fri) States* Confirmed and Probable Cases Deaths

Alabama 84 cases 0 deaths
Alaska 1 case 0 deaths
Arkansas 7cases 0 deaths
Arizona 547 cases 4 deaths
California 804 cases 0 deaths
Colorado 61 cases 0 deaths
Connecticut 196 cases 0 deaths
Delaware 121 cases 0 deaths
Florida 166 cases 0 deaths
Georgia 29 cases 0 deaths
Hawaii 73 cases 0 deaths
Idaho 13 cases 0 deaths
Illinois 1103 cases 3 deaths
Indiana 146 cases 0 deaths
Iowa 71 cases 0 deaths
Kansas 79 cases 0 deaths
Kentucky** 77 cases 0 deaths
Louisiana 122 cases 0 deaths
Maine 11 cases 0 deaths
Maryland 48 cases 0 deaths
Massachusetts 470 cases 0 deaths
Michigan 234 cases 0 deaths
Minnesota 60 0 deaths
Mississippi 16 cases 0 deaths
Missouri 36 cases 1 death
Montana 14 cases 0 deaths
Nebraska 43 cases 0 deaths
Nevada 102 cases 0 deaths
New Hampshire 40 cases 0 deaths
New Jersey 74 cases 0 deaths
New Mexico 108 cases 0 deaths
New York 605 cases 4 deaths
North Carolina 14 cases 0 deaths
North Dakota 6 cases 0 deaths
Ohio 23 cases 0 deaths
Oklahoma 82 cases 0 deaths
Oregon 148 cases 0 deaths
Pennsylvania 123 cases 0 deaths
Rhode Island 14 cases 0 deaths
South Carolina 46 cases 0 deaths
South Dakota 7 cases 0 deaths
Tennessee 104 cases 0 deaths
Texas 1403 cases 3 deaths
Utah 247 cases 1 death
Vermont 3 cases 0 deaths
Virginia 31 cases 0 deaths
Washington 575 cases 1 death
Washington, D.C. 20 cases 0 deaths
West Virginia 3 cases 0 deaths
Wisconsin 1641 cases 0 deaths
Wyoming 2 cases 0 deaths

TOTAL*(51) 10,053 cases 17 deaths
*includes the District of Columbia

**one case is resident of KY but currently hospitalized in GA.

This table will be updated Monday, Wednesday and Friday at around 11 AM ET
 

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_06_01a/en/index.html

Please click on link to review entire article...including number of countries reporting and deaths per country.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION REPORT - JUNE 1, 2009 - UPDATE 42

WHO Updates International H1N1 Situation: 62 countries Reported 17410 cases

Influenza A(H1N1) - update 42
1 June 2009 -- As of 06:00 GMT, 1 June 2009, 62 countries have officially reported 17 410 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 115 deaths.

The breakdown of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases by country is given in the following table and map.

Map of the spread of Influenza A(H1N1): number of laboratory confirmed cases and deaths [jpg 995kb]
As of 06:00 GMT, 1 June 2009


Laboratory-confirmed cases of new influenza A(H1N1) as officially reported to WHO by States Parties to the International Health Regulations (2005)

Country  Cumulative total    Newly confirmed since the last reporting period  
   Cases  Deaths  Cases  Deaths 

Argentina  100  0  63  0 
Australia  297  0  150  0 
Austria  1  0  0  0 
Bahamas  1  0  1  0 
Bahrain  1  0  0  0 
Belgium  12  0  4  0 
Bolivia  3  0  3  0 
Brazil  18  0  8  0 
Canada  1336  2  218  0 
Chile  250  0  85  0 
China  52  0  22  0 
Colombia  20  0  3  0 
Costa Rica  37  1  4  0 
Cuba  4  0  0  0 
Cyprus  1  0  1  0 
Czech Republic  1  0  0  0 
Denmark  1  0  0  0 
Dominican Republic  2  0  0  0 
Ecuador  39  0  7  0 
El Salvador  27  0  16  0 
Estonia  1  0  1  0 
Finland  3  0  0  0 
France  24  0  3  0 
Germany  28  0  9  0 
Greece  4  0  1  0 
Guatemala   12  0  7  0 
Honduras  2  0  1  0 
Hungary  1  0  1  0 
Iceland  1  0  0  0 
India  1  0  0  0 
Ireland  4  0  1  0 
Israel  19  0  8  0 
Italy  29  0  3  0 
Jamaica  2  0  2  0 
Japan  370  0  6  0 
Korea, Republic of  33  0  0  0 
Kuwait  18  0  0  0 
Malaysia  2  0  0  0 
Mexico  5029  97  119  12 
Netherlands  3  0  0  0 
New Zealand  9  0  0  0 
Norway  4  0  0  0 
Panama  107  0  0  0 
Paraguay  5  0  5  0 
Peru  36  0  5  0 
Philippines  16  0  10  0 
Poland  4  0  0  0 
Portugal  1  0  0  0 
Romania  3  0  0  0 
Russia  3  0  1  0 
Singapore  5  0  1  0 
Slovakia  2  0  1  0 
Spain  178  0  35  0 
Sweden  4  0  0  0 
Switzerland  8  0  4  0 
Thailand  2  0  0  0 
Turkey  4  0  2  0 
United Kingdom  229  0  26  0 
United States of America  8975  15  1048  4 
Uruguay  11  0  9  0 
Venezuela  2  0  2  0 
Viet Nam  1  0  1  0
 
Grand Total  17410  115  1900  16  


Chinese Taipei has reported 12 confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1) with 0 deaths. Cases from Chinese Taipei are included in the cumulative totals provided in the table above.
Cumulative and new figures are subject to revision 
Read full article>>

For more information on H1N1 situation, please visit www.PandemicFlu.gov

Tell us what you think of our News Window at newmedia@hhs.gov

 Follow PandemicFlu.gov on Twitter



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http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/cdc-/627685.html

Swine Flu Now Reported in All 50 States
 
TUESDAY, June 2 (HealthDay News) -- Swine flu cases have now been reported in all 50 states, with the total number of people infected probably surpassing 200,000, U.S. health officials said Monday.

"It's accurate to say that there are probably several hundred thousand people that have been impacted by this flu," said Tom Skinner, a spokesman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "But that's in line with what we would see with seasonal influenza if we had the number of cases we are reporting right now."

And while the outbreak continues to wane, new cases will continue to emerge, Skinner said.

