World Health Organization: Swine flu could spread globally

unovegan · Apr 25, 2009

(CNN) -- The presence of swine flu in Mexico and the United States is "a serious situation" that could develop into a pandemic, the World Health Organization's director-general said Saturday. 
Women wear masks as a precaution against swine flu at a subway in Mexico City on Friday. 
"This is an animal strain of the H1N1 virus and it has pandemic potential because it is infecting people," Dr. Margaret Chan said Saturday speaking to reporters by phone. 
In Mexico, 68 people have died from swine flu, according to a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, and 1,000 have been infected. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/25/swine.flu/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/25...flu/index.html</a> 
Here's an addendum that's quite disturbing regarding governmental powers in Mexico: <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090425/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/med_swine_flu" target="_blank">http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090425/.../med_swine_flu</a> 
NEW: New Zealand quarantines 22 students, 3 teachers with swine flu symptoms

Digger · Apr 25, 2009

I've been following this and it's pretty scary stuff. Now they are testing 75 school children in Queens, New York who are suspected of having it. Hopefully it's a false alarm there but if not it has rather dire implications.

unovegan · Apr 25, 2009

I agree. They haven't been able to find any common connection between the US cases and it's spread like a cold. bad news. when MExico cancels all public events for 10 days, it's pretty serious.

Fyvel · Apr 25, 2009

This sort of thing scares the crap out of me <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sick.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

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karenlovessnow · Apr 25, 2009

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Digger <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
I've been following this and it's pretty scary stuff. Now they are testing 75 school children in Queens, New York who are suspected of having it. Hopefully it's a false alarm there but if not it has rather dire implications.</div>
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I heard that most of them had been on a school trip to Mexico. 
I hope this doesn't turn into something big. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

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Irizary · Apr 25, 2009

Well, at least we have the pharmaceutical companies to help us out. Oh yeah...the ones that mixed live avian flu virus with seasonal flu virus and shipped it off for distribution to eastern Europe... <a href="http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2009/02/27/8560781.html" target="_blank">http://www.torontosun.com/news/canad...7/8560781.html</a> 
Is it even possible to make a mistake that big? 
But I think no one should be surprised. We don't care about farming methods when only the animals suffer, but we're going to be forced to care when we start dying because of it. Between heavy use of antibiotics (because of the conditions the animals are kept in) and confinement/factory farming, this kind of thing is inevitable. If this doesn't turn into a pandemic, we always have other diseases of modern animal farming to look forward to, like bird flu and mad cow (not that those things couldn't happen before, but we've amped up their potential exponentially)...

Digger · Apr 26, 2009

<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/25/swine.flu/index.html" target="_blank">More cases of swine flu reported; WHO warns of 'health emergency'</a> <div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">(CNN) -- A potentially deadly new strain of the swine flu virus cropped up in more places in the United States and Mexico on Saturday, in what the World Health Organization called "a public health emergency of international concern." 
The most recent reports Saturday afternoon were of two confirmed cases of the virus in Kansas -- bringing the number of confirmed U.S. cases to 11. 
Those joined nine confirmed cases in Texas and California and an apparent outbreak at a private school in New York City, where officials say eight children likely have the virus. 
Mexican health officials say 81 deaths are now "likely linked" to the swine flu virus. 
...</div>
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synergy · Apr 26, 2009

Well, we were all waiting for it... Here it is.

unovegan · Apr 26, 2009

Here's the conspiracy theorist side: we better stock up on food as we're all going to be quarantined to our homes, consenting to mandatory health checks, living in fear of our neighbors, the guns at ready to protect our families. wait a minute: this would make a great sci fi movie!!

Diana · Apr 26, 2009

Wow... the shareholders of the company who makes Tamiflu are once again rubbing their hands!!! Big bonuses up ahead for some directors too, I imagine. 
One day we'll obviously be up against a pandemic. It's inevitable. But I doubt it's this time.

