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WHO: Mexico swine flu has 'pandemic potential'
GENEVA – An outbreak of swine flu in Mexico and the United States is a quickly evolving situation that has "pandemic potential," the head of the World Health Organization said Saturday before an emergency meeting of flu experts.
WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said the North American outbreak of a never-before-seen virus was a very serious situation.
She called Saturday's emergency meeting to consider declaring an international public health emergency over the outbreak, which is believed to have killed dozens of people in Mexico and sickened at least eight in the U.S.
The experts are also expected to recommend whether WHO should raise its pandemic alert to a higher level.
At least 62 people have died from severe pneumonia caused by a flu-like illness in Mexico, according to WHO. Some of those who died are confirmed to have a unique version of the A/H1N1 flu virus that is a combination of bird, pig and human viruses.
Mexico has closed schools, museums, libraries and theaters in a bid to contain the outbreak, which may have sickened about 1,000 people there.
"The situation is evolving quickly," Chan said at a telephone news conference in Geneva. "A new disease is by definition poorly understood.
"In the assessment of WHO, this is a serious situation which must be watched very closely."
"This is an animal strain of the H1N1 virus, and it has pandemic potential because it is infecting people," Chan said.
"However, we cannot say, on the basis of currently available laboratory, epidemiological and clinical evidence, whether or not it will indeed cause a pandemic," she added.
It is the first time Chan has convened such a crisis panel since the procedure was created almost two years ago, spokesman Gregory Hartl said.
The committee may decide Saturday that the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency, and if so, whether WHO should consider measures including travel advisories, trade restrictions and border closures.
The global body's flu pandemic alert level is now set to phase three — meaning there is no or very limited risk of a new virus spreading from human to human.
The committee "will be asked, 'should we raise the alert level to phase four or phase five,' depending on their appreciation of how far the virus has spread," Hartl said.
An increased alert level was considered likely, as initial evidence from the outbreak in Mexico indicates the virus has spread between people. Hartl said, however, that a decision would not be made Saturday.
WHO: Mexico swine flu has 'pandemic potential'
GENEVA – An outbreak of swine flu in Mexico and the United States is a quickly evolving situation that has "pandemic potential," the head of the World Health Organization said Saturday before an emergency meeting of flu experts.
WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said the North American outbreak of a never-before-seen virus was a very serious situation.
She called Saturday's emergency meeting to consider declaring an international public health emergency over the outbreak, which is believed to have killed dozens of people in Mexico and sickened at least eight in the U.S.
The experts are also expected to recommend whether WHO should raise its pandemic alert to a higher level.
At least 62 people have died from severe pneumonia caused by a flu-like illness in Mexico, according to WHO. Some of those who died are confirmed to have a unique version of the A/H1N1 flu virus that is a combination of bird, pig and human viruses.
Mexico has closed schools, museums, libraries and theaters in a bid to contain the outbreak, which may have sickened about 1,000 people there.
"The situation is evolving quickly," Chan said at a telephone news conference in Geneva. "A new disease is by definition poorly understood.
"In the assessment of WHO, this is a serious situation which must be watched very closely."
"This is an animal strain of the H1N1 virus, and it has pandemic potential because it is infecting people," Chan said.
"However, we cannot say, on the basis of currently available laboratory, epidemiological and clinical evidence, whether or not it will indeed cause a pandemic," she added.
It is the first time Chan has convened such a crisis panel since the procedure was created almost two years ago, spokesman Gregory Hartl said.
The committee may decide Saturday that the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency, and if so, whether WHO should consider measures including travel advisories, trade restrictions and border closures.
The global body's flu pandemic alert level is now set to phase three — meaning there is no or very limited risk of a new virus spreading from human to human.
The committee "will be asked, 'should we raise the alert level to phase four or phase five,' depending on their appreciation of how far the virus has spread," Hartl said.
An increased alert level was considered likely, as initial evidence from the outbreak in Mexico indicates the virus has spread between people. Hartl said, however, that a decision would not be made Saturday.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by PRIME_Ω_PREDATOR on -
Last I heard there were more folks sick in the US. Isn't this how it gets started?
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Permalink Reply by KilRoy on -
UPDATE
GENEVA – 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.
Earlier, Chan told reporters that "it would be prudent for health officials within countries to be alert to outbreaks of influenza-like illness or pneumonia, especially if these occur in months outside the usual peak influenza season."
"Another important signal is excess cases of severe or fatal flu-like illness in groups other than young children and the elderly, who are usually at highest risk during normal seasonal flu," she said.
Several Latin American and Asian countries have already started surveillance or screening at airports and other points of entry.
At least 62 people have died from severe pneumonia caused by a flu-like illness in Mexico, WHO says. Some of those who died are confirmed to have a unique flu type that is a combination of bird, pig and human viruses. The virus is genetically identical to one found in California.
