■ 2009H1N1 Flu Outbreak ■

News Articles

Swine flu goes person-to-pig; could it jump back?
By Margie Manson, AP Medical Writer
(http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090503/ap_on_he_me/med_swine_flu_people_to_pigs_2)

❝ MEXICO CITY – Now that the swine flu virus has passed from a farmworker to pigs, could it jump back to people? The question is important, because crossing species again could make it more deadly.

The never-before-seen virus was created when genes from pig, bird and human viruses mixed together inside a pig. Experts fear the virus that has gone from humans back into pigs in at least one case could mutate further before crossing back into humans again. But no one can predict what will happen.

"Could it gain virulence? Yes," Juan Lubroth, an animal health expert at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome, said Sunday. "It could also become milder. It could go in both directions.❞
Read more..

There is not yet any genetic proof that this strain of influenza ever came from a pig. It's only the mutated virus which has the symptoms similar to human flu but it takes more violent than the seasonal flu in human.

According to the origin of this H1N1 virus which was created when genes from pig, bird and human viruses mixed together in side a pig, so the virus could be possible to transmit from person to pig and go back into humans agian. But as we know that no one can predict it; it might be happened or it might not. The best we can do is to take care ourselves well by washing hands before meals and proper eating. This could help you away from H1N1 flu.


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Returning student has mild flu symptoms
From Bangkok Post
(http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/16119/strict-checks-for-14-students-teachers-back-from-mexico)

❝ One of the 14 Thai students and teachers who arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport from Mexico Sunday night had mild flu symptoms, Department of Disease Control director-general Somchai Chakrabhand said on Monday.

Dr Somchai said the sick student was probably just tired from travelling but a blood test would confirm if the student had been infected with the A/H1N1 virus.

The student, whose name was not disclosed, had been separated from other members of the group who returned from Mexico, he said.

Relatives had asked health officials to quarantine four ot the returnees for seven days. The other 10 were allowed to return to their homes.❞ Read More..

As people around the world are so much worried about this virus, Thailand is also concerned about this and prepared to cope with it as well. As you can see from the preventive measures, 7 Thai students and 7 teachers who were back from Mexico have got blood test and they are under the eyes of the Department of Disease Control to observe if they are infected by H1N1 flu for 7 days.

Though Thailand is not reported to have H1N1 infected people or any suspect yet, the Ministry of Public Health and the Department of Disease Control still prepare for dealing with this virus in case it has spreaded out to Thailand.


http://76.nationchannel.com/playvideo.php?id=36891

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Swine Influenza
The New York Times
(http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/subjects/i/influenza/swine_influenza/index.html)

❝ An outbreak of swine flu in Mexico has raised concerns worldwide that the disease could be emerging as a global pandemic. The World Health Organization raised the alert level of the fast-spreading virus on April 29, 2009, indicating that a "pandemic is imminent." Experts say that the virus cannot be contained by closing borders or restricting travel, even as some begin to question whether this strain of flu is very deadly.❞
Read More..

Most H1N1 swine flu viruses are bordered to the breath tract, meaning the risk of a human getting infected by a pig is small. You won't be infected unless patients sneeze or cough near you or you're near the area of sick pigs.

Swine flu viruses normally do not infect humans. However, cases of human infection with this H1N1 virus were first confirmed in the U.S. in Southern California and near Guadalupe County, Texas.

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MY REACTION
- It's quite confusing that does the swine flu go pig-to-person and become the new stronger virus in human, doesn't it? or does it have anything to deal with pigs?

- After finished many news articles, my comprehension is that the never-before-seen virus, H1N1, which people might call as "Swine Flu", actually does not comes from pigs directly but it's the new virus which mutates from bird flu, pig flu and human flu mixed together.

- I have to tell the readers that the H1N1 viruses are not spread by food. You cannot get this new HIN1 virus from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160°F kills the H1N1 virus as it does other bacteria and viruses. So it's no need to ban pork products if you're the one who consume it.

- I think this virus scares people around the world but don't be scattered in a panic as same as being at ease. Take care youselves and keep healthy could help you far away from diseases.

- I think the way the Ministry of Public Health and the Department of Disease Control prepare to cope with the situation is very good beacuse no one could predict if the pandemic will blow up.

- I think over preparation is better than not to prepare. If we miss it and we don't prepare, we all could be infected the virus and it's going to be terrible.

- The Department of Disease Control should be definitely sure that the students and teachers returning from Mexico are well before they are allowed to go home.