On Monday, the CDC was reporting a total of 10,053 cases in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, including 17 deaths. The agency has said in the past that confirmed cases of H1N1 swine flu represent about one in 20 of actual cases, bringing the total number of cases to about 200,000.



Infections with the H1N1 swine flu virus continue to be mild and recovery is fairly quick, as is the case with seasonal flu, officials said. Testing has found that the virus remains susceptible to two common antiviral drugs, Tamiflu and Relenza, according to the CDC.

What has been different about the swine flu outbreak, Skinner said, is that activity picked up late in the typical flu season. "What was unusual was that in late March into April and late May we saw activity at a higher-than-expected level," he said.


Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDC's interim deputy director for science and public health program, said last week that the newly identified H1N1 swine flu virus continues to behave much like seasonal H1N1 viruses, which may partly explain why this flu strain affects more younger people. "Seasonal H1N1 often causes more disease in younger people, compared with the other strains that can be more common in older people," she said.

Some older people may have partial immunity to the H1N1 swine flu virus because of possible exposure to another H1N1 flu strain that circulated prior to 1957.

Schuchat said a vaccine for the swine flu virus could be ready in October, if research and testing proceed on pace this summer. Candidate viruses have been shipped to vaccine manufacturers, she said.

It's still not clear whether a swine flu vaccine is needed, Schuchat said. Any decision to move forward would be based on several factors, including the severity and spread of the virus and whether there's a safe and effective vaccine, she said.

During the next few months, scientists will be looking to see if the swine flu virus mutates or becomes resistant to antiviral medications, or is more easily spread among people, Schuchat said. The flu season is winding down in the Northern Hemisphere but is just beginning in the Southern Hemisphere.

Schuchat said there's no way to tell now if the H1N1 virus will be more virulent when -- and if -- it returns to the Northern Hemisphere with the approach of winter.

The World Health Organization said Monday that 53 countries have reported 15,510 cases of H1N1 swine flu, including 99 deaths, most of them in Mexico, where the outbreak began.

U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection
(As of June 1, 2009, 11:00 AM ET)
States # of
confirmed and
probable cases Deaths
Alabama 84   
Alaska 1   
Arkansas 7   
Arizona 547  4 deaths
California 804   
Colorado 61   
Connecticut 196   
Delaware 121   
Florida 166   
Georgia 29   
Hawaii 73   
Idaho 13   
Illinois 1103  3 deaths
Indiana 146   
Iowa 71   
Kansas 79   
Kentucky** 77   
Louisiana 122   
Maine 11   
Maryland 48   
Massachusetts 470   
Michigan 234   
Minnesota 60 
Mississippi 16   
Missouri 36  1 death
Montana 14   
Nebraska 43   
Nevada 102   
New Hampshire 40   
New Jersey 74   
New Mexico 108   
New York 605  4 deaths
North Carolina 14   
North Dakota 6   
Ohio 23   
Oklahoma 82   
Oregon 148   
Pennsylvania 123   
Rhode Island 14   
South Carolina 46   
South Dakota 7   
Tennessee 104   
Texas 1403  3 deaths
Utah 247  1 death
Vermont 3   
Virginia 31   
Washington 575  1 death
Washington, D.C. 20   
West Virginia 3   
Wisconsin 1641   
Wyoming 2   
TOTAL*(51) 10,053 cases 17 deaths
*includes the District of Columbia
**One case is resident of Ky. but hospitalized in Ga.
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
 
 

More information

For more on swine flu, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/02/swine.flu.who/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

WHO considers move to pandemic phase 6 for H1N1 virus

Story Highlights
World Health Organization considers increasing pandemic alert level to phase 6

Designation does not reflect the severity of the disease, but how widespread it is

Phase 6 is highest on pandemic alert system and means global pandemic

updated 12:57 p.m. EDT, Tue June 2, 2009
Next Article in Health »


By Matt Sloane
CNN Medical Producer

 
 
 
(CNN) -- The World Health Organization announced Tuesday it is still considering increasing its pandemic alert level to phase 6 because of growing worldwide cases of the H1N1 virus, or swine flu.

 
WHO considers raising the pandemic alert level to 6 as cases of H1N1 increase worldwide.

 
"Globally, we are at phase 5, but we are nearing phase 6," said Dr. Keiji Fukuda, WHO's Assistant Director General. "As this continues to spread internationally, some countries are moving from isolated to sustained community spread."

Phase 6 is a declaration that many member countries have long feared could mean economic disaster. It is the highest on the WHO's pandemic alert system, and is described by the organization as a global pandemic.

Fukuda was quick to remind journalists that the designation does not reflect the severity of the disease, but how widespread it is.

"Our overall assessment of severity is moderate," he said, "because although the overall number of serious and fatal cases is relatively limited ... we really don't have a full handle on the number of people with serious illness."

Fukuda said nearly 19,000 cases of the H1N1 virus have been reported in 64 countries, resulting in 117 deaths

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_06_03/en/index.html

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION - UPDATE 43 - JUNE 3, 2009

Influenza A(H1N1) - update 43
3 June 2009 -- As of 06:00 GMT, 3 June 2009, 66 countries have officially reported 19,273 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 117 deaths.

The breakdown of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases by country is given in the following table and map.

Map of the spread of Influenza A(H1N1): number of laboratory confirmed cases and deaths [jpg 1.00Mb]
As of 06:00 GMT, 3 June 2009

Laboratory-confirmed cases of new influenza A(H1N1) as officially reported to WHO by States Parties to the International Health Regulations (2005)

