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.
People should be concerned. This is nothing to scoff at.
ReplyDeleteAmericans think we are immune, but many of us do not have access to proper healthcare.
ReplyDeleteSwineflu2009, you are doing a great job. I've whittled down my must-read sites to 3, and you're the first I go to anymore. Keep it up, and try not to get burned out when we're in week six.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're making tons off of ad revenue.
LOL Tod...
ReplyDeleteNo ad revenue. As you can see, I don't have any ads on the site. I do this for the love of the pursuit of info.
Thanks for reading!