CONCLUSION
The H1N1 flu is the new virus which mutates from human flu, bird flu(H5N1) and swine flu; the virus was created when genes from pig, bird and human viruses mixed together inside a pig, but it takes more virulent than any other flus at this time.

The symtoms of this new H1N1 flu virus are similar to the symtoms of human flu. It also includes fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with this virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting. Also, like seasonal flu, severe illnesses and death has occurred as a result of illness associated with this virus.

The virus might have gone from humans back to pigs and it could mutate further before crossing back to humans again, but most H1N1 swine flu viruses are bordered to the breath tract, meaning the risk of a human getting infected by a pig is small because you might not be in close contact with sick pigs definitely. Besides eating properly handled and cooked pork products are safe.

The world has been watching and preparing and trying to prevent a pandemic from a bird flu reservoir. The focus has been on birds, and here is a virus that's coming from a swine reservoir. Now it's a human virus.

Swine flu goes person-to-pig; could it jump back?

By MARGIE MASON, AP Medical Writer

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090503/ap_on_he_me/med_swine_flu_people_to_pigs_2

MEXICO CITY – Now that the swine flu virus has passed from a farmworker to pigs, could it jump back to people? The question is important, because crossing species again could make it more deadly.

The never-before-seen virus was created when genes from pig, bird and human viruses mixed together inside a pig. Experts fear the virus that has gone from humans back into pigs in at least one case could mutate further before crossing back into humans again. But no one can predict what will happen.

"Could it gain virulence? Yes," Juan Lubroth, an animal health expert at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome, said Sunday. "It could also become milder. It could go in both directions."

Canadian officials announced Saturday that the virus had infected about 200 pigs on a farm — the first evidence that it had jumped to another species. It was linked to a farmworker who recently returned from Mexico, where 19 people have died from the virus. The farmworker has recovered, and the mildly infected pigs have been quarantined.

Agriculture officials believe the worker may have sneezed or coughed near the pigs, possibly in a barn. About 10 percent of the herd experienced loss of appetite and fever, but all are recovering.

Experts say pork — even from infected pigs — is safe to eat.

Lubroth stressed that sick people should avoid contact with swine, but said healthy farmworkers don't need to take any extra precautions because the chance of catching flu from a pig is small.

Unlike the H5N1 bird flu virus, which infects the blood, organs and tissue of poultry, most swine flus are confined to the respiratory tract, meaning the risk of a human getting infected by a pig is "probably 10 or a 1,000 times less," Lubroth said.

But pigs are of special concern because they share some basic biological similarities with humans, and they have served as "mixing vessels" in which various flu strains have swapped genetic material. That's what happened to create the current swine flu strain.

Scientists are unsure when the virus leaped from pigs to humans — possibly months or even a year ago — but it was identified as a new strain about a week and a half ago. Since then, nearly 800 cases have been confirmed worldwide. The only death outside Mexico occurred when a Mexican toddler died in a Texas hospital.

There have been sporadic cases of pigs infecting humans with influenza in the past. Most cases resulted in mild symptoms, typically among people who were in close contact with sick pigs. A few deaths have been recorded, and limited human-to-human transmission also has been documented, but nothing sustained.

Dr. Tim Uyeki, an epidemiologist with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who has worked on SARS and bird flu outbreaks, said there may be more pig-to-human cases that have gone unnoticed because surveillance among swine populations tends to be weaker than among poultry stocks.

Given that the past three flu pandemics — the 1918 Spanish flu, the 1957-58 Asian flu and the Hong Kong flu of 1968-69 — were all linked to birds, much of the global pandemic preparedness has focused on avian flus.

"The world has been watching and preparing and trying to prevent a pandemic from an avian influenza reservoir," he said. "The focus has been on birds, and here is a virus that's coming from a swine reservoir. Now it's a human virus."

Returning student has mild flu symptoms

From Bangkok Post

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/16119/strict-checks-for-14-students-teachers-back-from-mexico

One of the 14 Thai students and teachers who arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport from Mexico Sunday night had mild flu symptoms, Department of Disease Control director-general Somchai Chakrabhand said on Monday.

Dr Somchai said the sick student was probably just tired from travelling but a blood test would confirm if the student had been infected with the A/H1N1 virus.

The student, whose name was not disclosed, had been separated from other members of the group who returned from Mexico, he said.

Relatives had asked health officials to quarantine four ot the returnees for seven days. The other 10 were allowed to return to their homes.

Health staff and volunteers would closely monitor their health over the next week, he said.

The head of the World Health Organisation warned on Monday that swine flu could return with a vengeance despite Mexico's President Felipe Calderon insisting his country has contained the epidemic.