Country  Cumulative total     Newly confirmed since the last reporting period     
   Cases  Deaths  Cases  Deaths 
Argentina  131  0    31  0   
Australia  501  0    204  0   
Austria  1  0    0    0   
Bahamas  1  0    0    0   
Bahrain  1  0    0    0   
Belgium  13  0    1  0   
Bolivia  3  0    0    0   
Brazil  20  0    2  0   
Bulgaria  1  0    1  0   
Canada  1530  2  194  0   
Chile  313  0    63  0   
China  69  0    17  0   
Colombia  20  0    0    0   
Costa Rica  50  1  13  0   
Cuba  4  0    0    0   
Cyprus  1  0    0    0   
Czech Republic  1  0    0    0   
Denmark  1  0    0    0   
Dominican Republic  11  0    9  0   
Ecuador  39  0    0    0   
Egypt  1  0    1  0   
El Salvador  41  0    14  0   
Estonia  1  0    0    0   
Finland  4  0    1  0   
France  26  0    2  0   
Germany  28  0    0    0   
Greece  5  0    1  0   
Guatemala  14  0    2  0   
Honduras  2  0    0    0   
Hungary  1  0    0    0   
Iceland  1  0    0    0   
India  1  0    0    0   
Ireland  4  0    0    0   
Israel  33  0    14  0   
Italy  30  0    1  0   
Jamaica  2  0    0    0   
Japan  385  0    15  0   
Korea, Republic of  41  0    8  0   
Kuwait  18  0    0    0   
Lebanon  3  0    3  0   
Malaysia  2  0    0    0   
Mexico  5029  97  0    0   
Netherlands  4  0    1  0   
New Zealand  10  0    1  0   
Nicaragua  1  0    1  0   
Norway  4  0    0    0   
Panama  155  0    48  0   
Paraguay  5  0    0    0   
Peru  40  0    4  0   
Philippines  16  0    0    0   
Poland  4  0    0    0   
Portugal  2  0    1  0   
Romania  5  0    2  0   
Russia  3  0    0    0   
Singapore  9  0    4  0   
Slovakia  2  0    0    0   
Spain  180  0    2  0   
Sweden  7  0    3  0   
Switzerland  10  0    2  0   
Thailand  2  0    0    0   
Turkey  4  0    0    0   
United Kingdom  339  0    110  0   
United States of America  10053  17  1078  2 
Uruguay  15  0    4  0   
Venezuela  3  0    1  0   
Viet Nam  3  0    2  0   
Grand Total  19273  117  1863  2 

Chinese Taipei has reported 14 confirmed case of influenza A (H1N1) with 0 deaths. Cases from Chinese Taipei are included in the cumulative totals provided in the table above.
Cumulative and new figures are subject to revision

http://en.ce.cn/subject/swineflu/swinefluwa/200906/03/t20090603_19232617.shtml

A/H1N1 flu situation is escalating in Australia 
Last Updated(Beijing Time):2009-06-03 09:16
 
With more and more new lab-confirmed cases of the A/H1N1 flu found in the Asia-Pacific region, the flu situation in Australia is worse with over 300 confirmed cases in the country on Thursday.
Australian health authorities have confirmed that more than 300 people have been diagnosed with the flu and all states and territories are now affected by the virus.

The number of cases diagnosed in Victoria has now risen to 212,Queensland has reported 20 cases, New South Wales 57, South Australia 7, the ACT 4 and Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory have one case each.

Queensland Health Minister Paul Lucas told the parliament Tuesday it's inevitable there will be deaths in Australia from the flu.

Lucas said that the A/H1N1 flu situation is escalating in Australia and the ultimate spread of it in greater numbers can hardly be stopped.

"Inevitably you expect to see deaths in Australia from swine flu," Lucas said.

What the Health is doing is slowing it and seeking to contain it and will continue to take every appropriate action to fight against it, said he.

He said around 1,000 to 3,000 Australians died each year from influenza.

The tally of confirmed A/H1N1 flu cases on the Chinese mainland has risen to 43 on Tuesday as four more people were confirmed infected with the virus while in Hongkong, Another three people were tested positive for the A/H1N1 virus on Tuesday, taking the number of confirmed cases in the city to 26, according to information from local health authorities.

In Thailand, Thai Public Health Ministry announced Tuesday that another Thai is confirmed to be infected by the A/H1N1 influenza virus, the fifth case in the country.

India has confirmed two more new cases. A 34-year-old woman and her five-year-old son from Tamil Nadu, southern India, who returned from the United States on May 28, have been confirmed to be infected with the A H1N1 influenza virus, said Indian health officials Tuesday.

In New Zealand, a child on a recent flight from North America has Influenza A/H1N1, bringing the number of confirmed cases in New Zealand to 10, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

Singapore confirmed its 8th case of Influenza A/H1N1 on Tuesday. According to the country's Health Ministry, the patient is a 15-year-old Singaporean boy who is studying in India. He travelled from India to Orlando and Atlanta on a school trip from May 17 to 31. He returned to Singapore from Atlanta via Mumbai on Singapore Airlines SQ421 on June 1.
 
 
 
 
 
Source:Xinhuanet 
 

http://**/breakingnews/ci_12508295

Eight Stanford students test positive for swine flu
By Diana Samuels


Daily News Staff Writer

Posted: 06/03/2009 12:25:06 AM PDT
Updated: 06/03/2009 12:25:07 AM PDT


Eight Stanford University students have tested positive for swine flu, the university announced.

The Santa Clara County Public Health Department told the university last Friday that seven tests had come back positive for the H1N1 virus, and on Monday an eighth positive case was announced.

Some of the tests were more than two weeks old, and the students have either recovered or are on their way to recovering, a university statement said. None needed to be hospitalized or quarantined.

The students had typical flu symptoms, and there are no plans to change Stanford's graduation schedule or disrupt other activities.

"This H1N1 virus is really behaving very much like seasonal influenza," said Dr. Ira Friedman, director of the university's Vaden Health Center, in a phone interview Tuesday. "That's really determining our response."

All of the students live on campus, he said. Though the students and their residence halls are not being identified, the university says "there is no evidence of clustering in the residences."

The students were seen or treated at Stanford Hospital or Vaden. Vaden is seeing an unusually high number of students come in with flu-like symptoms, Friedman said.

"Usually at this time of the year the winter flu season would have tailed off," he said.

More cases could arise, Friedman said. The university is waiting for results from more tests, the Stanford statement said.

"The virus is still

circulating in the community," he said. "It's circulating nationwide, statewide and in our own community."

E-mail Diana Samuels at dsamuels@dailynewsgroup.com.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm

Click link for today's (05 JUN 2009) CDC Update - including map and numbers of cases by State.

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_06_05/en/index.html

Click link for WHO report of 05 JUN 2009 - including numbers of cases and death - provided by countries reporting.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/reportingqa.htm

Click link for CDC update on Q&A about their online reports.

H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu): Questions and Answers About CDC's Online Reporting

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/3rd_meeting_ihr/en/index.html

Click link for World Health Organization Report from the 3rd International Health Regulations Committee meeting held 05 June 2009.

Third Meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee

The WHO Director-General convened a third meeting of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Committee on 5th June 2009. The purpose of the meeting was to update the Committee on the global situation and seek advice on proposals to introduce severity assessments in any future announcements of pandemic phase changes by WHO.

