Swine Flu Map - All Currently Suspected and Confirmed Cases

UPDATE: New Cases confirmed inLaGrange, Georgia; Douglas County, Colorado; Arapahoe County, Colorado; two in Michigan; ten cases in South Carolina; 4 cases at University of Delaware; Corpus Christi, TX; 5 cases in New Jersey; Rotterdam Netherlands.

UPDATE: Flu spreads. Suspected and confirmed cases in Nashville TN, Lafayette and New Orleans LA, Platte County MO, Washington State, Oregon, London UK.

View Swine Flu 2009 Map in a larger map

White House issues advisory after Obama Mexico trip after member of delegation fell ill

The White House is issuing a health advisory outlining "protective measures" for anyone who traveled on President Barack Obama's trip to Mexico, after a member of the U.S. delegation came down with flu-like symptoms - and tests on his family showed they're probably infected with the swine flu.

The individual - an advance security staffer for Energy Secretary Steven Chu -appears to have spread the flu to his wife, son and nephew. All three have tested probable for swine flu, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said.

Gibbs, who did not name the security aide, said he did not work closely with Obama, didn't fly on Air Force One and is back at work at the Energy Department.

But the staffer was at a working dinner Obama attended with Mexican officials April 16. The aide "was asked specifically if he ever came within six feet of the president, and the answer to that was 'No.' "

"The president has not experienced any symptoms," Gibbs said. He said Obama and other aides are "highly, highly, highly unlikely" to develop such symptoms now because of the time that has passed since Obama's visit on April 16 and 17 and the relatively short incubation period for the flu virus, known as H1N1.

The disclosure of the likely flu case in the president's entourage was startling because Gibbs said earlier this week that White House physicians believed the flu had posed no risk at all to Obama when he visited Mexico. "The doctors have informed me… that the President's health was never in any danger," Gibbs said Monday.

Also on Monday, Gibbs had said no one traveling with the president "in either governmental or press capacity has shown any symptoms that would denote cause for any concern."

Gibbs said Thursday that Chu's aide developed a fever while in Mexico and that several of the aide's relatives subsequent fell ill with flu-like symptoms. The aide has not tested positive for swine flu, known as H1N1, probably because so much time has elapsed, but tests on his three relatives came back as "probable" cases on Tuesday, Gibbs said.

The man flew back to Washington on a commercial United Airlines flight that landed at Dulles International Airport on April 18, Gibbs said.

Gibbs said Secretary Chu has shown no flu-like symptoms and has no plans to be tested for the virus. Gibbs said a White House physician reported that about 10 staffers who traveled to Mexico visited him. But Gibbs said, "None of those people, however, came back with any positive tests."

The press secretary said officials don't expect any more cases related to the trip because of the time that has passed.

The White House advisory echoes the advice of the Centers for Disease Control - and even the president himself at Wednesday's news conference - including urging workers to stay home if they suspect they have the virus. But the advisory also paints that advice as a way to make sure the White House can keep functioning, no matter how serious a global flu outbreak gets.

"Limiting influenza exposure within the buildings at the White House Complex will allow normal operations to continue, even if the world-wide influenza outbreak becomes more widespread," the advisory reads.

REUTERS

Smithfield CEO sends letter to employees.

C. Larry Pope, president and chief executive officer of Smithfield Foods Inc., sent the following letter to all employees:

To Our Employees:

Like you, I have been closely monitoring all aspects of the H1N1 influenza outbreak (this is the official name of the mis-named but widely quoted "swine flu" since it has been determined by health officials throughout the world that the illness is a mutation of a number of strains). Unfortunately, the media and bloggers have jumped to conclusions based more on fear than fact and have sensationalized a serious illness.

As of this writing, there are still a number of facts about H1N1 that remain a mystery, including where the strain originated, how it is spreading, how far it will spread and when it will run its course. Hopefully, answers to these questions will soon be resolved. However, let me share with you some facts we do know at this time...namely, what Smithfield has done, is doing and will continue to do about keeping our workers and pigs healthy.

Earlier this week, when news of the virus first became public, we reported that we had found no evidence of the presence of the influenza virus in any of our pig herds or our employees at any of our worldwide operations, including those in the United States. Yesterday, we also announced that because so much attention was being given to the joint operation we run with a Mexican company in Veracruz (and it was believed by some that the initial outbreak of H1N1 flu originated with a little boy in La Gloria, a town not far from a farm that our joint venture partner operates in Mexico), we ran additional tests of pigs at that facility. The results of these independent laboratory tests should be available in a few days and we will, of course, announce the results. As you probably also have learned, Mexican health authorities, working with U.S. and health officials from other countries, have also inspected our farms in Veracruz and found no evidence of H1N1 flu at all.

