U.S. declares public health emergency as swine flu spreads

[gldstwmn]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/26...flu/index.html

(CNN) -- The United States government declared a public health emergency Sunday as the number of identified cases of swine flu in the nation rose to 20.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano briefs reporters at the White House Sunday.

The declaration is part of a "standard operating procedure" that will make available additional government resources to combat the virus, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said at the White House.

Additional cases of swine flu are expected to be reported in the coming days, added Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

No one has died in the U.S. from swine flu, officials said Sunday.

In New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said eight students at St. Francis Prepatory School in Queens have tested positive for swine flu. More than 100 students at the school were absent with flu-like symptoms last week, he said.

State public health officials in Ohio confirmed one case of swine flu on Sunday. There have been seven confirmed cases in California, two in Kansas, and two in Texas, Besser said.

The World Health Organization advised all countries to be on the lookout for "unusual" outbreaks of flu, after an emergency meeting Saturday as the seriousness of the outbreak became clear.

By Sunday, 81 deaths in Mexico had been deemed "likely linked" to swine flu. Viral testing has confirmed 20 cases, said Dr. Jose A. Cordova Villalobos, Mexico's health secretary.

In Mexico City, the massive downtown Cathedral of Mexico City was open but Masses were not scheduled. Dozens of worshippers put on masks and went inside the church anyway to pray on their own.

Canada confirmed its first cases of swine flu on Sunday, with four people said to have the virus in the eastern province of Nova Scotia, health officials said.

Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief public health officer, said the cases were among students who had recently traveled to Mexico.

Strang said the people affected were only "mildly ill," and all are recovering. He said people who had recently been traveling should call their doctor and stay home if they suffer flu-like symptoms.

The H1N1 strain of swine flu is usually associated with pigs. When the flu spreads person-to-person, instead of from animals to humans, it can continue to mutate, making it a tougher strain that is harder to treat or fight off.

Symptoms of swine flu include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, according to the CDC.

President Obama recently returned from a trip to Mexico, but has not shown any signs of flu-like symptoms, the White House said.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the outbreak "is of great concern to the White House," and Obama is receiving regular briefings on the issue.

"I would tell people it's certainly not a time to panic," Gibbs told reporters. "If you're sick, stay home, get treatment, go see a doctor." But he added, "The government is taking all the steps it needs to and must do to take the precautions to deal with whatever size and scope we may be facing."

In New Zealand, officials said 22 students and three teachers back from a three-week-long language trip to Mexico may have been infected with the swine flu virus.

The 25 students and teachers at Auckland's Rangitoto College returned to New Zealand via Los Angeles on Saturday.

Fourteen have shown flu-like symptoms, with four "more unwell than others," said Dr. Julia Peters, clinical director of Auckland Regional Public Health Service. It is not clear whether anyone else who was on the plane with them has shown signs of the disease.

Health Minister Tony Ryall said 10 students tested positive for influenza A. The specimens will be sent to WHO to determine whether it is H1N1 swine influenza.

H1N1 influenza is a subset of influenza A. The WHO results are expected back by midweek. The group remains quarantined at home.

"It certainly has not been confirmed that they have swine flu," said Dr. Craig Thornley of Auckland Regional Public Health Service. "We already have provisional information that some of the group have influenza A. We won't know if they have the type of influenza A that is swine flu."

A British Airways crew member developed flu-like symptoms during a flight from Mexico City to London and was tested for swine flu, but the results came back negative.

"I can confirm that the patient doesn't have swine flu," said Jonathan Street, a spokesman for Northwick Park Hospital in north London. "We have done all tests, and they all came back negative."

The flight attendant is back at work, British Airways told CNN.

Britain is not putting travel restrictions in place, according to British Airways and Heathrow airport operator BAA, and the country's Port Health Authority has no reason for concern over swine flu, BAA said.

The Mexico Tourist Board said Saturday there are no restrictions on travel to the country.

In Israel, doctors are running tests on a man who recently returned from Mexico with light flu symptoms.

U.S. health officials said Friday that some cases of the virus in the United States matched samples of the deadly Mexican virus.

All the patients have recovered or are expected to.

The panic over the virus prompted Canada to issue a travel health notice, saying the public health agency was "tracking clusters of severe respiratory illness with deaths in Mexico."