U.S. authorities said eight people were infected with swine flu in California and Texas, and all recovered.
So far, no other countries have reported suspicious cases, according to WHO.
But the French government said suspected cases are likely to occur in the coming days because of global air travel. A French government crisis group began operating Saturday. The government has already closed the French school in Mexico City and provided French citizens there with detailed instructions on precautions.
Chilean authorities ordered a sanitary alert that included airport screening of passengers arriving from Mexico. No cases of the disease have been reported so far in the country, Deputy Health Minister Jeanette Vega said, but those showing symptoms will be sent to a hospital for tests.
In Peru, authorities will monitor travelers arriving from Mexico and the U.S. and people with flu-like symptoms will be evaluated by health teams, Peru's Health Ministry said.
Brazil will "intensify its health surveillance in all points of entry into the country," the Health Ministry's National Health Surveillance Agency said in a statement. Measures will also be put in place to inspect cargo and luggage, and to clean and disinfect aircraft and ships at ports of entry.
Some Asian nations enforced checks Saturday on passengers from Mexico.
Japan's biggest international airport stepped up health surveillance, while the Philippines said it may quarantine passengers with fevers who have been to Mexico. Health authorities in Thailand and Hong Kong said they were closely monitoring the situation.
Asia has fresh memories of an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, which hit countries across the region and severely crippled global air travel.
Indonesia, China, Thailand, Vietnam and other countries have also seen a number of human deaths from H5N1 bird flu, the virus that researchers have until now fingered as the most likely cause of a future pandemic.
The Dutch government's Institute for Public Health and Environment has advised any traveler who returned from Mexico since April 17 and develops a fever over 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit (38.5 Celsius) within four days of arriving in the Netherlands to stay at home.
The Polish Foreign Ministry has issued a statement that recommends that Poles postpone any travel plans to regions where the outbreak has occurred until it is totally contained.
The Stockholm-based European Center for Disease Prevention and Control said earlier Saturday it shared the concerns about the swine flu cases and stood ready to lend support in any way possible.
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Permalink Reply by KilRoy on
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just new to my ears: 3rd possible case found in Texas, 2 in Kansas, and 8 in NY
one more found in CA make # now to 7
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Permalink Reply by PRIME_Ω_PREDATOR on
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Was listening to AM Radio News about 3 hours ago. They mentioned that the Swine Flu was combined with Bird Flu.
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Permalink Reply by KilRoy on
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Bird fl- holy crap, that dosen't sound to goo there, I'll take a peek at the news again for anymore updates.
I've herd that the swine was a mixture of pig, bird and human flu strain.
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Permalink Reply by Poe on -
We can only hope our government and the CDC will not
try to cover anything up (Which they are good at)
Just look at how they dealt with the AIDS virus, until it was too late......
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Permalink Reply by PRIME_Ω_PREDATOR on
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You can't count on the government to do anything for you. They always expect some to die. They have acceptable numbers.
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Permalink Reply by KilRoy on
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more bad news folks, its still spreading, it reached into Canada, and it is confirmed in NY
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090426/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/med_swine_flu
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090426/ap_on_re_us/us_swine_flu_states
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090426/ap_on_re_au_an/swine_flu_world
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Permalink Reply by KilRoy on
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something i took note of yesterday that I didn't think about posting then, but when I was watching some video clips on the outbreak in Mexico, there was a brief mention of "drug riots" breaking out with in the city featuring a brief clip of armored police firing upon unseen assailants as well civis running away from the sight.
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Permalink Reply by Poe on
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Sun. 4-26 14:23 Butcher's Block}81 Mexicans dead. Dozens of Americans sick (possibibly infected
If this Swine Flu would turn in to a pandemic, it would be a catastrophific event
considering the resession, poor health care and F.E.M.A. which is worthless at best.
Remember Katrina?
In a worse case senario> I believe we might be living a real life version of Lost Zombies,
only without the dead rising (ie.) Social unrest, looting collapse of our economy
over crowded hospitals.
Chaos theory would be in full swing
Not enough antidote to go around............
Those who ignore history
are doomed to repeat it...............:(
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Permalink Reply by PRIME_Ω_PREDATOR on
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Poe, in a situation like that you are what you own and there is safety in numbers. Be prepared to defend yourself and what you have. The first part of that is not letting anyone know what you have. Anyone on this site or any Post Apocalyptic site knows how to survive. Just read. Zombies or not, worse case scenario isn't good for anyone.
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Permalink Reply by KilRoy on
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not good at all, I wouldn't be surprised if it mutates with something else, heck its already a hybrid of three different types of flu's, which are human, bird and pig.
but even if the undead stay dead during this outbreak, we still got to worry about staying uninfected. if anything we of all people would be ready.
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