Recently in swine flu Category

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.

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).

I'm on assignment, and wont' be able to post much on the blog for the next couple of days.

Here's the latest swine flu news:

First U.S. death recorded in Texas

WHO says only seven deaths in Mexico

US Marine possibly infected

Closer to pandemic

Wesley Pruden of the Washington Times criticizes the media, WHO and a host of others he blames for a "Pandemic of Panic."

Here's a sample:

We haven't seen a panic quite like this one since the last one. SARS was once thought to be the ultimate panic, though the longest running panic was the AIDS scare, when big media set out to convince us that "now we are all at risk." SARS was never a threat in the United States, and worth the P-word only in China and even there a risk confined mostly to people who sleep with their chickens. You can step in all manner of unpleasant things in a chicken house.

It's likely a bioterrorism dry run, according a poster named jeepndesert. Heres' the lede and a few folo up grafs:

The latest bioterrorism attack by the New World Order is likely a beta test. Yes, it is a bioterrorism attack. It was a hybrid strain created from human, swine, and bird flu from North America, Europe, and Asia. It was created in a laboratory. This doesn't happen in nature.

Baxter was caught shipping a weaponized avian bird flu mixed strain in their vaccines last month in Europe. Again, this is proof that this deadly virus was created in a laboratory because they did exactly that last month. Bayer was caught shipping HIV in their drugs in the 80s. Both of these events are published in mainstream newspapers. You can use Google like everyone else to find them.

I predicted this event last month in my documented and linked article when Baxter was caught. If Baxter was trying to do this, they weren't going to stop trying, especially when Baxter wasn't even prosecuted for the crime, and the television news was completely silent about it.

It seems someone wasn't caught this time before they were able to make delivery of the virus. Not that anyone would be prosecuted for bioterrorism. They weren't prosecuted the previous numerous times where they were caught.

The virus was ruled out as a cause in the death of a 45-year-old La Mirada man, said Craig Harvey of the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner. The death of a 33-year-old Long Beach man was still being investigated.

Harvey declined to release the names of the two men.

Coroner's Capt. John Kades earlier Tuesday said tests were being run on two bodies to see if swine flu was a factor in their deaths.

"People also need to know that if they get colds and flu, that's OK. They should probably not panic," Garner said. "Go see your local doctor. You don't need to go running to the emergency room."

The Los Angeles Times is reporting this morning that two deaths (one in Bellflower and one in La Mirada) may be the result of swine flu. The Los Angeles County Department of COroner is conducting an investigation. Here's the meat from the Times story on LA Now:

The Los Angeles County coroner's office is investigating two recent deaths that officials say could be related to the recent global swine flu outbreak. However, no tests have come back positive for the swine flu, and medical examiners have not officially determined what caused the deaths.

Here's the state's Emergency Management Agency's updates on swine flu in California:

• Swine Flu Outbreak:
  
  California Case Total (April 27, 2009): Eight.  Counties: Imperial 3; Sacramento 1; San Diego County 4

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 people. However, sporadic human infections with swine flu do occasionally occur. Most commonly, human cases of swine influenza happen in people with direct exposure to pigs. While most instances of human infection with animal influenza viruses do not result in human to human transmission, each case should be fully investigated to be sure that such viruses are not spreading among humans and to limit further exposure of humans to infected animals, if infected animals are identified. Investigation into possible human to human transmission of recent swine influenza cases is ongoing.

04/27/2009 - Governor Holds Press Conference Regarding State Response to Swine Flu (Video)
04/24/2009 - Governor Schwarzenegger Directs State Swine Flu Response

From the Associated Press:

WHO says the phase 4 alert means sustained human to human transmission causing outbreaks in at least one country. It signals a significant increase in the risk of a global epidemic, but doesn't mean a pandemic is inevitable.

Many experts think it may be impossible to contain a flu virus already spreading in several countries.

WHO has confirmed human cases of swine flu in Mexico, the United States, Canada and Spain. Only Mexico has reported deaths from the new strain.

This from our friend Mike Alerich at the bank 211 blog:

Due to the Swine Flu concern and the proliferation of citizens wearing face masks Banks, Businesses and everyday people should be extra cautious and aware of their surroundings; Who-What is behind that mask?. Not paranoid just use common sense and never "Assume" anything.
Common street thugs by nature are cowards and hide their face behind ski-masks and ladies pantyhose while preying on innocent victims, now during this crisis they can blend in with the crowds for a 20 cent throw-away mask.

For addition photos of 'Medical Mask' bank robbers go to   www.scorpio-security.com, Mike's other site.

This from reporter Amanda Baumfeld:

Los Angeles County Health Services has a press conference scheduled for today at 3 p.m., Kissell added.
Meanwhile, Our Lady of the Assumption School, a Claremont private school notified County Health Services of a potential problem at the school.
"We have been in touch with the Department of Catholic Schools and the Department of Public health and they will advise us," Bernadette said.
The principal would not comment further.

Updates from the World Health Organization -- also available in RSS

Centers for Disease Control travel notices - also available in RSS

HealthMap -- Global disease alert map

Information from Pandemic Flu -- including more links to CDC, the department of Health and Human Services, WHO and the White House

The CDC's Swine Flu page

WHO's Swine Flu page

AlertNet's survey of worldwide reaction to outbreak

The story of a community spared in the 1919 world flu pandemic -- a study by the University of Michigan. (includes links to contemporary accounts from the San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner)

Here's the latest from the Associated Press regarding the outbreak of Swine Flu and the possibility the virus could mutate into a more dangerous strain:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The world's governments raced to avoid both a pandemic and global hysteria Sunday as more possible swine flu cases surfaced from Canada to New Zealand and the United States declared a public health emergency. "It's not a time to panic," the White House said.

Mexico, the outbreak's epicenter with up to 86 suspected deaths, closed churches, markets and restaurants. Few people ventured onto the streets, and some wore face masks. Canada became the third country to confirm cases, in six people, including some students who -- like some New York City spring-breakers -- got mildly ill in Mexico. Countries across Asia promised to quarantine feverish travelers returning from flu-affected areas.

The U.S. declared the health emergency so it could ship roughly 12 million doses of flu-fighting medications from a federal stockpile to states in case they eventually need them -- although with 20 confirmed cases of people recovering easily, they don't appear to for now.

Make no mistake: There is not a global pandemic -- at least not yet. It's not clear how many people truly have this particular strain, or why all countries but Mexico are seeing mild disease. Nor is it clear if the new virus spreads easily, one milestone that distinguishes a bad flu from a global crisis. But waiting to take protective steps until after a pandemic is declared would be too late.

"We do think this will continue to spread but we are taking aggressive actions to minimize the impact on people's health," said Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

President Barack Obama's administration sought to look both calm and in command, striking a balance between informing Americans without panicking them. Obama himself was playing golf while U.S. officials used a White House news conference to compare the emergency declaration with preparing for an approaching hurricane.

"Really that's what we're doing right now. 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," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told reporters.

Earlier, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the outbreak was serious, but that the public should know "it's not a time to panic." He told NBC's "Meet the Press" that Obama was getting updates "every few hours" on the situation.