South Korea said it will test airline passengers arriving from the United States. Japan will convene a Cabinet meeting Monday to develop measures to block entry of the virus into the country.

The United States has not issued any travel warnings or quarantines.

But US Airways said Saturday it would allow passengers to change plans if they wanted to because of the outbreak.

Airline spokeswoman Michelle Mohr said it was not asking people not to travel to Mexico, but wanted to "give them that flexibility" if "they don't feel comfortable."

Gregory Hartl of the World Health Organization said the strain of the virus seen in Mexico is worrisome because it has mutated from older strains.

"Any time that there is a virus which changes ... it means perhaps the immunities the human body has built up to deal with influenza might not be adjusted well enough to deal with this new virus," Hartl said.

Mexico City has closed all of its schools and universities until further notice because of the virus.

[MacMan]

Scary Sh*t.... Quite possibly could be the next pandemic!

[estranged4life]

I call 'dibs' on being "Randall Flagg" if this thing goes to the level of the "blue-flu" in Stephen King's book "The Stand"

[tuigirl]

Yikes..a bit worrying!! but at the end of the day not alot you can do about it..unless ur lucky enough to be where other people ain't. Cross fingers and hope for the best.

[mylittledemon]

What they havent said is how many people seem to be immune to it, or whether its 100% fatal.

I mean, as far as I'm concerned...I feel like death every time I get the flu, so I dont see how this is so much different

[DigYourGrave]

Woah, careful over there peeps..

I was talking to a cousin who is a GP secretary in Albuquerque. She thinks they're gonna be really busy with local hypocondraics for the next few weeks..

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by mylittledemon

What they havent said is how many people seem to be immune to it, or whether its 100% fatal.

I mean, as far as I'm concerned...I feel like death every time I get the flu, so I dont see how this is so much different

The medical folks on here could probably explain it better but the virus mutates and how bad this is depends on that. At least I *think* that was the jist of the article I was reading last night at midnight.

[Zombie]

Originally Posted by estranged4life

I call 'dibs' on being "Randall Flagg" if this thing goes to the level of the "blue-flu" in Stephen King's book "The Stand"

Haha, how's your pork?

I was just commenting to a friend about the swine flu the other night, "Captain Trips, yo. I'll just be over here waiting for the Walkin' Dude to show up."

[Villavic]

3 cases in Dallas county,
I'm arriving to Dallas on thursday. Fleetwood Mac too!!

[Zombie]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

The medical folks on here could probably explain it better but the virus mutates and how bad this is depends on that. At least I *think* that was the jist of the article I was reading last night at midnight.

It's something like that - I've read that the cases that have cropped up in America haven't been the fatal kind, they basically just make you feel like death warmed over. I know there is no vaccine.

Also, I am reminded of the Flight of the Conchords song "Issues," only we can substitute "swine" for "monkeys."



Stop touching the swine, people!

[estranged4life]

Originally Posted by Zombie

Haha, how's your pork?

I was just commenting to a friend about the swine flu the other night, "Captain Trips, yo. I'll just be over here waiting for the Walkin' Dude to show up."

"Baby, Can you dig your man? He's a righteous man"....


Interesting enough, it wouldn't take much for this flu to spread - example: Last night around 7pm the town I reside in was under a tornado warning, since circulation was located on radar with a bearing directly on this town (Loved how the tornado sirens were blasting for about 10-15 minutes non-stop as the wall cloud lowered and the makings of a funnel started to appear)

As many of the townfolk headed to the public storm shelter (I took my time walking the very short distance just to humor myself as many were in full panic mode - What's the worst that can happen to me, dying and end up seeing Debbie alot sooner? I don't see that necessarily as a bad thing in my mind - so DEATH doesnt frighten me, but it was rather ironic that I played Lizzy Borden's "Appointment with Death" all day yesterday) for protection it dawned on me that around 150-200 people were crammed into a small confined area. Had someone had a illness that is contagious, it wouldnt take much to start it spreading - and if one passes it on to another it could start the whole domino effect in force...

Hmm, the time to make a trip out to Vegas is nearing, Sorry Boulder...

[Zombie]

^^^^

That brown soun,' she sho' do get aroun.'

No, viruses like this make me nervous. Always have, always will. I worry much more about disease than I do about nukes and whatnot.