WHO chief Margaret Chan said in a newspaper interview that a second wave of the virus "would be the biggest of all outbreaks the world has faced in the 21st century", puncturing optimism emanating from the epicentre of the outbreak.

The diplomatic damage from the epidemic also reverberated with China denying it had discriminated against Mexican nationals after dozens were placed under quarantine over the weekend despite showing no signs of the flu.

Twenty-five people have died from swine flu, according to the WHO which estimated there were nearly 900 cases in 20 countries. All but one of the deaths have been in Mexico.

President Calderon said Mexico had managed "to contain the epidemic" and was now "in a position to overcome" the A/H1N1 virus.

Mexican health minister Jose Angel Cordova told a news conference the epidemic peaked between April 23 and 28 and was "in its phase of decline".

But the WHO's Dr Chan said the end of the flu season in the northern hemisphere meant that while any initial outbreak could be milder, a second wave could be more lethal, reflecting a pattern first seen with the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic that killed up to 50 million people worldwide.

"We hope the virus fizzles out, because if it doesn't we are heading for a big outbreak," Chan told the Financial Times, adding that it could re-emerge in the months ahead "with a vengeance".

"I'm not predicting the pandemic will blow up, but if I miss it and we don't prepare, I fail. I'd rather over-prepare than not prepare."

The UN agency last week raised its alert level to five, indicating that a global pandemic is imminent.

More countries are confirming cases every day with Italy and Colombia becoming the latest to join the list, while France announced two new confirmed cases.

Japan on Monday tripled the number of quarantine officers at Tokyo's Narita airport to try to detect cases at the start of a key holiday week.

And in the United States, the only other country to have recorded a death from the virus, officials said that more than half the 50 states had now confirmed cases.

US Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius echoed Chan's warning that the real test would come when the winter influenza season hits in a few months.

"One of the things that we know is that even if this current situation seems to be lessening, if we are cautiously optimistic, we really don't know what's going to happen when real flu season hits (together) with H1N1 virus," she told CBS television.

In China, the centre of the 2003 SARS outbreak, authorities have been accused of discriminating against Mexican nationals in its bid to stop the disease in its tracks.

Although no cases of swine flu have been reported on the Chinese mainland, one Mexican who stayed in a hotel in Hong Kong has tested positive.

A Mexican embassy official said there were nearly 70 of his compatriots had been quarantined across China including in Beijing, Shanghai and the southern city of Guangzhou even though they had demonstrated no flu symptoms.

China's foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a statement: "The relevant measures are not directed at Mexican citizens and are not discriminatory."

Myrna Elisa Berlanga, 31, a Mexican tourist who arrived in China on Saturday, questioned why she was being quarantined since no one on her flight from the United States had the virus.

"Right now we are tired of being confined, not knowing what will happen with us," she said by phone from the hotel near Beijing's airport where she and nine other Mexicans were being isolated.

Swine Influenza!

The New York Times

http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/subjects/i/influenza/swine_influenza/index.html

An outbreak of swine flu in Mexico has raised concerns worldwide that the disease could be emerging as a global pandemic. The World Health Organization raised the alert level of the fast-spreading virus on April 29, 2009, indicating that a "pandemic is imminent." Experts say that the virus cannot be contained by closing borders or restricting travel, even as some begin to question whether this strain of flu is very deadly.

The A (H1N1) swine flu, first diagnosed in Mexico, is believed to have killed 159 people and sickened about 2,500. Mexican authorities said that there are 358 confirmed cases of infection, and tests are continuing to determine whether recent deaths due to respiratory ailments are attributable to the flu. The only death outside of Mexico has been a 22-month-old Mexican boy who died in Texas.

On April 30, the W.H.O. said that it would stop referring to the virus as swine flu, opting for the less loaded A(H1N1). There is not yet any genetic proof that this strain of influenza ever came from a pig.

Worldwide, at least 13 countries have confirmed cases of the flu. The number of confirmed cases rose from 257 to 331 on May 1, the W.H.O. in Geneva reported. The organization's figures remained lower than the sum of confirmed cases reported by individual states and countries because the W.H.O. is bound by international rules to report only cases confirmed by specific national laboratories, a spokesman said.

On April 30, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 141 confirmed cases from 19 states.

Read More...

The following day, Asia reported its first case of the virus in a man who had come to Hong Kong from Mexico via Shanghai. Flu experts have warned that it would be harder to manage the disease if it becomes established in Asia's densely populated countries.

Mexico's first known case, which was later confirmed, was from Perote, in Veracruz State, according to Health Minister José Ángel Córdova. The case involved a 5-year-old boy, who recovered.