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'Too late' to contain swine flu (WHO raises alert level)

Triad

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The swine flu virus first detected in Mexico can no longer be contained and countries should focus on mitigating its effects, a top UN official said.

World Health Organization deputy chief Keiji Fukuda was speaking as the WHO raised its alert level to four, or two steps short of a full pandemic.

UN food inspectors are going to Mexico to examine reports that industrial pig farms were the source of the outbreak.

The number of probable deaths from the virus there has risen to 152.

New Zealand confirmed at least three cases on Tuesday, and Israel one.

The US, Canada, Spain and Britain confirmed cases earlier but no deaths have been reported outside Mexico.

'Not inevitable'

Alert level four means the virus is showing a sustained ability to pass from human to human and is able to cause community-level outbreaks.

Mr Fukuda said this was a "significant step towards pandemic influenza" but a pandemic should not be considered inevitable
BBC NEWS | Americas | 'Too late' to contain swine flu

...
WHO PANDEMIC ALERT PHASES
Phase 1: No viruses circulating among animals causing infections in humans
Phase 2: Animal influenza virus causes infection in humans, and is considered potential pandemic threat
Phase 3: Influenza causes sporadic cases in people, but no significant human-to-human transmission
Phase 4: Verified human-to-human transmission able to cause community-level outbreaks. Significant increase in risk of a pandemic
Phase 5: Human-to-human transmission in at least two countries. Strong signal pandemic imminent
Phase 6: Virus spreads to another country in a different region. Global pandemic under way

I've read a few accounts now where various people in Mexico are claiming the numbers of infected/dead are much higher then those being officially declared.

I do have to wonder IF they find out its going to be really bad ..will "they" tell us?

(If it continues to grow in numbers in Mexico over the coming week.
The USA should seal the border.)
 
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(If it continues to grow in numbers in Mexico over the coming week. The USA should seal the border.)
And how do you propose that be done?

There are 1,969 miles of border, much of it over broken, arid, almost uninhabited terrain. That's not a border that can be sealed.
 
And how do you propose that be done?

There are 1,969 miles of border, much of it over broken, arid, almost uninhabited terrain. That's not a border that can be sealed.

Come on. If the Great Wall of China could keep....oh wait....
 
Walls don't work in Gaza and Iraq. They didn't work in Germany or Lima. They didn't work in China or Egypt. And most of the walls built in these places are just mentioned were done in heavily populated environments with a heavy military presence. But supposedly they're supposed to work in barren wasteland where nobody lives?
 
You have this thing called a Military. Its has this amazing ability to control access to territory. Terrain itself channels people as it is.
If the USA cannot control its Southern(or Northern) border to that point then something is fundamentally broken and need to be fixed before it rears up in a war situation.


Nothing is 100% but going "oh we can't get 100% so lets not even try for 85%" especially in a situation where contact with infected people could kill millions??

The world is not made up of absolutes...


Anyway... this reminds of the argument between calling this "Swine Flu" or "Mexico Flu".
Like it matters?

Apparently its now been found in France.
 
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Since I brought it up--

U.S. officials want 'swine' out of flu name
28 Apr 2009 21:31:42 GMT
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, April 28 (Reuters) - What's in a name? U.S. pork producers are finding that the name of the virus spreading from Mexico is affecting their business, prompting U.S. officials to argue for changing the name from swine flu.

At a news briefing, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack took pains to repeatedly refer to the flu as the "H1N1 virus."

"This is not a food-borne illness, virus. It is not correct to refer to it as swine flu because really that's not what this is about," Vilsack said.

Israel has already rejected the name swine flu, and opted to call it "Mexico flu." Jewish dietary laws forbid eating pork.

The Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health also objected to the name, saying the virus contains avian and human components and no pig so far has been found ill with the disease.

And there is growing sentiment in the farm sector to call it the North American virus -- although disease expert Anthony Fauci told a Senate hearing the "swine flu" designation reflected scientific naming protocol.

For U.S. pork producers the swine flu name has hurt, forcing government officials into the position of stressing that American pork is safe to eat and that other countries should not ban imports.

Pork, soybean and corn prices have fallen in the last two days, "and if this continues, obviously you have significant potential, which is why it's important to get this right," Vilsack said.

At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there was also talk of stripping the "swine" from swine flu, which CDC acting director Richard Besser said was leading to the misapprehension that people can catch the disease from pork.

