pandemic

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US Hits 1M Swine Flu Cases
 US Hits 1M Swine Flu Cases 
Jun 25, 2009 3:27 PM CDT

US Hits 1M Swine Flu Cases

(Newser) - Health officials estimate that as many as 1 million Americans now have the H1N1 virus, better known as swine flu. The estimate, made public today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is based on mathematical modeling. Nearly 28,000 US cases have been reported to the CDC, accounting...

New Strain May Mean Year-Round Flu Season: CDC

(Newser) - The US could experience an extended or even year-round flu season thanks to H1N1, the Centers for Disease Control said yesterday. Researchers theorize that a combination of unprepared immune systems and the unusually cool spring could be contributing to the steady stream of flu infections. “The fact that we...

Swiss Pharma Won't Donate Swine Flu Vaccine to Poor

Novartis defies WHO calls to give free doses to poor

(Newser) - Swiss pharma giant Novartis is defying the World Health Organization by refusing to donate swine flu vaccines to the world's poor, despite the designation of H1N1 as the first pandemic in 40 years, reports the Financial Times. Last week the WHO's director general called on drug companies to show "...

What if Swine Flu Meets Bird Flu?

A hybrid could stymie vaccines, increase disease's killing power

(Newser) - Among the scarier prospects for the future of swine flu, which has reached pandemic status but killed relatively few people, is that it mixes with bird flu to form a lethal hybrid. Jokes about flying pigs aside, a mix of the easily spreadable H1N1 and the especially virulent bird flu...

WHO Declares Swine Flu Pandemic
 WHO Declares 
 Swine Flu Pandemic 
UPDATED
Jun 11, 2009 10:20 AM CDT

WHO Declares Swine Flu Pandemic

H1N1 has spread to 74 countries, but may be milder than first thought

(Newser) - The World Health Organization has declared the first influenza pandemic since 1968, Reuters reports. Although the current outbreak has caused mostly mild cases of the illness, today's official declaration that the outbreak has hit phase 6, the highest level, means heightened prevention measures in 193 countries. The designation refers to...

What Lies Beneath the Ice? Maybe the Flu

(Newser) - Another sign of the flu's ingenuity: Two researchers say it can hide for centuries in Arctic ice and re-emerge to infect birds and humans who are no longer immune to that particular strain, reports Wired. When rising temperatures cause the ice to melt, the flu springs back to life and...

Forget Swine Flu— 5 Pandemics to Fear

(Newser) - While the world panics over swine flu, many far more serious outbreaks lie in wait, reports Foreign Policy. Here are some you won’t see on TV—yet:  
  • Cholera: The deadly diarrheal infection is rampant in Africa, with infections shooting up 96% in 2006. The current outbreak in Zimbabwe
...

Flu-Phobic Consider Intentional Infection

(Newser) - With panic over the H1N1 flu virus on the wane, some Americans are pondering allowing themselves to become infected in hopes of building immunity against potentially more virulent strains, the New York Times reports. Doctors are split on the idea. "I think it's totally nuts," says a flu...

US May Offer 3 Flu Shots in Fall

(Newser) - Americans may be getting not one but three flu shots this fall, the Washington Post reports. One would be for the seasonal flu and the other two would be for swine flu. The plan is unprecedented—health officials have never asked people to get more than one flu vaccine in...

US Sees 2nd Flu Death; CDC Eases Up on Schools

(Newser) - Texas health officials said today that a US woman who lived near the Mexico border has died from swine flu—the second death in the nation and first of a US resident, USA Today reports. The news, however, comes amid continued confidence that the H1N1 virus remains relatively mild here,...

Hong Kong Hotel Guests Chill in Quarantine

Guests stuck in swine flu hotel pass the time with pizza, parties

(Newser) - The 300 guests and staff quarantined in Hong Kong's Metropark Hotel since Friday are getting used to life in captivity, the Wall Street Journal reports. The captives—confined since a Mexican guest tested positive for swine flu—complain about boring food and missed business deals, but some have organized beer...

Mexico Lowers Swine Flu Alert
 Mexico Lowers Swine Flu Alert 
May 4, 2009 12:22 PM CDT

Mexico Lowers Swine Flu Alert

(Newser) - The swine flu epidemic is waning, Mexican officials said today, lowering the Mexico City alert level. Businesses in the capital will be allowed to reopen Wednesday, while schools will remain closed until health officials finish inspecting them. Global health officials were more guarded, but said there were no plans to...

To Predict Flu, Follow the Money

Looking at how bills travel lets researchers predict shape of epidemic

(Newser) - Scientific research requires funding, but in the case of the Northwestern University team modeling the spread of swine flu in the near future, actual dollar bills are an important element of their analysis. The team has used information from a website that tracks the movement of money to predict how...

H1N1: Worst is Yet to Come
 H1N1: Worst is Yet to Come 
May 4, 2009 4:26 AM CDT

H1N1: Worst is Yet to Come

Officials warn that stronger second wave of virus likely to arrive in autumn

(Newser) - Britain's health minister has cautioned doctors to prepare for a “much stronger” version of the H1N1 virus to surface this autumn, the Telegraph reports. With 985 cases confirmed in 20 countries so far, the World Health Organization is also countering Mexico’s optimism that the virus is on the...

Swine Flu Alert Expected to Hit Highest Level

WHO prepares to issue pandemic warning

(Newser) - Despite an apparent slowing of the pace of reported cases of swine flu, the World Health Organization is expected to raise its infectious disease alert to the highest level, reports the Los Angeles Times. The current Phase 5 alert level means the disease has spread to at least two countries...

Obama 'Optimistic' as Flu Cases Rise

(Newser) - Continental Airlines said today it will begin cutting flights to Mexico on Monday because of the swine flu outbreak, the Houston Chronicle reports. The airline will cancel 180 of its 450 weekly flights and use smaller planes. As the number of confirmed cases in the US rose to 141 in...

Hong Kong Quarantines Entire Hotel

(Newser) - Hong Kong has quarantined an entire hotel after a guest was diagnosed with swine flu, the Wall Street Journal reports. The territory's chief executive said he opted to err on the side of caution in an attempt to contain the spread of the disease. Roughly 300 guests are trapped inside;...

Flu Fear Swamps US Hospitals
 Flu Fear Swamps US Hospitals 
May 1, 2009 4:37 AM CDT

Flu Fear Swamps US Hospitals

System strained as people with mild symptoms demand swine flu tests

(Newser) - Hospitals and clinics across the country are being overwhelmed by panicky people seeking to be tested for swine flu, reports the Los Angeles Times. Experts warn the signs of strain already show that the system is ill-equipped to deal with a full-scale outbreak. Health officials struggling to cope with the...

States' Flu Readiness Comes Up 10M Doses Short

Stockpiles of antiviral medication are 10 million doses short

(Newser) - Dozens of states have failed to stockpile enough medication to treat a full-blown flu outbreak, the Washington Post reports. The federal Strategic National Stockpile program has vast amounts of antiviral medication stashed in secret locations around the country, but records show that state governments have 10 million fewer dosages than...

Confirmed Swine Flu Cases Jump

WHO investigators find 257 confirmed cases in 11 countries

(Newser) - The number of confirmed swine flu cases worldwide jumped from 147 to 257 yesterday, according to the World Health Organization. Hundreds more suspected cases are still being investigated. The jump in confirmed cases is likely attributable to investigators working through their backlog of specimens rather than rapidly mounting incidents of...

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