Posted on 11/20/2009 5:44:27 PM PST by null and void
The level of swine flu activity in the United States appears to be declining, although officials are worried about another increase of cases during the Thanksgiving holiday when many people travel and families gather.
The news came as scientists in Norway announced that they had detected a mutated form of the swine flu virus ... It is the most recent report of mutations in the virus that is being watched closely for any change that could make it more dangerous.
The two patients who had the mutation and died were the first swine flu fatalities in Norway. The third patient found to have the mutated form of the virus also became severely ill.
Schuchat said the mutation is no reason for alarm.
The World Health Organization said viruses with a similar mutation had been detected in several other countries, including Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico, Ukraine and the United States. "No links between the small number of patients infected with the mutated virus have been found and the mutation does not appear to spread," the WHO said in a statement.
Detection of the mutation should be reassuring, Schaffner said, because it shows the intensity of the global effort to monitor the virus. "The virologists are keeping an eye on H1N1 and this is evidence of that," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
ping
Bad link
Lutefisk will do that.
Thanks.
In related news, many airlines suddenly pull advertisements from WaPo.
Canada has been very hard hit by this killer flu. for example: out of a population of 9 million, the province of Quebec has had 37 deaths since August. They ought to do something about this, it's unacceptable.
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