"That's not helpful to pork producers. That's not helpful to people who eat pork. It's not helpful to people who are wondering, how can they get this infection," Besser told a briefing.
Reuters AlertNet - U.S. officials want 'swine' out of flu name

:roll:
 
You have this thing called a Military. Its has this amazing ability to control access to territory. Terrain itself channels people as it is.
If the USA cannot control its Southern(or Northern) border to that point then something is fundamentally broken and need to be fixed before it rears up in a war situation.
.

Actually, the military is not designed to function as a human wall to "seal" borders. Hadn't you heard? Besides, the US-Mexican border seems to be working quite well in preventing swine flu from entering the country. Didn't I just hear there has been only one case in Texas?
 
By the time an outbreak of a new pathogen is detected or identified in today's shrinking world it's already to late to contain it. An infected person gets on a plane in Mexico changes planes in a hub airport like Chicago, takes a shuttle bus to a Hotel, has lunch in a crowded restaurant and by the time they are sick enough to seek treatment they have exposed hundreds who will then in a few days expose thousands.
I highly recommend watching the Dustin Hoffman, Cuba Gooding Jr. movie Outbreak to see how fast things can spin out of control.
The key is to take control of your own well being by taking prudent steps to protect yourself and loved ones now. Don't rely on the government to protect you. They are all reactive to problems not proactive. The answer is to take steps to build your immune system to bolster your ability to fight off what ever the threat may be every day. And don't wait for the problem to come to you door step before you act. Start right now to protect yourself and loved ones everyday. You may need to have as much as two weeks worth of supplies to be able to shelter in place if things get bad. It's not that expensive to stock up on some basic items to sustain you for 10 days if you do it a few items at a time. It's important to remember the most important thing is to get to the other side alive. It's not that hard to do if you start before the problem comes knocking.
Just my opinion, but I know it will work.
 
(If it continues to grow in numbers in Mexico over the coming week.
The USA should seal the border.)

You have to be taking the piss. Mexicans dont cross boarders, they climb over them. They'll get in despite what you do. The government needs to screen everybody who come in and out of the country from every airport in every state, bump up boarder security and screen everybody for the flu who come in and out of the boarders, hospitals and schools in infected states closed down for a few days and decontaminated, flights to mexico stopped, and hospitals stock piled with every vaccination we have (Tamiflu is said to work against swine flu) until we can get our own vaccinations out on the market a few months from now. Statements need to be broadcasted raising awareness in the states against swine flue, symptons, and how to avoid catching it and how to protect your own family from it. We need to urge citizens not to travel to infected countries unless absolutely neccessary and to avoid public transport or overly crowded areas whenever possible. Strict, tough to implement measures, but certainly possible.

Actually, the military is not designed to function as a human wall to "seal" borders. Hadn't you heard? Besides, the US-Mexican border seems to be working quite well in preventing swine flu from entering the country. Didn't I just hear there has been only one case in Texas?

Kentucky too, apparently.
 
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At least five people were in U.S. hospitals with swine flu as the number of cases nationwide rose to 68 on Tuesday and a federal health official warned that deaths were likely.
FOXNews.com - Swine Flu Cases Continue to Climb in U.S. With 68 Sick, 5 Hospitalized - Infectious Disease


Apparently a 2 year old has died from it in Texas. Saw mentioned on TV(no link)


Flu Hits Germany, WHO Calls Emergency Review
Germany confirmed three cases of swine flu on Wednesday, becoming the third European country hit by the disease that has upended life in Mexico. New Zealand's swine flu total rose to 14 and the World Health Organization called for an immediate scientific review of the disease.
...
New Zealand's number of cases rose to 14 Wednesday, including one person not among a school group who recently returned from Mexico. Officials say the swine flu strain infecting the students is the same as that in Mexico. All were responding well to treatment with antiviral drugs and in voluntary quarantine at home.

New Zealand has 44 other possible cases, with tests under way.

Mexico was taking drastic measures to fight the outbreak. It closed all archaeological sites Tuesday and allowed restaurants in the capital to only serve take-out food in an aggressive bid to stop gatherings where the virus can spread. Schools remained closed until at least May 6.

A regional Beach Soccer championship in Mexico was postponed and all Mexican first-division football games this weekend will be played behind closed doors.

Other countries have reacted by avoiding Mexico. While the U.S., the European Union, and other countries have discouraged nonessential travel to Mexico, Cuba banned flights to and from Mexico and Argentina suspended flights arriving from Mexico.

Cruise lines are avoiding Mexican ports and holiday tour groups are canceling holiday charter flights there.

