pandemic

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Mexico Official: 'We're On the Right Track'

(Newser) - Mexico's top medical official told the AP that he's hopeful swine flu has begun to wane in his nation. "The fact that we have a stabilization in the daily numbers, even a drop, makes us optimistic," said Jose Angel Cordova. "We think we're on the right track....

Rumors as Virulent as Swine Flu Itself

Theories implicate everyone from Smithfield Foods to al-Qaeda as responsible

(Newser) - Rumors about the origins of the swine flu outbreak are spreading faster than the virus itself, with theories ranging from a group of slaughtered pigs in China to an al-Qaeda conspiracy, Reuters reports. China’s government was actually prompted into making a formal statement by international media reports suggesting that...

Flu Carries Lessons for Bioterror Fight
 Flu Carries Lessons 
 for Bioterror Fight 

OPINION
Apr 30, 2009 1:11 PM CDT

Flu Carries Lessons for Bioterror Fight

(Newser) - The H1N1 flu outbreak spotlights a public-health infrastructure ill suited to respond to a pandemic or its close cousin, a bioterror attack, D.A. Henderson writes for Newsweek. We must “sharpen our health-care response. Rapid diagnosis and response are critical,” he writes. The “interconnected world we live...

Swine Flu Not So Tough: Scientists
Swine Flu Not So Tough: Scientists
Apr 30, 2009 8:09 AM CDT

Swine Flu Not So Tough: Scientists

Strain could be less lethal than seasonal flu, analysis shows

(Newser) - Scientists are gradually downgrading their worst-case scenarios for the swine flu outbreak, the Los Angeles Times report. The H1N1 strain initially appeared to have disturbing similarities to the 1918 flu virus, but researchers analyzing genetic data released this week say the strain is less lethal than feared—and may in...

Making Swine Flu Vaccine Now Could Backfire
Making Swine Flu Vaccine Now Could Backfire
ANALYSIS
Apr 30, 2009 7:34 AM CDT

Making Swine Flu Vaccine Now Could Backfire

Move could cause global shortage of seasonal flu vaccines

(Newser) - The world's leading flu vaccine maker is on standby, ready to start cranking out a swine flu vaccine—but doing so might not be the smartest move, Carol Matlack writes in BusinessWeek. Vaccine makers can't shift or expand production easily, Matlack notes, meaning that a switch now could lead to...

WHO Raises Pandemic Alert to Second-Highest Level

(Newser) - The World Health Organization today raised the pandemic alert level for swine flu to its second-highest level and asked all nations to ramp up emergency measures, MSNBC reports. The agency says human-to-human transmission of the disease is spreading and believes the world could be on the brink of a global...

Obama: Consider Closing Flu-Case Schools

(Newser) - President Obama said today that US schools with confirmed cases of swine flu should consider closing. "This is obviously a serious situation," Obama said, that "we are closely and continuously monitoring." He said it is the recommendation of public-health officials that authorities at schools with confirmed...

Feds: Expect US Deaths From Swine Flu

(Newser) - Swine flu continued its steady spread across the world, with federal officials warning to expect deaths in the US, the New York Times reports. The disease has been confirmed in seven countries and in five US states, but the only deaths—more than 150 so far—remain in Mexico. Five...

Calif. Declares Emergency Over Swine Flu

(Newser) - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today declared a state of emergency that will help California agencies coordinate efforts in response to the outbreak of swine flu. The proclamation from Schwarzenegger—who cautioned that "there is no need for alarm"—sets in motion a series of administrative actions, including ordering all...

Unlike, Say, Iran's Nukes, Flu Is Worth Real Worrying

Pandemic possible, and closer to home

(Newser) - In the modern world, it’s hard to know what to be scared of, writes Eugene Robinson in the Washington Post. We watch the flashy threats—Russia, Pakistan, terrorists—and end up worrying about the wrong disaster. “But we also should think about other threats that could potentially cause...

Borders Tighten as Swine Flu Deaths Hit 152

(Newser) - Countries are tightening borders and stepping up containment methods as the swine flu body count continues to rise, the New York Times reports. The disease is suspected in 152 deaths, all in Mexico; 50 US cases are now confirmed from California to New York City. Health officials in Japan and...

Too Late to Contain Flu: WHO
 Too Late to Contain Flu: WHO 
Apr 28, 2009 4:44 AM CDT

Too Late to Contain Flu: WHO

(Newser) - Officials from the World Health Organization warn it’s too late to contain the swine flu and say governments should instead now focus on protecting their populations as best as possible, the BBC reports. The WHO bumped up its alert level from three to four—two levels shy of global...

Mexico Prepares to Shut Down Capital

Schools closed as Mexico scrambles to contain outbreak blamed for 149 deaths

(Newser) - Mexican authorities scrambling to contain the swine flu outbreak have closed schools and universities across the country and are considering a total shutdown of the capital, reports the Financial Times. Some businesses have remained open in Mexico City, but people are avoiding bars and restaurants, and the public transport system...

With 41 Sick, US Moves 'As If' Flu Is 'Full Pandemic'

(Newser) - With up to 41 people sickened by swine flu in five states and 149 dead in Mexico, the Obama administration is treating the outbreak like a full pandemic, the AP reports. Officials warned Americans against traveling to Mexico—where more than 1,600 have been infected—and sent flu-fighting medications...

US to Discourage Travel to Mexico

Obama says chill out

(Newser) - The State Department is set to issue a swine flu travel warning, telling Americans to “avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico,” a US official tells Reuters. But at the same time, President Obama urged calm. “This is obviously a cause for concern,” he said. “But...

1976 Swine Flu Scare Taught What Not to Do

Threat led to backlash against flu vaccine

(Newser) - No matter how health officials handle the possible swine flu outbreak, it's likely to go better than it did in 1976. Back then, the government ordered a mass inoculation after one man in New Jersey died of the flu and others were sickened, the Los Angeles Times reports. Within 10...

US Swine Flu Cases Hit 40; Mexican Death Toll 149

(Newser) - The US is now confirming 40 cases of swine flu, while the death toll in Mexico is thought to have risen to 149, the Wall Street Journal reports. Of more than a thousand suspected cases in Mexico, only 26 have been confirmed, along with six in Canada and one in...

Swine Flu Fears Prompt Quarantine Plans, Pork Bans

(Newser) - Canada became the third country to confirm human cases of swine flu today as global health officials considered whether to raise the global pandemic alert level. Nations from New Zealand to Spain also reported suspected cases and some warned citizens against travel to North America while others planned quarantines, tightened...

CDC Prepares Swine Flu Vaccine

(Newser) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has prepared a seed stock of vaccine for the swine flu that has killed dozens in Mexico and infected a handful of Americans, Time reports. The CDC has not begun mass production of the vaccine, opting instead to see if the outbreak reaches...

WHO Chief Sees 'Pandemic Potential'

(Newser) - The World Health Organization believes the outbreak of swine flu in Mexico and the southwestern United States could grow into a pandemic, the Washington Post reports. “It has pandemic potential,” said WHO’s director-general. “It is infecting people.” Margaret Chan cautioned that the WHO is still...

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