World swine flu epidemic risk grows

Mexico City: The death toll in Mexico from an outbreak of a new type of swine flu has risen to 103 people, Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said on Sunday.

Cordova told Mexican television that around 400 people were in hospital out of a total of around 1,600 suspected cases.

"The most recent reports we have are of 1,614 cases, with 103 deaths, and we still have around 400 patients in hospital," Cordova told the Televisa network.

Fears of a global swine flu pandemic grew with new infections in the United States and Canada on Sunday, and millions of Mexicans hid indoors to avoid the deadly virus.

The flu is spreading with 20 cases in the United States and four in Canada, and possible infections also popped up as far afield as Europe and New Zealand.

On Monday, New Zealand reported suspected swine flu cases among a second group of 15 teenagers returning from Mexico.

In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg confirmed on Sunday that eight schoolchildren there had caught the swine flu virus, although the cases were mild.

Another 12 cases have been confirmed in California, Kansas, Texas and Ohio, and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the government would declare a public health emergency.

Canadian health authorities said four cases were confirmed there. In New Zealand, 10 students from a school party that had been in Mexico were being tested after showing flu-like symptoms.

The World Health Organization has declared the flu, of a type never seen before, a "public health emergency of international concern" and says it could become a pandemic, or a global outbreak of serious disease.

Mexico City, one of the world's biggest cities, practically ground to a halt on Sunday with restaurants, cinemas and churches closing their doors and millions staying at home.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised Americans to see a doctor if they had good reason to suspect swine flu.

"If you do not have symptoms you should not get tested," the CDC's acting director Dr. Richard Besser told a White House briefing.

US officials also said they would release a quarter of the country's stockpile of the antiviral drugs Tamiflu, made by Roche AG, and Relenza, made by GlaxoSmithKline. Both have been shown to be effective against the new swine flu.

Flu is characterized by a sudden fever, muscle aches, sore throat and dry cough. Victims of the new strain have also suffered more vomiting and diarrhea than is usual with flu.

This week will tell us much more since the US was on weekend and the full logistic respond was not able to operate fully. I think that this week will give us a clear point of view of the situation. So no need to panic but simply take precaution.
Djamel Amalou
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 27, 2009, 11:58