World's concern grows

GENEVA (AP) - The World Health Organization warned countries around the world Saturday to be on alert for any unusual flu outbreaks after a unique new swine flu virus was implicated in possibly dozens of human deaths in North America. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said the outbreak in Mexico and the United States constituted a "public health emergency of international concern."

The decision means countries around the world will be asked to step up reporting and surveillance of the disease, which she said had "pandemic potential" because it is an animal virus strain infecting people. But the agency cannot at this stage say "whether or not it will indeed cause a pandemic," she added.

Chan made the decision to declare public health emergency of international concern after consulting with influenza experts from around the world. The emergency committee was called together Saturday for the first time since it was created in 2007.

In theory, WHO could now recommend travel advisories, trade restrictions or border closures, none of which would be binding. So far it has refrained from doing so.

The agency also held off raising its pandemic alert level, citing the need for more information.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D97PNI383&show_article=1

New Zealand, France, and Spain are among the countries reporting potential cases.

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

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LQ502607.htm

I've got a curious question. Why does the media always show Asian people with masks on when there is a flu outbreak?

Furley wrote:

I've got a curious question. Why does the media always show Asian people with masks on when there is a flu outbreak?

I saw that picture and the caption said they were from Mexico.

Samhain wrote:

Furley wrote: I've got a curious question. Why does the media always show Asian people with masks on when there is a flu outbreak? I saw that picture and the caption said they were from Mexico.

I apologize. The female pictured looks Asian.

Furley wrote:

Samhain wrote: Furley wrote: I've got a curious question. Why does the media always show Asian people with masks on when there is a flu outbreak? I saw that picture and the caption said they were from Mexico. I apologize. The female pictured looks Asian.

My first guess was Indians.

Apparently the virus has been mild for the most part and seems to be showing signs of slowing down (though it's still spreading in the United States), probably because flu viruses have a hard time surviving in warm and dry weather. But, WHO also has warned us not to be complacent because, according to a BCC World Services article quoting Gregory Hartl "There is a high possibility that this virus will come back, especially in colder periods." Not only that, but the virus can also mutate into a more dangerous strain.

I've got a flu now, but I have no idea if I have H1N1 or if it's just another one of those last-minute buggers that comes around this time of year, right before the end of flu season.

This may be improper to publicize, but I'm not really scared of this thing right now. Look at the arithmetic involved in this situation.

26 Deaths.
980(ish) Cases.
6 billion people in the world.

Sorry, the fact that this is so small and hasn't moved as fast as possible is really making it mediocre in my head. I still think about it, but I don't worry about it nor do I get hysterical over its presence. I will probably be the first American to die from it or something, but that's karma I guess.

PS: all 26 deaths were people of Mexican decent.