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_06_08/en/index.html

Influenza A(H1N1) - update 45

8 June 2009 -- As of 06:00 GMT, 8 June 2009, 73 countries have officially reported 25,288 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 139 deaths.

CLICK ON LINK ABOVE TO SEE EACH REPORTING COUNTRY - NUMBER OF CASES, DEATHS, NUMBER OF NEW CASES, DEATHS

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/cruiseships.htm

CLICK ON LINK FOR INFORMATION FROM CDC ON GUIDANCE FOR CREW AND PASSENGERS OF CRUISE SHIPS

This document provides updated interim guidance for crew members and passengers of cruise ships originating from or stopping in ports in areas affected by the novel H1N1 influenza virus outbreak. (Updated to reflect the recent changes to the mask and respirator guidance.) 

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/aircrew.htm

PLEASE USE LINK TO ACCESS ENTIRE ARTICLE......

CDC GUIDELINES FOR FLIGHT CREW WHERE FLIGHT ORIGINATES IN AREAS AFFECTED BY H1N1 FLU

This document provides interim guidance for domestic and international flights originating from areas affected by novel H1N1 flu and will be updated as needed.

FOR THOSE MONKEYS USING HAND SANITIZERS, CHECK THE FOLLOWING AP ARTICLE FOUND ON FOXNEWS......

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,525520,00.html

CLICK LINK TO ACCESS ENTIRE ARTICLE

FDA Warns of 'High Levels' of Disease-Causing Bacteria Found in Certain Hand Sanitizers
Tuesday, June 09, 2009 

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION UPDATE 46, JUNE 10, 2009,
REPORTING COUNTRIES INFORMATION ON FLU CASES, INCLUDING DEATHS

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_06_10a/en/index.html

Influenza A(H1N1) - update 46
10 June 2009 -- As of 06:00 GMT, 10 June 2009, 74 countries have officially reported 27,737 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 141 deaths.

http://www.reuters.com/article/ho  CLICK LINK TO ACCESS ENTIRE ARTICLE

WHO set to declare first flu pandemic since 1968
Thu Jun 11, 2009 8:31am EDT

 
* WHO poised to declare first flu pandemic in 40 years

* Flu experts expected to recommend move to phase 6

* Expected to urge finishing seasonal flu vaccine production

* Spread of virus in Australia triggering declaration

(Updates with end of expert meeting, news conference)

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA, June 11 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation was poised on Thursday to declare that the new H1N1 virus has caused the first influenza pandemic in more than 40 years, health sources said on Thursday.

The move will trigger heightened health measures in the WHO's 193 member states as authorities brace for the worldwide spread of the virus that has so far caused mainly mild illness.

WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan was to hold a news conference on the outbreak at 1600 GMT. Flu experts advising Chan, who met earlier on Thursday, were expected to recommend moving to the top phase 6 on the WHO's six-point scale, the sources said.

That would reflect the fact that the disease, widely known as swine flu, was spreading geographically, but not necessarily indicate how virulent it is.

"Phase 6, if we call a phase 6, doesn't mean anything concerning severity, it is concerning geographic spread ... Pandemic means global, but it doesn't have any connotation of severity or mildness," WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said.

"In fact, what we are seeing with this virus so far is overwhelmingly to date mild disease. So we would think that this event is really a moderate event for the time being, because the numbers are high but the disease is overwhelmingly mild," he told Reuters Television before the talks.

David Heymann, a former top WHO official now chairing Britain's Health Protection Agency, said that countries had tried to contain the virus through measures including school closures during the current phase 5. This has extended the precious time needed to prepare for a full-blown pandemic.

"During phase 5, the government and people in the U.K. have had the time to prepare for a pandemic -- this has hopefully decreased any surprise and concern that might be associated with a WHO announcement of phase 6, if one is made," he told Reuters.

As it spreads in humans, science cannot predict what course the virus will take, the disease it causes and the age groups infected, Heymann said. "The severity of that disease, the effectiveness of antiviral drugs and the stability of the virus must all be watched closely," he added.

A pandemic could cause enormous disruption to business as workers stay home because they are sick or to look after family members and authorities restrict gatherings of large numbers of people or movement of people or goods.

World markets shrugged off the possibility of a pandemic, as investors focused on possible global economic recovery.



AUSTRALIA LIKELY TRIGGER

Widespread transmission of the virus in Victoria, Australia, signalling that it is entrenched in another region besides North America, is likely to be the trigger for moving to phase 6.

Five people have been admitted to intensive care in Australia and more than 1,000 cases confirmed following widespread testing in the state. [ID:nSYD482995]

"We have tested 5,500 people in the last two weeks, that is more people than we test in our whole influenza season," said Victorian state premier John Brumby.

One health source, who declined to be named, said the experts were also expected to recommend finishing production currently under way of seasonal flu vaccine for the northern hemisphere next winter.

"They might say finish seasonal vaccine and say begin pandemic vaccine as soon as it is feasible," he said.

Drugmakers have obtained the new influenza A (H1N1) seed virus in the past two weeks, enabling them to begin the production process by growing the virus in eggs. [ID:nLA644931]

Company officials said on Wednesday that they were on track to have a vaccine against the new strain ready for the northern hemisphere autumn.

Seasonal flu each year kills up to half a million people, mainly elderly, and causes severe illness in millions, so a premature switch in vaccine production to cope with the new strain could put many people at risk.

The new strain can be treated by antiviral drugs oseltamivir, the generic name of Roche Holding's Tamiflu tablets, and Relenza, a spray made by GlaxoSmithKline.

The strain, which emerged in April in Mexico and the United States, has spread widely in nations including Australia, Britain, Chile and Japan.

Authorities in Germany have confirmed 27 cases of H1N1 at a school in the industrial Rhineland city of Duesseldorf, the most concentrated outbreak of the virus so far in Europe's biggest economy. [ID:nLB407116]

There have been 27,737 infections reported in 74 countries to date, including 141 deaths, according to the WHO's latest tally of laboratory confirmed cases, but the real number of people with the disease is likely to run into at least hundreds of thousands, as mild cases may not have been detected. (For more Reuters swine flu coverage, please go to: here ) (For WHO information on swine flu, go to: here ) (Additional reporting by Anne Richardson and Vincent Fribault in Geneva, Dave Graham in Berlin and Michael Perry in Sydney) (Editing by Jonathan Lynn and Richard Balmforth)

RECEIVED IN EMAIL AT 10:00 AM.....NOTICE OF PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY

WHAT:
CDC will host a press conference to discuss an update in the investigation of cases of novel influenza A H1N1. 