As we have always said, our first priority as a company is to ensure the health and safety of our herds and our employees so that consumers can trust our products. Today, more than ever, and despite the fear generated by those who are not well-informed, I can assure you that consuming pork products is safe, and that Smithfield's brands, in particular, still stand for the highest quality.

It is an unfortunate fact of life these days that until more hard evidence is available from health officials, the public will continue to be bombarded by unfounded opinions, non-scientific statements and unrestrained internet media, rumor and speculation. Thus, it might be helpful to review some of the facts:

  --  According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the
     H1N1 influenza virus is not transmitted by food, so you cannot get the
     disease from eating pork or pork products.

 --  The CDC also stated that while the virus is contagious from humans to
     humans, it has not found any evidence to indicate that any of the
     illnesses resulted from contact with pigs, hence, the decision by the
     Government to rename the virus H1N1 makes sense and helps remove the
     "fear factor" from pork products.


 --  Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack confirmed that there is no
     evidence at this time showing that swine have been infected with H1N1
     influenza.

In addition to conducting the recent tests I mentioned above, let me remind you of our policy regarding the health of our pig herds and employees. All of our herds at all of our operations, including at our joint ventures in Mexico and elsewhere, are tested regularly for instances of various bacteria and disease, including influenza. We routinely administer flu vaccines to our herds in order to protect them from potential viruses and conduct monthly tests to examine the presence and identity of different flu strains. At no point have any of these tests revealed this strain of the influenza virus in our herds in any country where our company operates.

As we have previously said, we are cooperating fully with health officials and aiding in their investigation into the source of the H1N1 outbreak, and have allowed exhaustive testing of our hogs to ensure that this virus has not infected our farms. These actions were taken voluntarily by the Company. We will also continue to maintain rigorous safety procedures at all of our operations, including limiting farm access to necessary personnel, preventing access to personnel who have recently returned from international travel, and enforcing essential personal hygiene practices.

I am hopeful that the cause of the outbreak is soon found. Unfortunately, an epidemic such as this is difficult to contain, but we can pray that health officials and doctors around the world will find answers soon. For us, it is particularly important to remain focused on our immediate responsibilities. Every single one of us plays a critical role in demonstrating our uncompromising commitment to the safety of our products.

Thank you for all of your efforts. I will continue to update you as I can.

C. Larry Pope

WHO wants us to call it 'influenza A (H1N1)'; We're gonna continue to call it "Swine Flu"

GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation (WHO), bowing to pressure from meat industry producers and concerned governments, said on Thursday it would refer to a deadly new virus strain as influenza A (H1N1) not swine flu.

"From today, WHO will refer to the new influenza virus as 'influenza A (H1N1)'," it said in a brief announcement posted on its www.who.int/en/ website.

The new strain has infected 257 people, of whom 8 have died.

It derives from a swine influenza virus but the new strain has been found only in people. No pigs have been confirmed to be sick with it.

WHO has consistently said the disease cannot be caught from eating pork if it is prepared properly.

"There is also no risk of infection from this virus from consumption of well-cooked pork and pork products," it said on its website on Thursday.

The name of the flu led several countries to slap bans on imports of pork from Mexico and the United States, where the outbreak first appeared, and authorities in Egypt have ordered a cull of pigs.

U.S. and European food industries and governments had been calling for a change in name to remove the link in people's minds between the disease and pigs.

REUTERS

Developments on Swine Flu Worldwide - 2300 PM Eastern

Key developments on swine flu outbreaks, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and government officials:

_Deaths: 168 in Mexico, eight confirmed as swine flu and rest suspected. One confirmed in U.S., a 23-month-old boy from Mexico who died in Texas.

_Sickened: 2,498 suspected and 91 confirmed in Mexico. Confirmed elsewhere: at least 93 in U.S.; 19 in Canada; 13 in New Zealand; five in Britain; four in Germany; 10 in Spain; two in Israel; and one in Austria.

_U.S. cases confirmed by CDC and state officials: 51 in New York, 14 in California, 16 in Texas, three in Maine; two in Kansas, two in Massachusetts, and one each in Indiana, Ohio, Arizona and Nevada. CDC also said Michigan had two, but state officials said only one was confirmed.

_World Health Organization raises pandemic alert to second highest level, meaning it believes a global outbreak of the disease is imminent.

_Texas Gov. Rick Perry issues disaster declaration, and state suspends all high school sports competitions until May 11.

