Swine Flu Pandemic

**Monseratto** · April 27th, 2009 09:04 AM

Bad year to be in the pork business...

DoH raises alert on swine flu
No pork imports from US, Mexico

MANILA, Philippines—“Beso-beso”—or social kissing in Filipino—is a no-no these days, if you want to stay healthy.

That’s the advice Sunday of the Department of Health (DoH) amid the emergence of a new and deadly strain of swine flu in Mexico that has prompted authorities in Europe and Asia to put in place surveillance and preventive measures.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap also ordered a ban on pork imports from the United States and Mexico as a precaution.

Dr. Eric Tayag, head of the National Epidemiology Center, said he expected the swine flu virus to spread faster than the deadly SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, that struck China in early 2003, swept several dozen countries and left nearly 800 people dead.

“Right now, there is still no case of swine flu in the country,” Tayag told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net). Asked how lethal the virus is, he said, “There are those who recover and there are some who unfortunately don’t.”

He said swine flu is transmitted through droplet infection and physical contact.

“You don’t get swine flu from eating pork. We still don’t have a case here in the country, but once we have that, we should refrain from shaking hands, bussing cheeks and hugging,” Tayag said.

He also called on people to cover their mouths and noses when sneezing and to wash their hands, especially after shaking hands with other people.

“It’s OK if you’re healthy. But would you always ask someone if he or she has a cold or cough before bussing him or her on the cheeks. The best way would be to stop,” Tayag said.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquire...t-on-swine-flu

**Monseratto** · April 27th, 2009 09:08 AM

Obama's swine flu scare after shaking hands with archaeologist who died 24 hours later

A man who shook Barack Obama's hand in Mexico died the next day from symptoms similar to those of swine flu.
The White House insisted the President's health was not in any danger, but he was said to be taking the threat of an epidemic 'very seriously'.
The President's health advisers were already concerned about his visit south of the border after learning the contagious virus first struck in Mexico City on April 13 - three days before Mr Obama flew in to meet government officials.
Their alarm grew after learning that Felipe Solis, an archaeologist who received Mr Obama at a city museum, had died from pneumonia.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worl....html?ITO=1490

**Monseratto** · April 27th, 2009 09:12 AM

Swine flu fears prompt quarantine plans, pork bans

GENEVA – Canada became the third country to confirm human cases of swine flu Sunday as global health officials considered whether to raise the global pandemic alert level.

Nations from New Zealand to Spain also reported suspected cases, and some warned citizens against travel to North America while others planned quarantines, tightened rules on pork imports and tested airline passengers for fevers.

The six Canadian cases in Nova Scotia and British Columbia all had links to people who had traveled to Mexico, and all are the same swine flu strain.

The six people have recovered, said Dr. David Butler-Jones, Canada's chief public health officer.

But "these are probably not the last cases we'll see in Canada," he said.

The news follows the World Health Organization's decision Saturday to declare the outbreak first detected in Mexico and the United States a "public health emergency of international concern."

A senior World Health Organization official said the agency's emergency committee will meet for a second time Tuesday to examine the spread of the virus before deciding whether to increase the alert for a possible pandemic, or global epidemic.

The same strain of the A/H1N1 swine flu virus has been detected in several locations in Mexico and the United States, and it appears to be spreading directly from human to human, said Keiji Fukuda, WHO's assistant director-general in charge of health security.

Mexico's health minister says the disease has killed up to 86 people and likely sickened up to 1,400 since April 13. U.S. officials say the virus has been found in New York, California, Texas, Kansas and Ohio, but no fatalities have been reported.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090426/...SVMYnSNthvaA8F

**shadow** · April 27th, 2009 09:23 AM

wala yan! kung SARS nga hinde tayo apektuhan eh....

**chua_riwap** · April 27th, 2009 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by Monseratto

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worl....html?ITO=1490

Obama's swine flu scare after shaking hands with archaeologist who died 24 hours later

Sayang, sana na-beso-beso at nakamayan din nya si GMA..........

Anyways, here are some facts from the US CDC about how swine flu spreads in humans:

* Swine flu viruses typically sicken pigs, not humans. Most cases occur when people come in contact with infected pigs or contaminated objects moving from people to pigs.

* Pigs can catch human and avian or bird flu. When flu viruses from different species infect pigs, they can mix inside the pig and new, mixed viruses can emerge.

* Pigs can pass mutated viruses back to humans and they can be passed from human to human. Transmission among humans is thought to occur in the same way as seasonal flu -- by touching something with flu viruses and then touching their mouth or nose, and through coughing or sneezing.

* Symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to those of seasonal influenza -- sudden fever, coughing, muscle aches and extreme fatigue. This new strain also appears to cause more diarrhea and vomiting than normal flu.

* Vaccines are available to be given to pigs to prevent swine influenza. There is no vaccine to protect humans from swine flu although the CDC is formulating one. The seasonal influenza vaccine may help provide partial protection against swine H3N2, but not swine H1N1 viruses, like the one circulating now.

* People cannot catch swine flu from eating pork or pork products. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius) kills the swine flu virus as it does other bacteria and viruses.

**yebo** · April 27th, 2009 01:52 PM

tamaan sana yung baboy sa malacanang.

**uls** · April 27th, 2009 02:42 PM

the virus has already jumped from birds to pigs to humans (it has mutated na)

those who died are 20 - 40 yrs of age (very healthy) unlike normal flu which children and old people are more succeptible to coz of weak immune function

that's what makes this new flu virus deadly

**shadow** · April 27th, 2009 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by uls

the virus has already jumped from birds to pigs to humans (it has mutated na)

those who died are 20 - 40 yrs of age (very healthy) unlike normal flu which children and old people are more succeptible to coz of weak immune function

that's what makes this new flu virus deadly

ayan ka nanaman ULS, tinatakot mo nanaman yun mga tao eh....

**uls** · April 27th, 2009 03:11 PM

di naman po nananakot

totoo naman po sinasabi ko

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/0...lu-mexico.html

April 26, 2009 -- Why has the swine flu engulfing Mexico been deadly there, but not in the United States?
Nearly all those who died in Mexico were between 20 and 40 years old, and they died of severe pneumonia from a flu-like illness believed caused by a unique swine flu virus.
The 11 U.S. victims cover a wider age range, as young as 9 to over 50. All those people either recovered or are recovering; at least two were hospitalized.
"So far we have been quite fortunate," said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday, just hours before three new U.S. cases were confirmed.
Health experts worry about a flu that kills healthy young adults - a hallmark of the worst global flu epidemics. Deaths from most ordinary flu outbreaks occur among the very young and very old.