WHO:
Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., Director, CDC
Anne Schuchat, M.D., Director, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease (NCIRD)

WHEN:
Thursday June 11, 2009 at 12:45 p.m. ET

WHERE:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
Tom Harkin Global Communications Center (Building 19), Press Room

EMAIL RECEIVED AT 10:12 A.M. FROM WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

Invitation to press conference

When: 18.00 hrs Geneva time, Thursday 11 June 2009

Where: Executive Board room, WHO headquarters


Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization

(WHO) will hold a press conference at 18:00 hrs Geneva time, Thursday, 11 June 2009 on influenza A(H1N1) in the Executive Board room at the WHO headquarters.

RECEIVED EMAIL FROM WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION AT 11:52 A.M.....The link received will not translate article to English; therefore, I am submitting the article as is.  It will not format well
but will give you the reporting countries....number of cases....number of deaths....newly reported cases and newly reported deaths.

WHO Updates International H1N1 Situation: 74 countries Reported 28774 cases    

Influenza A(H1N1) - update 47
11 June 2009 -- As of 14:00 GMT, 11 June 2009, 74 countries have officially reported 28,774 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 144 deaths.

The breakdown of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases by country is given in the following table and map.

Map of the spread of Influenza A(H1N1): number of laboratory confirmed cases and deaths [png 202kb]
As of 14:00 GMT, 11 June 2009


Laboratory-confirmed cases of new influenza A(H1N1) as officially reported to WHO by States Parties to the International Health Regulations (2005)

Country  Cumulative total     Newly confirmed since the last reporting period     
   Cases  Deaths  Cases  Deaths 
Argentina  256  0    21  0   
Australia  1307  0    83  0   
Austria  7  0    2  0   
Bahamas  1  0    1  0   
Bahrain  1  0    0    0   
Barbados  3  0    1  0   
Belgium  14  0    0    0   
Bolivia  5  0    2  0   
Brazil  40  0    4  0   
Bulgaria  2  0    0    0   
Canada  2446  4  0    0   
Cayman Islands, UKOT  2  0    1  0   
Chile  1694  2  0    0   
China  174  0    32  0   
Colombia  35  1  0    1 
Costa Rica  104  1  11  0   
Cuba  5  0    0    0   
Cyprus  1  0    0    0   
Czech Republic  4  0    2  0   
Denmark  10  0    2  0   
Dominica  1  0    0    0   
Dominican Republic  91  1  0    0   
Ecuador  67  0    7  0   
Egypt  10  0    2  0   
El Salvador  69  0    0    0   
Estonia  4  0    0    0   
Finland  4  0    0    0   
France  73  0    2  0   
Germany  95  0    17  0   
Greece  7  0    2  0   
Guatemala  60  0    0    0   
Honduras  89  0    0    0   
Hungary  4  0    1  0   
Iceland  3  0    1  0   
India  9  0    5  0   
Ireland  12  0    0    0   
Israel  68  0    5  0   
Italy  54  0    4  0   
Jamaica  10  0    3  0   
Japan  518  0    33  0   
Korea, Republic of  53  0    5  0   
Kuwait  18  0    0    0   
Lebanon  8  0    0    0   
Luxembourg  1  0    0    0   
Malaysia  5  0    0    0   
Mexico  6241  108  524  2 
Netherlands  30  0    8  0   
New Zealand  23  0    0    0   
Nicaragua  45  0    16  0   
Norway  13  0    4  0   
Panama  221  0    0    0   
Paraguay  25  0    9  0   
Peru  64  0    0    0   
Philippines  77  0    23  0   
Poland  7  0    1  0   
Portugal  2  0    0    0   
Romania  11  0    2  0   
Russia  3  0    0    0   
Saudi Arabia  1  0    0    0   
Singapore  18  0    0    0   
Slovakia  3  0    0    0   
Spain  357  0    26  0   
Sweden  19  0    3  0   
Switzerland  20  0    4  0   
Thailand  8  0    0    0   
Trinidad and Tobago  2  0    0    0   
Turkey  10  0    0    0   
Ukraine  1  0    0    0   
United Arab Emirates  1  0    0    0   
United Kingdom  822  0    156  0   
United States of America  13217  27  0    0   
Uruguay  24  0    0    0   
Venezuela  13  0    1  0   
Viet Nam  16  0    1  0
   
Grand Total  28774  144  1037  3 


Chinese Taipei has reported 36 confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1) with 0 deaths. Cases from Chinese Taipei are included in the cumulative totals provided in the table above.
Cumulative and new figures are subject to revision
 

Read full article>>

For more information on H1N1 situation, please visit www.PandemicFlu.gov

Tell us what you think of our News Window at newmedia@hhs.gov

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http://www.re

WHO declares flu pandemic 12:03pm ET

The spread of the H1N1 virus known as swine flu prompted the World Health Organization to declare the first pandemic since 1968. "The numbers are high but the disease is overwhelmingly mild," said a spokesman.  Full Article

Scenarios: Impact of flu pandemic
Vaccine step closer as firms test seed
Full Coverage: H1N1 Influenza
uters.com/

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE55A1U720090611

The above link from Reuters is associated with the last post.  This link will take you to full article.

The following email was sent at 1:35 p.m. EST from World Health Organization Conference...

WHO: Flu pandemic alert raised to phase 6

World now at the start of 2009 influenza pandemic
 
Dr Margaret Chan

Director-General of the World Health Organization

Ladies and gentlemen,

In late April, WHO announced the emergence of a novel influenza A virus.

This particular H1N1 strain has not circulated previously in humans. The virus is entirely new.

The virus is contagious, spreading easily from one person to another, and from one country to another. As of today, nearly 30,000 confirmed cases have been reported in 74 countries.

This is only part of the picture. With few exceptions, countries with large numbers of cases are those with good surveillance and testing procedures in place.

Spread in several countries can no longer be traced to clearly-defined chains of human-to-human transmission. Further spread is considered inevitable.

I have conferred with leading influenza experts, virologists, and public health officials. In line with procedures set out in the International Health Regulations, I have sought guidance and advice from an Emergency Committee established for this purpose.

Read full article>>

For more information on H1N1 situation, please visit www.PandemicFlu.gov

Tell us what you think of our News Window at newmedia@hhs.gov

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CLICK ON LINK TO ACCESS TOTAL INFORMATION WITH LINKS

http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/06/20090611a.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, June 11, 2009
 

Statements by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano on WHO Decision to Declare Novel H1N1 Virus Outbreak a Pandemic

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano issued the following statements today in response to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) decision to raise the pandemic threat level on the novel H1N1 virus.