_Texas school closings affected 130,000 children. Some schools also closed in Illinois, New York City, California, South Carolina, Connecticut, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Arizona and Ohio. Mexico suspends all schools until May 6.

_U.S. Food and Drug Administration issues emergency guidance allowing certain antiviral drugs to be used in broader range of population if needed. Public health emergency declared and roughly 12 million doses of Tamiflu from federal stockpile to be delivered to states.

_Ecuador, Cuba and Argentina ban travel to or from Mexico, and Peru bans flights from Mexico; U.S., European Union, other countries discourage nonessential travel there. Travelers arriving from Mexico questioned. Cruise lines avoid Mexico ports.

_Two leading U.S. makers of respiratory masks are ramping up production to keep heavy demand from pharmacies.

_Mexico suspends all nonessential activity of the federal government and private business from May 1-5. Public events canceled and masks handed out to the public.

_Egypt begins slaughtering nation's roughly 300,000 pigs as precaution.

AP

Live blogging the Presidential Press Conference - Obama will do "whatever it takes" to fight flu.

We'll be live blogging the presidential press conference tonight, as Barack Obama marks his 100th day in office.

Obama: We are closely monitoring the H1N1 Flu Virus throughout the US. Any schools where the virus is suspected should strongly consider closing, parents should make contingency plans. Asking for funding to put antivirals where they need to be to fight flu. If you are sick, stay home; if children are sick, keep home. Our government will do whatever it takes to fight the virus.

Questions:

Question: Is it time to close the border with Mexico, and will you consider quarantine:

Response: This is a cause for deep concern, not panic. How we respond, intelligently, systematically, based on science and what public health officials have to say...I'm consulting with public health officials. No recommendation to close borders...like closing the barn door after the horses are out. The most important thing right now is that we treat this the same way we would treat other flu outbreaks. We don't know how this new flu strain will respond. That's why I've asked for 1.5 billion dollars to make sure that everything is in place, in case a worst case scenario should play out.

We have 50 million courses of antivirals in case they're needed. We're coordinating closely with state officials. Federal officials are on the phone all day to coordinate, make sure there's timely reporting, so that we can track them, allocate resources.

The key now is to make sure that we're maintaining great vigilance, and that there's a proper response when cases come up.

Because this is a new strain, we have to be cautious.

Egypt Government Orders Slaughter of all Pigs

Egyptian farmers block the street to prevent vehicles of the Egyptian Health Ministry workers who came to slaughter the Swine, forcing them to leave without carrying out the government order to cull the animals at the site of one large pig farming center north of Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday April 29, 2009. Egyptian authorities began slaughtering the roughly 300,000 pigs in the country Wednesday as a precaution against swine flu even though no cases have been reported here, infuriating farmers who resisted the move and demanded compensation. (AP Photo/Nasser Nouri)

World Health Organization Pandemic Phases Chart - WHO raises to LEVEL 5

After a Mexican toddler died from Swine Flu in Houston today, the WHO raised the Pandemic Level to 5.

The World Health Organization raised the alert level of the fast-spreading swine flu virus on Wednesday afternoon, indicating that a “pandemic is imminent,” on the day that a Mexican toddler who had been hospitalized in Houston became the first person to die from the disease on United States soil.

READ MORE HERE

UPDATE: Los Angeles Coroner Doubts 2 Deaths Related to Swine Flu

The Los Angeles County coroner's office said today that further testing indicated neither of two flu-related deaths being investigated in Los Angeles County appeared to be linked to the swine flu.

Coroner's officials this morning said they suspected the deaths in Long Beach and La Mirada might be tied to the swine flu. But officials said the Long Beach man was not suspected of having the swine flu and that preliminary lab tests indicated the death of a La Mirada man was "not related to swine flu."

More tests are being done, officials said.

Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey said Bellflower Medical Center reported the death of a 33-year-old Long Beach resident Monday afternoon who had symptoms resembling swine flu. The man was taken to the hospital Saturday, complaining of shortness of breath and lymphoma. Doctors later diagnosed the patient with pneumonia, Harvey said.

The second case involves a 45-year-old man from La Mirada, whose death was reported Monday to the coroner's office. The man died April 22 at Coast Plaza Doctors Hospital in Norwalk. Doctors said the man died of pneumonia, but the L.A. County Health Department refused to accept the death certificate signed by the private doctor, Harvey said. The case was then referred to the coroner's office, which will conduct further investigation.

LATIMES

World Health Organization to raise pandemic level to 5

GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday it awaited formal confirmation from U.S. authorities that the new swine flu virus has spread significantly between people, a sign that could indicate an "imminent" influenza pandemic.