And we get the added exciting problem of the fact that many people don't have health insurance/can't afford health care. So when you get sick, you wait til the absolute last minute to head off to the ER to see what the problem is - you try to hold off as long as possible - and by then, who knows? Ugh.

[estranged4life]

Originally Posted by Zombie

No, viruses like this make me nervous. Always have, always will. I worry much more about disease than I do about nukes and whatnot.

And we get the added exciting problem of the fact that many people don't have health insurance/can't afford health care. So when you get sick, you wait til the absolute last minute to head off to the ER to see what the problem is - you try to hold off as long as possible - and by then, who knows? Ugh.

I live in what I refer to as the Oklahoma "triangle", 60 miles to the SW is an air force base with big bombers - 40 miles straight South is an army base which has practiced firing bio-weapons and 90 miles to the NE is another air force base with more bombers.

Of course, if for some unknown reason the army base would have an attack/accident/whatever with the bio-weapons that have on base the wind would carry it to the North (Provided the wind is out of the South) starting some 'interesting things' in this town.

Ah bio-weapons and nukes...such fun.


As for the lack of health insurance for many, I wonder how this Friday will play out when I make my (Weekly, or is it WEAKLY?) trip to see my grief counselor (Whose office is inside a clinic for many of the Native Americans in this area, who have no health insurance)...May have to make a mental note of what I see.

Who knows, maybe "Capt.Trips" will mess with my upcoming attendance at the Fleetwood Mac show in Tulsa...Which could turn into a big "let's trade viruses" convention

[DigYourGrave]

Originally Posted by Zombie

Also, I am reminded of the Flight of the Conchords song "Issues," only we can substitute "swine" for "monkeys."

Stop touching the swine, people!

Leave those poor sick swine alone, they're sick, they got problems enough as it is.

[skcin]

OK, nobody panic. Seriously. It is worthy of worry & concern, but not panic. I'm sure Ed or someone else here knows more that I do, but I'm bored so here's my 2 cents.

The tricky thing about this particular flu virus is that it usually is transmitted from pig to pig, and more rarely from pig to human. Most animal viruses don't get passed from human to human (avian flu was never passed from person to person, for example.) BUT - this one IS being passed from person to person, so it has obviously mutated.

As far as there being no cure, well there's no cure for ANY strain of the flu that I'm aware of. You treat the symptoms with rest & fluids, antipyretic meds if the fever is really high. Most docs I know don't prescribe Tamiflu or Relenza to otherwise healthy individulas because they have side effects that could be worse than flu itself, and these meds DO NOT cure flu, they just decrease the severity & longevity of symptoms. However, since this strain seems to be mutating & spreading quickly, they are receommending that these drugs are prescribed.

From what I'm hearing, people are not dying from this virus - they are dying from secondary bacterial infections which are causing pneumonia. Kind of like how AIDS doesn't kill people, it's the infections the person is susceptible to kills them? The thing is, with "regular" flu, that usually happens mostly with kids, the elderly or people with chronic health conditions. In this case, it seems to be happening to people who would normally be deemed low risk/pretty healthy.

The other odd thing is that people who have this swine flu are not dyng anywhere else but Mexico. The people diagnosed here are doing OK with treatment - no deaths in the U.S.yet as faras I've heard. Now, like I said, otherwise healthy/normal people in Mexico are dying after they catch this flu, so they're not sure what's up with that. Could be that access to health care is so ****ty there that people are waiting to get help until it's too late? Could be they have other health problems that have bnever been diagnosed before? Also, could be that it's normal that, say, 2% of people will die from this flu & that patients and/or doctors in mexico are underdiagnosing/misreporting other mild cases - maybe there are a million other people with the flu there that we don't know about?


Anyway, yes, it's worrisome. But the fact that the CDC & WHO are really on top of this makes me feel a lot better. It's the godamn media blowing everything out of proportion, as usual, that pisses me off. Stupid ass Chris Cuomo on GMA this morning added at the end of his piece "if you don't feel well, go & see your doctor." It's because of **** like that said that I've had about 20 patients come in to our clinic in the past 2 days with NO symptoms, insisting they might have this flu because they were in Mexico 6 weeks ago, or they know someone who knows someone who breathed on another person who then..... blah blah blah. it wastes appointments & takes time away from our patient who are truly sick. Argh.