“Today’s decision by the WHO was expected and doesn’t change what we have been doing here in the United States to prepare for and respond to this public health challenge. Once we saw how fast this virus was spreading, we activated our pandemic plans and started doing all the things we needed to do to keep the public as safe and secure as possible,” said Secretary Sebelius. “What this declaration does do is remind the world that flu viruses like H1N1 need to be taken seriously. Although we have not seen large numbers of severe cases in this country so far, things could possibly be very different in the fall, especially if things change in the Southern Hemisphere, and we need to start preparing now in order to be ready for a possible H1N1 immunization campaign starting in late September.”

“We responded to the H1N1 outbreak from the outset with the presumption that a pandemic was likely, so this decision comes as no surprise. We acted aggressively to stay ahead of the virus as it spread across the country. Now our challenge is to prepare for a possible return in the fall,” said Secretary Napolitano. “The Obama Administration has been working together across the government and will continue to do so over the weeks and months ahead to keep the American people safe. We are reaching out to our partners in state and local government, in school districts and the private sector to urge them to modify and update their pandemic plans. We are working with our scientists to test and prepare a possible vaccine. And we are working with governments around the world to share what we know and learn from what is happening in their countries.”For more information, visit: www.pandemicflu.gov and http://www.cdc.gov/

  WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION UPDATE 48 - 12 JUNE 2009

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_06_12/en/print.html

 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Influenza A(H1N1) - update 48



12 June 2009 -- As of 07:00 GMT, 12 June 2009, 74 countries have officially reported 29,669 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 145 deaths.

The breakdown of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases by country is given in the following table and map.

Map of the spread of Influenza A(H1N1): number of laboratory confirmed cases and deaths [png 203kb]
As of 07:00 GMT, 12 June 2009



Laboratory-confirmed cases of new influenza A(H1N1) as officially reported to WHO by States Parties to the International Health Regulations (2005)


Country  Cumulative total     Newly confirmed since the last reporting period     
   Cases  Deaths  Cases  Deaths 
Argentina  343  0    87  0   
Australia  1307  0    0    0   
Austria  7  0    0    0   
Bahamas  1  0    0    0   
Bahrain  1  0    0    0   
Barbados  3  0    0    0   
Belgium  14  0    0    0   
Bolivia  5  0    0    0   
Brazil  52  0    12  0   
Bulgaria  2  0    0    0   
Canada  2978  4  532  0   
Cayman Islands, UKOT  2  0    0    0   
Chile  1694  2  0    0   
China  188  0    14  0   
Colombia  35  1  0    0   
Costa Rica  104  1  0    0   
Cuba  6  0    1  0   
Cyprus  1  0    0    0   
Czech Republic  4  0    0    0   
Denmark  11  0    1  0   
Dominica  1  0    0    0   
Dominican Republic  91  1  0    0   
Ecuador  67  0    0    0   
Egypt  10  0    0    0   
El Salvador  69  0    0    0   
Estonia  4  0    0    0   
Finland  4  0    0    0   
France  73  0    0    0   
Germany  95  0    0    0   
Greece  7  0    0    0   
Guatemala  74  1  14  1 
Honduras  89  0    0    0   
Hungary  4  0    0    0   
Iceland  4  0    1  0   
India  9  0    0    0   
Ireland  12  0    0    0   
Israel  68  0    0    0   
Italy  56  0    2  0   
Jamaica  11  0    1  0   
Japan  549  0    31  0   
Korea, Republic of  53  0    0    0   
Kuwait  18  0    0    0   
Lebanon  8  0    0    0   
Luxembourg  1  0    0    0   
Malaysia  5  0    0    0   
Mexico  6241  108  0    0   
Netherlands  35  0    5  0   
New Zealand  27  0    4  0   
Nicaragua  56  0    11  0   
Norway  13  0    0    0   
Panama  221  0    0    0   
Paraguay  25  0    0    0   
Peru  79  0    15  0   
Philippines  77  0    0    0   
Poland  7  0    0    0   
Portugal  2  0    0    0   
Romania  11  0    0    0   
Russia  3  0    0    0   
Saudi Arabia  1  0    0    0   
Singapore  18  0    0    0   
Slovakia  3  0    0    0   
Spain  488  0    131  0   
Sweden  19  0    0    0   
Switzerland  20  0    0    0   
Thailand  8  0    0    0   
Trinidad and Tobago  4  0    2  0   
Turkey  10  0    0    0   
Ukraine  1  0    0    0   
United Arab Emirates  1  0    0    0   
United Kingdom  822  0    0    0   
United States of America  13217  27  0    0   
Uruguay  36  0    12  0   
Venezuela  25  0    12  0   
Viet Nam  23  0    7  0   
Grand Total  29669  145  895  1 



Chinese Taipei has reported 36 confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1) with 0 deaths. Cases from Chinese Taipei are included in the cumulative totals provided in the table above.


Cumulative and new figures are subject to revision





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© WHO 2009 

 
FDA Warns Web Sites against Marketing Fraudulent H1N1 Flu Virus Claims
 
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm166801.htm

FDA NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: June 15, 2009

Media Inquiries: Christopher Kelly, 301-796-4676, christopher.kelly@fda.hhs.gov
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA



FDA Warns Web Sites against Marketing Fraudulent H1N1 Flu Virus Claims

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is enforcing the laws that protect consumers from illegal products marketed through the Internet that claim to diagnose, prevent, mitigate, treat or cure the 2009 H1N1 flu virus.

On May 1, 2009, the FDA warned consumers regarding products related to the 2009 H1N1 flu virus offered on the Internet. The products involved are those that are promoted and marketed to diagnose, mitigate, prevent, treat, or cure the 2009 H1N1 flu virus but are not approved, cleared, or authorized by the FDA. The agency advised operators of offending Web sites that they must take immediate action to ensure that they are not marketing products intended to diagnose, mitigate, prevent, treat, or cure the 2009 H1N1 flu virus that have not been cleared, approved, or authorized by the FDA.

Since then, the FDA has issued more than 50 warning letters to offending Web sites and as a result, more than 66 percent of these Web sites have removed the offending claims and/or products.