Confirmation that infected people in two countries are spreading the new disease to their families or contacts in a sustained way would meet the WHO's criteria for declaring a phase 5 alert on its scale of 1 to 6.

The U.N. agency raised its pandemic alert level to phase 4 from phase 3 on Monday as the virus jumped to Europe.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Monday some people who have had contact with confirmed cases were also developing flu-like symptoms.

"We're still awaiting for a final confirmation from the U.S. authorities, but it appears that there's a number of cases in New York which appear to be human-to-human transmission," WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl told a news briefing.

Such secondary transmission of the virus was "probable," he later told reporters, adding: "If we have a confirmation from the United States or Canada, we could move to phase 5."

READ MORE HERE

The Daily WTF 4.28.2009

Every day, we'll do a WTF post highlighting the most asinine comments of the day as they're related to Swine Flu.

WTF #1 - Swine Flu should be renamed:

"In the public, we've been seeing a fair amount of misconception," CDC acting director Richard Besser said, stressing that pigs were the origin of only one component of the flu strain now afflicting people worldwide.

"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 they can get this infection," he said.

"So we're discussing, is there a better to way to describe this that would not lead to inappropriate actions on people's part."

Let me get this straight. People across the planet are being sickened, hospitalized, dying, and our officials are worried that someone might be offended by the label SWINE FLU? You've got to be kidding me. We have a PANDEMIC on our hands. People will DIE by the hundreds and thousands, but our political leaders are afraid that agribusiness is being harmed by the fact that this new virus is being called SWINE FLU. Sorry, politicians, but I'm going to keep referring to it as swine flu, and I'm sure most of the world will, too. We've got little pity for the fat cats who cram millions of pigs in closed quarters just so they can increase their profit. Bureaucrats can call it what they want. It started on hog farms--it's swine flu.

WTF #2 - Kooky US Senator Michelle Bachmann blames Democrats:

Said Bachmann: "I find it interesting that it was back in the 1970s that the swine flu broke out then under another Democrat president Jimmy Carter. And I'm not blaming this on President Obama, I just think it's an interesting coincidence."

Only problem is, Michelle, that Gerald Ford, a Republican, was president in 1976 when swine flu broke out at Ft. Dix.

For more of Bachmann's special brand of lunacy, watch the video at PajamasTV.

NYC Officials: "Many Hundreds" Children may have Swine Flu

"Many hundreds" of New York City schoolchildren are sick with suspected swine flu, the city's health commissioner said Tuesday, including a dozen students at a school for autistic children in Queens.

A 2-year-old boy in the Bronx and a Brooklyn woman have also been hospitalized with the suspected virus, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

School staff at PS 177 in Fresh Meadows handed out fliers Tuesday afternoon notifying parents that the school was closed until further notice.

City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said that the school's cases are not confirmed as swine flu but the students have the same symptoms as the confirmed cases.

Nationwide, the number of confirmed swine flu cases has increased to 64 - 45 of them in New York City.

A cluster of 28 cases have been confirmed at St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows, which remained closed Tuesday.

The city said there are siblings who attend PS 177 and nearby St. Francis. Twelve children at PS 177 have a fever. Parents said the school told them that several students were reportedly ill with flulike symptoms and warned of a "possible outbreak of swine flu" at the school.

Dalle Holloway, a parent from Queens, arrived at PS 177, also called The Robin Sue Ward School For Exceptional Children, shortly after 1 p.m. to pick up her son.

"The school called all parents saying that there may be a possible outbreak of swine flu," Holloway said. "I'm scared but thank God my son is fine."

Bloomberg said that five new probable swine flu cases have emerged in the city.

New York City began collecting medical samples at PS 177 after reports of flulike symptoms and "more than usual absenteeism," a spokesman for the mayor's office said Tuesday.

The city Health Department sent out a medical team to PS 177 to determine whether any of the students, staff or faculty have been exposed to the strain of swine flu.

Several students are reportedly ill, said Lucia Campos, 18, who came to PS 177 to pick up her sister.

READ MORE HERE

BREAKING! First Swine Flu Deaths in US? Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles County coroner's office is investigating two recent deaths that officials say could be related to the recent global swine flu outbreak. However, no tests have come back positive for the swine flu, and medical examiners have not officially determined what caused the deaths.

[Updated at 9:30 a.m.: Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey said his office would collect specimens from the deceased and send them to the county public health department, which would determine whether either person died from the swine flu. If so, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would be notified, Harvey said.]

Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey said Bellflower Medical Center reported the death of a 33-year Long Beach resident Monday afternoon from symptoms resembling swine flu.