In Australia, officials were testing more than 100 people with flu symptoms for the virus. It has been ruled out in at least 10 cases.

Health Minister Nicola Roxon told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio Wednesday that the government had granted health authorities wider powers to contain contagious diseases as a precaution.

Those powers ranged from "using disinfectants on planes or at ports through to the far more extreme ... making sure that people are isolated and perhaps detained if they don't cooperate and are showing symptoms of this disease," she said.


The World Health Organization has raised its alert level to 4 — out of a possible 6 — but has not called for travel restrictions or border closures.

No cases of the disease have been confirmed in Asia, where governments were rushing to try to hold back the virus from the continent and taking strict precautions with travelers at airports.
FOXNews.com - Flu Hits Germany, WHO Calls Emergency Review - Infectious Disease

The New Zealand bit is not good. A confirmed case that is not linked directly to Mexico could be an indication it going to explode.
 
Link for above-


Official: First U.S. Swine Flu Death Confirmed in Texas

BREAKING NEWS — A government official confirmed the first U.S. death from the new H1N1 swine flu on Wednesday, a 23-month-old child who died in Texas, Reuters reported.

It is the first death from swine flu reported outside Mexico, the country hardest hit by the influenza outbreak. The official gave no other details on the case. U.S. officials have confirmed 65 cases of swine flu, most of them mild.
FOXNews.com - Official: First U.S. Swine Flu Death Confirmed in Texas - Infectious Disease

Some people who get sick apparently do not notice symptoms for 24-72 hours after being infected. But they can infect during that period.

Well here's hoping it stays small.
 
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Three more British swine flu cases confirmed

• Girl, 12, diagnosed, Gordon Brown tells Commons
• UK expanding anti-viral stocks

Three more cases of swine flu in Britain were confirmed today, taking to the number of people being treated for the disease to five.

A 12-year-old girl is among the new cases, Gordon Brown told the Commons during prime minister's questions.

The girl, from Torbay in Devon, and adults from London and Birmingham were confirmed with the flu.

The first two British cases, a Scottish couple who returned from a honeymoon in Mexico, were confirmed on Monday.

Swine flu: Three more British cases confirmed | World news | guardian.co.uk
 
Actually, the military is not designed to function as a human wall to "seal" borders. Hadn't you heard? Besides, the US-Mexican border seems to be working quite well in preventing swine flu from entering the country. Didn't I just hear there has been only one case in Texas?





uhm you obviously are not paying attention....


There are hundereds of cases in the US...


That said. It's the freaking flu and a mild version of it to boot. This hype that is out there is nonsense. People just need to deal.
 
Damn, this girl at work who sits next to me attended a baby shower last week with some family members who flew in from Mexico, and she's been coughing all last week and still this week. She just laughs it off about the swine flu, so how do you force someone to go get checked? Not that I am too worried about myself, but I got an infant I can pass this crap onto.
 
Damn, this girl at work who sits next to me attended a baby shower last week with some family members who flew in from Mexico, and she's been coughing all last week and still this week. She just laughs it off about the swine flu, so how do you force someone to go get checked? Not that I am too worried about myself, but I got an infant I can pass this crap onto.




uhm, report her. Stay away from her. carry wipes with you. don't touch ANYTHING. This is a hyper contagious version of the flu, you may already have it. But I would stay the hell away from her, by going home if she does not.

think about it. you can be as cautious as possible, but those around you may not. you are gonna get it if she has it and you hang around.


As for those masks? They don't work.
 
to make you feel like you are doing something.

people are morons and sheep. they do what they are told.

Oh i see.
Well what a waste of money tbh. Governments are ordering them
 
Oh i see.
Well what a waste of money tbh. Governments are ordering them



furthermore, you now have a mask and feel safe, so you start doing stupid things that get you the flu, like not washing your hands and venturing into crowds...

(you as the general you, not you you.....;) )
 
It's being reported a 23 month old Mexican national has died in Texas from the Swine Flu.
 
uhm you obviously are not paying attention....


There are hundereds of cases in the US...


That said. It's the freaking flu and a mild version of it to boot. This hype that is out there is nonsense. People just need to deal.

No kidding - everyone hears that a disease is killing people and they completely freak. For some perspective (all numbers from wikipedia), in the 27 days since the outbreak, 160 probable deaths have occurred from swine flu, compared to almost 38,000 from influenza at large (at a rate of 500k per year). It is a new strain that should be fought as it spreads, but the panic and hype is just stupid.
 
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