“We are committed to aggressively pursuing those who attempt to take advantage of a public health emergency by promoting and marketing unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products,” said Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., Commissioner of Food and Drugs. “We have achieved some success and will remain vigilant in our efforts to protect consumers from these fraudulent, potentially dangerous products.”

Examples of unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products targeted by the FDA include:
--A shampoo that claimed to protect against the H1N1 flu virus;
--A dietary supplement that claimed to protect infants and young children from contracting the H1N1 flu virus;
--A “new” supplement that claimed to cure H1N1 flu infection within four to eight hours;
--A spray that claimed to leave a layer of ionic silver on one’s hands that killed the virus;
--Several tests that have not been approved to detect the H1N1 flu virus; and
--An electronic instrument costing thousands of dollars that claimed to utilize “photobiotic energy” and “deeply penetrating mega-frequency life-force energy waves” to strengthen the immune system and prevent symptoms associated with H1N1 viral infection.

The FDA’s warning letters are consistent with an aggressive strategy the agency put into place to protect consumers from individuals or businesses that promote fraudulent claims for products in an attempt to take advantage of the public’s concerns about the 2009 H1N1 flu virus.

Unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products that claim to diagnose, mitigate, prevent, treat or cure the 2009 H1N1 flu are illegal and a potentially significant threat to the public health.

These warning letters were the result of daily Internet surfs conducted by the FDA’s Office of Enforcement, Office of Criminal Investigations, and staff from the Center for Devices and Radiological Health, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, and the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. The warning letters issued by e-mail and the FDA requested a response within 48 hours.

In addition, the FDA posted the offending Web sites and products on the agency’s Web site.

“Taking swift action to inform unsuspecting consumers about products that could be dangerous to their health is a major priority for the FDA,” said Hamburg.

The FDA will consider further civil or criminal enforcement action against those Web sites that fail to resolve the violations cited in warning letters. Actions could include seizure, injunction, and criminal prosecution.

For more information:

FDA’s Fraudulent H1N1 Flu Virus Product List

Browse Warning Letters for: Unapproved/Uncleared/Unauthorized Products Related to the H1N1 Flu Virus

Report Suspected Fraudulent Products or Criminal Activity Associated with H1N1 Flu Virus (Swine Flu)

#

Received via e-mail - link is not given in English - this is the entire article received:

WHO Updates International H1N1 Situation: 76 countries Reported 35928 cases

Influenza A(H1N1) - update 49
15 June 2009 --

As of 17:00 GMT, 15 June 2009, 76 countries have officially reported 35, 928 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 163 deaths.

The breakdown of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases by country is given in the following table and map.

Laboratory-confirmed cases of new influenza A(H1N1) as officially reported to WHO by States Parties to the International Health Regulations (2005)

Country - Cumulative total - Deaths - Newly confirmed since the last reporting period - Deaths
 
Argentina  343  0    0    0   
Australia  1823  0    221  0   
Austria  7  0    0    0   
Bahamas  1  0    0    0   
Bahrain  1  0    0    0   
Barbados  3  0    0    0   
Belgium  17  0    3  0   
Bolivia  7  0    2  0   
Brazil  54  0    2  0   
Bulgaria  2  0    0    0   
Canada  2978  4  0    0   
Cayman Islands, UKOT  2  0    0    0   
Chile  1694  2  0    0   
China  318  0    100  0   
Colombia  42  1  7  0   
Costa Rica  104  1  0    0   
Cuba  6  0    0    0   
Cyprus  1  0    0    0   
Czech Republic  4  0    0    0   
Denmark  12  0    1  0   
Dominica  1  0    0    0   
Dominican Republic  93  1  2  0   
Ecuador  80  0    13  0   
Egypt  18  0    8  0   
El Salvador  95  0    26  0   
Estonia  4  0    0    0   
Finland  4  0    0    0   
France  80  0    7  0   
Germany  170  0    75  0   
Greece  19  0    12  0   
Guatemala  119  1  45  0   
Honduras  89  0    0    0   
Hungary  4  0    0    0   
Iceland  4  0    0    0   
India  16  0    7  0   
Ireland  12  0    0    0   
Israel  117  0    49  0   
Italy  67  0    11  0   
Jamaica  11  0    0    0   
Japan  605  0    56  0   
Korea, Republic of  65  0    6  0   
Kuwait  18  0    0    0   
Lebanon  8  0    0    0   
Luxembourg  1  0    0    0   
Malaysia  5  0    0    0   
Mexico  6241  108  0    0   
Morocco  1  0    1  0   
Netherlands  61  0    26  0   
New Zealand  86  0    28  0   
Nicaragua  56  0    0    0   
Norway  13  0    0    0   
Panama  272  0    0    0   
Paraguay  25  0    0    0   
Peru  91  0    12  0   
Philippines  77  0    0    0   
Poland  7  0    0    0   
Portugal  3  0    1  0   
Romania  13  0    2  0   
Russia  3  0    0    0   
Saudi Arabia  11  0    5  0   
Singapore  47  0    22  0   
Slovakia  3  0    0    0   
Spain  488  0    0    0   
Sweden  32  0    13  0   
Switzerland  22  0    2  0   
Thailand  29  0    21  0   
Trinidad and Tobago  5  0    1  0   
Turkey  10  0    0    0   
Ukraine  1  0    0    0   
United Arab Emirates  1  0    0    0   
United Kingdom  1226  0    404  0   
United States of America  17855  45  4638  18 
Uruguay  36  0    0    0   
Venezuela  25  0    0    0   
Viet Nam  25  0    2  0   
West Bank and Gaza Strip  2  0    2  0
   
Grand Total  35928  163  5834  18  


Chinese Taipei has reported 37 confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1) with 0 deaths. Cases from Chinese Taipei are included in the cumulative totals provided in the table above.
Cumulative and new figures are subject to revision 
Read full article>>

For more information on H1N1 situation, please visit www.PandemicFlu.gov

Tell us what you think of our News Window at newmedia@hhs.gov

 Follow PandemicFlu.gov on Twitter



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Cruise Ship Quarantine Over Swine Flu
10:38am UK, Thursday June 18, 2009

Venezuela has quarantined a visiting cruise ship following an outbreak of swine flu onboard, health officials have said.
 
Ocean Dream Liner, Source: Pullmantur Cruises



All 1,219 passengers and 460 crew members will be kept on board the Ocean Dream, which is now moored off Venezuela's Margarita Island.

Authorities stopped passengers from leaving the Spanish-owned ship after three crew members tested positive for the virus.