"It's that diagnosis that needs to be confirmed," Harvey said. "An autopsy will be performed to establish the cause of death."

The man was taken to the hospital Saturday, complaining of shortness of breath and lymphoma. Doctors later diagnosed the patient with pneumonia, Harvey said.

The second case involves a 45-year-old man from La Mirada, whose death was reported Monday to the coroner's office. The man died April 22 at Coast Plaza Doctor's Hospital in Norwalk.

Doctors said the man died of pneumonia but the L.A. County Health Department refused to accept the death certificate signed by the private doctor, Harvey said. The case was then referred to the coroner's office, which will conduct further investigation.

If confirmed, the deaths would be the first reported in the United States from the swine flu.

LATIMES

Swine Flu Timeline

A timeline of events in the swine flu outbreak:

- December 2005 to January 2009: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention receives reports of 12 cases of human infection with swine flu. Five of these 12 cases occurred in patients who had direct exposure to pigs and six reported being near pigs. Exposure in one case is unknown.

- March 28: Believed to be the date of the earliest onset of the swine flu cases in the U.S., Dr. Nancy Cox of the CDC said in an April 23 press briefing.

- April 2: A 4-year-old boy contracted the virus before this date in Veracruz state, Mexican Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova later said citing test results. A community in Veracruz has been protesting pollution from a large pig farm.

- April 6: Local health officials declare a health alert due to a respiratory disease outbreak in the Mexican town of La Gloria in Veracruz state. Health officials record 400 cases of people who sought medical treatment in the previous week in the town. About 60 percent of the town of 3,000 are affected.

- April 17: CDC determines that two children in adjacent counties in southern California had illnesses caused by infection with swine flu. Both children became sick in late March.

- April 22: CDC confirms three additional cases of swine flu in California and two in Texas, near San Antonio.

- April 22: The Oaxaca Health Department indicates that 16 employees at the Hospital Civil Aurelio Valdivieso have contracted respiratory disease.

- April 24: Mexico's Minister of Health confirms 20 deaths from swine flu, but 40 other fatalities were being probed and at least 943 nationwide were sick from the suspected flu. Mexico City shuts down schools, museums, libraries, and state-run theaters across the capital.

- April 26: The number of confirmed cases in the U.S. climbs to 20 in five states. Mexico reports suspect clinical cases have been reported in 19 of the country's 32 states. Canada confirms six cases.

- April 27: The World Health Organization raises its pandemic alert status to Phase 4, meaning there is sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus causing outbreaks in at least one country.

Cordova said 1,995 people have been hospitalized with serious cases of pneumonia since mid-April and about half of those have been released. The government does not yet know how many were swine flu. The CDC reports the suspected death toll in Mexico has climbed to 149.

The number of confirmed cases in the U.S. climbs to 48 in five states.

Spain reports its first confirmed swine flu case.

Swine Flu is in Cancun - More Travel Advisories Expected

Two Dickinson Count, Kansas, residents have been confirmed as suffering from swine flu –- known as swine influenza A.

County administration director Brad Homman said a man and a women who live in rural Dickinson County, became sick after the man traveled to Cancun, Mexico for a business trip earlier this month.

Homman said the man began feeling sick on April 16, the day he took a flight home from his trip.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment stated the man traveled through Wichita both to and from his trip to Mexico, and that the couple was suffering from the same unique strain of swine flu that has been identified in Mexico, California and Texas.

READ MORE HERE

Swine Flu Ground Zero - First Case a 4 Year Old Boy in Veracruz, Mexico

Reporting from Mexico City -- With the death toll climbing, Mexican authorities at the center of an international swine flu epidemic struggled Monday to piece together its lethal march, with attention focusing on a 4-year-old boy and a pig farm.

The boy, who survived the illness, has emerged as Mexico's earliest known case of the never-before-seen virus, Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova said Monday. It provides an important clue to the unique strain's path.

The boy lived near a pig farm run by a U.S.-Mexican company, Granjas Carroll, in the municipality of Perote, in Veracruz state on the Gulf of Mexico. He contracted the disease on April 2, Cordova said, one of a group of residents who came down with what was at the time labeled a particularly bad case of the flu.

Only one sample from the group, that belonging to the boy, was preserved. It was retested after other cases of the new strain were confirmed elsewhere in the country, Cordova said. The boy had the same disease. It is unknown how many more of the hundreds of people who fell sick in Perote also were infected by the strain.

In an ominous disclosure, officials said the first confirmed fatality of the disease, a 39-year-old woman from an impoverished state neighboring Veracruz, worked as a door-to-door census-taker and may have had contact with scores of people.

READ MORE HERE