Posted on 04/24/2009 2:42:42 PM PDT by Crazieman
WASHINGTON, April 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday it was too late to contain the swine flu outbreak in the United States.
CDC acting director Dr. Richard Besser told reporters in a telephone briefing it was likely too late to try to contain the outbreak, by vaccinating, treating or isolating people.
"There are things that we see that suggest that containment is not very likely," he said.
He said the U.S. cases and Mexican cases are likely the same virus. "So far the genetic elements that we have looked at are the same." But Besser said it was unclear why the virus was causing so many deaths in deaths in Mexico and such mild disease in the United States.
(Excerpt) Read more at in.reuters.com ...
Since it takes about 3 weeks for a flu vaccine to confer meaningful immunity, he is probably right.
Tamiflu may well be useless. About 90% of the influenza cases this year were resistant to tamiflu. I have no idea what the resistance profile of the swine flu is, but I wouldn’t bet money that it will be sensitive to antivirals we currently have available.
Mexico City Newspaper
Alert 68 suspicious deaths of swine influenza
Authorities recommended to stay away from infected people, no kiss of greeting or handheld, use mask, washing hands often and sneeze at the angle of the elbow. Foto: AFP Photo: AFP
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24 de abril de 2009 April 24, 2009
DPA DPA
Ciudad de México.- - The authorities took emergency measures such as suspension of classes in schools and the distribution of free face mask, face an epidemic of influenza that left 68 dead, some by a mutation of the virus of swine flu.
“It is not a normal virus, but a mutant virus that comes from pigs, which emerged in 1976 in New Jersey and had never caused an epidemic, so we take action,” said Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos.
Analysis carried out in laboratories in Canada and allowed the United States so far in 20 cases of H1N1 virus with genomic component of the Eurasian pork. Los The other cases of respiratory infection are still under investigation to determine the type of strain.
Cordova Villalobos said that this is an “epidemic control,” in which most of the 4 thousand cases of infection were recorded in Mexico City, although there were also four deaths in the state of San Luis Potosi and isolated cases in other states .
“We are fully identified the type of virus and there are antivirals,” the official said, explaining that it is a virus that is transmitted between humans, but the mutual swine influenza virus. The first case was detected in 1976 in an American soldier.
Cordova Villalobos said the World Health Organization (WHO) provided expert technical support and medicines to address the emergency. However, he said that Mexico has enough doses of antivirals.
According to the official, it is the same H1N1 type of virus that generated “isolated cases” of human deaths in 1976 and 1988 in United States. The virus has two components and the seasonal influenza vaccine is ineffective to deal with it.
WHO decided to create “a committee of global emergency because clearly they are concerned,” Cordova said, but noted that “fortunately” no quarantine was ordered to Mexico, where there are no restrictions to travel to the country.
Cordova Villalobos said they shared a face mask to prevent spread of the disease, highly contagious, and it will maintain the suspension of classes in schools and universities until further notice. It was also recommended to avoid massive shows and sporting events.
All schools and universities in Mexico City and the State of Mexico closed its doors indefinitely to prevent a spread of the epidemic, whereas the Mexican Soccer Federation might cancel matches scheduled for the weekend.
The last time Mexico suspended classes in schools was almost 25 years ago when the devastating earthquake occurred in September 1985.
At a press conference, Dr. Richard Besser, director of office of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) United States, said in Atlanta that are eight confirmed cases in the United States and who are studying the emergence of cases in Mexico, where apparently “the disease is more serious.”
Apparently one of the infected people registered in the United States had traveled to Mexico, said Besser conference from headquarters to the CDC, which reports to the U.S. Department of Health in the city of Atlanta.
“We identified the virus but have not yet made more detailed analysis,” he said. Many people took to the streets and Metro of Mexico City with face mask to prevent infection.
The emergency situation was evident Thursday night when, at 23:00 hours (local time), Córdova Villalobos came to announce the national chain from the presidential residence of Los Pinos suspension of classes in the City and State of Mexico, where there are most of the cases.
Calderon canceled a trip that was expected to Juárez on Thursday and met for more than four hours with the cabinet to discuss the situation. The main symptoms are sudden high fever, headache, red eyes, nasal discharge and cough.
It spreads very easily, so it is recommended that people stay away from infected people, not with a hello or kiss the hand or by using mask, washing hands often and sneeze at the angle of the elbow, among other measures . In schools “very likely to continue classes suspended for a few days,” said Córdova Villalobos. “The thing to avoid is that complicated.”
But a lot more have it and haven’t died. It has spread too far too fast. TX, CA, Mexico and now possible NYC.
And the U.S. cases, as far as I’ve read, all recovered.
7 people got the flu and then got better.
Run!
He also sneezed IIRC at some event recently.
Hundreds of Students at Queens School Come Down with Flu
BY MARY SCHUTLZ| wpix.com
April 24, 2009
QUEENS, N.Y. (WPIX) - The Health Department is monitoring an outbreak of flu at St. Francis Prep in Fresh Meadows, Queens, to see if the students may have come down with the swine flu virus. As many as 500 students have reported they were suffering from flu-like symptoms. Some of the students told WPIX they recently visited Mexico. The flu outbreak forced school officials to cancel an event called “International Night,” which was scheduled for Friday night. A thousand people had been expecting to attend.
Ah, the flying pig flu...
That’s just lovely, especially since it’s Fiesta season and we have tourists from everywhere in San Antonio right now...They better figure something out quick.
Shouldn’t we all be concerned about our beloved(barf) president who was just in Mexico City
Sounds engineered.
flying pigs lol they have them on pogo lol
The CDC is clueless.
There are alot of Mexicans in my town, especially for the harvest season. I guess I will be on droplet precautions at the hospital.
M.O.O.N. that spells SCARY.
I mean, if there was a pandemic flu virus every year, we'd all be dead. The ones that end up as true pandemics are going to be pretty different from your yearly flu virus. The 1918 virus was certainly "different."
That said, the odds are this isn't another pandemic.
But it seems pretty absurd to jump from "this seems to be different" to "bioterrorism."
By the time I finish reading this thread I will be in such a panic. I will probably get dressed and make a run on the store.
saurkraut bump!
This is upsetting. Prayers for the kids that this isn’t The New Bug.
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