MrFalafel · Apr 26, 2009

If any of your meat eating friends are concerned about this be sure to remind them that this virus was caused by the desire to consume pigs as food. If it wasn't for their desire for bacon and sweet and sour pork we wouldn't be in this mess now.

fadeaway1289 · Apr 26, 2009

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by fyvel <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
this sort of thing scares the crap out of me <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sick.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"></div>
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+1

IamJen · Apr 26, 2009

+2 
Looks likely to have spread to New Zealand too: <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jrQNegCqcH8Lz514UMeWnFkjQBaA" target="_blank">http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...14UMeWnFkjQBaA</a> 
I really, really don't understand why they're not following up with the people who were on the same flight as these kids. It seems like basic common sense. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

">

unovegan · Apr 26, 2009

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by IamJen <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
+2 
Looks likely to have spread to New Zealand too: <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jrQNegCqcH8Lz514UMeWnFkjQBaA" target="_blank">http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...14UMeWnFkjQBaA</a> 
I really, really don't understand why they're not following up with the people who were on the same flight as these kids. It seems like basic common sense. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"></div>
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i think they are following up. Like with the kids from NY. they've followed up with other students and now about 100 show symptoms including relatives of these kids.

IamJen · Apr 26, 2009

Hm. I think the article's been updated (or maybe I read it elsewhere at Yahoo!). There was a quote from some NZ health official saying "At this point..." they weren't following up with the passengers. I was flabbergasted. 
Ah, it's in this version: <a href="http://sg.news.yahoo.com/ap/20090426/twl-swine-flu-world-4th-ld-writethru-1be00ca.html" target="_blank">http://sg.news.yahoo.com/ap/20090426...u-1be00ca.html</a>

MrFalafel · Apr 26, 2009

Yes, the worrying thing is the symptoms are of a mild flu so would pass unnoticed by people even with the virus as 'just feeling bad'. The NYC kids were walking around for days last week before being admitted to hospital and could have infected 10s of thousands. 
France, NZ, Spain, Canada, Israel, US, Mexico... Getting pretty scary now: Here's a googlemap with suspected outbreaks and confirmed: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/swinemap" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/swinemap</a> 
But the WHO have met today and still only have it as a phase 3 and have not even recommended stopping flights to/from Mexico so they seem to be confident of the situation.

unovegan · Apr 26, 2009

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by MrFalafel <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
Yes, the worrying thing is the symptoms are of a mild flu so would pass unnoticed by people even with the virus as 'just feeling bad'. The NYC kids were walking around for days last week before being admitted to hospital and could have infected 10s of thousands. 
France, NZ, Spain, Canada, Israel, US, Mexico... Getting pretty scary now: Here's a googlemap with suspected outbreaks and confirmed: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/swinemap" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/swinemap</a> 
But the WHO have met today and still only have it as a phase 3 and have not even recommended stopping flights to/from Mexico so they seem to be confident of the situation.</div>
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The band? why would they have anything to do with this? 
seriously, that seems ridiculous. and cocky. i'm guessing tourism and the like is at stake in their recommendation. It'll be interesting when much poorer countries have to deal with this situation. Having much poorer health care and systems to check this, this might be tough it heads that direction.

MrFalafel · Apr 26, 2009

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by unovegan <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
The band? why would they have anything to do with this? 
seriously, that seems ridiculous. and cocky. i'm guessing tourism and the like is at stake in their recommendation. It'll be interesting when much poorer countries have to deal with this situation. Having much poorer health care and systems to check this, this might be tough it heads that direction.</div>
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The WHO are a collection of the worlds authorities on this sort of thing. If we doubt them then we are truly in deep trouble. 
We need to be calm and listen to the experts as panic can be more dangerous than the flu itself. 
Countries are already beginning to ban specific imports from Mexico and the USA in a panic reaction to this. If this snowballs then this added to the economic downturn will again be far worse than the flu.

unovegan · Apr 26, 2009

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by MrFalafel <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
The WHO are a collection of the worlds authorities on this sort of thing. If we doubt them then we are truly in deep trouble. 
We need to be calm and listen to the experts as panic can be more dangerous than the flu itself. 
Countries are already beginning to ban specific imports from Mexico and the USA in a panic reaction to this. If this snowballs then this added to the economic downturn will again be far worse than the flu.</div>
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well, sure. I'm just hoping WHO aren't making a decision partly based on concerns what their recommendation would do to Mexico's economy.

MrFalafel · Apr 26, 2009

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by unovegan <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
well, sure. I'm just hoping WHO aren't making a decision partly based on concerns what their recommendation would do to Mexico's economy.</div>
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The reality is we are still at phase 3. Even in phase 4 border closings woudn't necessarily be required. <a href="http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/phase/en/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian.../en/index.html</a> 
The experts know that a full blown major pandemic would have serious global economic consequences that would dwarf the consequences of simply ruining Mexicos economy for a couple of quarters.

World Health Organization: Swine flu could spread globally

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