"After the virus was detected in crew members, the boat must now stay in quarantine until June 24", said state health official Jorge Alchaer.

Eleven more crew members are now reported to have symptoms.

The nationalities of the passengers on board the ship are not yet known.

The ship was next due to arrive in Barbados but shipping agents in Bridgetown have denied the liner entry to the island's port.
Many of the small islands in the eastern Caribbean depend on cruise ship arrivals to help support their vulnerable economies.

Venezuela has so far reported 52 cases of swine flu - none has been fatal.

Last week the World Health Organisation declared the virus a global pandemic that has spread to 74 countries.

More than 140 people have died from the virus while some 30,000 cases have been diagnosed worldwide.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Swine-Flu-Outbreak---Venezuela-Cruise-Ship-Ocean-Dream-Quarantined-Over-Outbreak-Onboard/Article/200906315311248?lpos=World_News_Third_Home_Page_Article_Teaser_Region__0&lid=ARTICLE_15311248_Swine_Flu_Outbreak_-_Venezuela_Cruise_Ship_Ocean_Dream_Quarantined_Over_Outbreak_Onboard

VACCINE - DONATION TO WHO BY SANOFI-AVENTIS

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2009/vaccine_donation_20090617/en/index.html

Statement by WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan
17 June 2009

WHO welcomes sanofi-aventis's donation of vaccine

Sanofi-aventis to donate 100 million doses of pandemic H1N1 vaccine to WHO
"We welcome this very generous gesture by sanofi-aventis. One hundred million doses of vaccine against the pandemic H1N1 2009 virus is a sizeable and generous gesture to and on behalf of the world's less-developed countries. WHO will now work to ensure that this vaccine gets to groups who otherwise would have no access to pandemic vaccines.

"It is gratifying that vaccine manufacturers are demonstrating their solidarity with WHO in protecting the health of the world's poorer people: influenza knows no boundaries and so to protect people in one country is to protect us all."

Sanofi-aventis made its announcement of the donation of 100 million doses of vaccine at the Pacific Health Summit in Seattle, USA. WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan will be speaking there tomorrow.

INTERNATIONAL - NUMBERS OF CASES REPORTED BY WHO

WHO Updates International H1N1 Situation: 39620 cases

Influenza A(H1N1) - update 50

Laboratory-confirmed cases of new influenza A(H1N1) as officially reported to WHO by States Parties to the International Health Regulations (2005)

Cumulative and new figures are subject to revision
17 June 2009 12:00 GMT


Country, territory and area  Cumulative total     
Newly confirmed since the last reporting period     
   Cases  Deaths  Cases  Deaths 
Argentina  733  1  390  1 
Australia  2112  0    289  0   
Austria  7  0    0    0   
Bahamas  2  0    1  0   
Bahrain  12  0    11  0   
Barbados  3  0    0    0   
Belgium  19  0    2  0   
Bermuda, UKOT  1  0    1  0   
Bolivia  11  0    4  0   
Brazil  79  0    25  0   
British Virgin Islands, UKOT  1  0    1  0   
Bulgaria  2  0    0    0   
Canada  4049  7  1071  3 
Cayman Islands, UKOT  4  0    2  0   
Chile  2335  2  641  0   
China  382  0    64  0   
Colombia  53  1  11  0   
Costa Rica  149  1  45  0   
Cuba  7  0    1  0   
Cyprus  1  0    0    0   
Czech Republic  4  0    0    0   
Denmark  15  0    3  0   
Dominica  1  0    0    0   
Dominican Republic  93  1  0    0   
Ecuador  86  0    6  0   
Egypt  26  0    8  0   
El Salvador  125  0    30  0   
Estonia  4  0    0    0   
Finland  12  0    8  0   
France  118  0    38  0   
France, French Polynesia, FOC  1  0    1  0   
France, Martinique, FOC  1  0    1  0   
Germany  195  0    25  0   
Greece  23  0    4  0   
Guatemala  128  1  9  0   
Honduras  100  0    11  0   
Hungary  4  0    0    0   
Iceland  4  0    0    0   
India  30  0    14  0   
Ireland  12  0    0    0   
Israel  152  0    35  0   
Italy  72  0    5  0   
Jamaica  12  0    1  0   
Japan  666  0    61  0   
Jordan  2  0    2  0   
Korea, Republic of  65  0    0    0   
Kuwait  18  0    0    0   
Lebanon  11  0    3  0   
Luxembourg  2  0    1  0   
Malaysia  17  0    12  0   
Mexico  6241  108  0    0   
Morocco  3  0    2  0   
Netherlands  68  0    7  0   
Netherlands, Curacao, OT  1  0    1  0   
New Zealand  127  0    41  0   
Nicaragua  118  0    62  0   
Norway  13  0    0    0   
Panama  272  0    0    0   
Paraguay  25  0    0    0   
Peru  112  0    21  0   
Philippines  193  0    116  0   
Poland  7  0    0    0   
Portugal  3  0    0    0   
Qatar  3  0    3  0   
Romania  16  0    3  0   
Russia  3  0    0    0   
Samoa  1  0    1  0   
Saudi Arabia  17  0    6  0   
Singapore  49  0    2  0   
Slovakia  3  0    0    0   
Spain  499  0    11  0   
Sri Lanka  1  0    1  0   
Sweden  37  0    5  0   
Switzerland  27  0    5  0   
Thailand  310  0    281  0   
Trinidad and Tobago  5  0    0    0   
Turkey  16  0    6  0   
Ukraine  1  0    0    0   
United Arab Emirates  1  0    0    0   
United Kingdom  1461  1  235  1 
United Kingdom, Isle of Man, Crown Dependency  1  0    1  0   
United Kingdom, Jersey, Crown Dependency  1  0    1  0   
United States of America*  17855  44  0    -1 
Uruguay  36  0    0    0   
Venezuela  45  0    20  0   
Viet Nam  27  0    2  0   
West Bank and Gaza Strip  2  0    0    0   
Yemen  1  0    1  0   
Grand Total  39620  167  3692  4 


Chinese Taipei has reported 58 confirmed case of influenza A (H1N1) with 0 deaths. Cases from Chinese Taipei are included in the cumulative totals provided in the table above.
*The data has been revised on the basis of further laboratory confirmation

Abbreviations
UKOT: United Kingdom Overseas Territory
FOC: French Overseas Collectivity
OT: Overseas Territory

 

Read full article>>

For more information on H1N1 situation, please visit www.PandemicFlu.gov

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