Swine Flu Problem?

[Rastus]

Might not be a bad idea to have two or three weeks of canned goods on the shelf.  I wouldn't exhort anyone to hoard ....but you may want to have enough if you need to stay home a while....you know, just doing the ant thing lettin' the grasshopper have all the fun....and exposure. 

We oughta' know in a week or so if this is the pandemic that's been predicted for a while.  Whaddya' think?


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517876,00.html

New Cases of Swine Influenza Confirmed in Kansas, California and Suspected in NYC

Saturday, April 25, 2009 

NEW YORK  —  At least two cases of the human swine influenza have been confirmed in Kansas and one more in California, bringing the U.S. total to 11. At least eight students at a New York City high school probably have swine flu, but health officials said Saturday they don't know whether they have the same strain of the virus that has killed scores of people in Mexico.
A strain of the flu has killed as many as 68 people and sickened more than 1,000 across Mexico. The World Health Organization chief said Saturday the strain has "pandemic potential" and it may be too late to contain a sudden outbreak.

Kansas health officials said Saturday they had confirmed swine flu in a married couple living in the central part of the state after the husband visited Mexico.

The couple were not hospitalized, and the state described their illnesses as mild.

Dr. Jason Eberhart-Phillips, the state health officer, said, "Fortunately, the man and woman understand the gravity of the situation and are very willing to isolate themselves."

The man traveled to Mexico last week for a professional conference and became ill after he returned home. His wife became ill later. Their doctor suspected swine flu, but it wasn't confirmed until flu specimens were flown to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

At least nine swine flu cases also have been reported in California and Texas. The new California case, the seventh there, was a 35-year-old woman who was hospitalized but recovered. The woman, whose illness began in early April, had no known contact with the other cases.

Health officials are worried because people appear to have no immunity to the virus, a combination of bird, swine and human influenzas. Also, the virus presents itself like other swine flus, but none of the U.S. cases appears to involve direct contact with pigs, said Eberhart-Phillips, who called the strain "a completely novel virus."

"It appears to be able to transmit easily between humans," Eberhart-Phillips said. "It's something that could potentially become very big, and we're only seeing, potentially, the very beginning of a widespread outbreak."

New York health officials said more than 100 students at the private St. Francis Preparatory School, in Queens, had come down with a fever, sore throat and other aches and pains in the past few days. Some of their relatives also have been ill.

New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said nose and throat swabs had confirmed that eight students had a non-human strain of influenza type A, indicating probable cases of swine flu, but the exact subtypes were still unknown.

Samples had been sent to the CDC for more testing. Results were expected on Sunday.

The symptoms in the New York cases have all been mild, and no students have been hospitalized, Frieden said, but the illnesses have caused concern because of the deadly outbreak in Mexico.

Parent Elaine Caporaso's 18-year-old son Eddie, a senior at the school, had a fever and cough and went to a hospital where a screening center had been set up.

"I don't know if there is an incubation period, if I am contaminated," Caporaso told the Daily News. "I don't want my family to get sick, and I don't want to get anybody else sick."

Investigators also were testing children who fell ill at a day care center, Frieden said. And two families had contacted the city, saying they had recently returned ill from Mexico with flu-like symptoms.

[cookie62]

Doesn't sound like a bad ideal. I help out at the local EMA office, I'm going in Monday morning to see if they have heard any thing about it.

[Rastus]

Following from the C-D-C

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/investigation.htm

Human Swine Influenza Investigation
April 25, 2009 19:30 EDT
Human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection have been identified in the U.S. in San Diego County and Imperial County, California as well as in San Antonio, Texas. Internationally, human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection have been identified in Mexico.

U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
State # of laboratory
confirmed cases
California 7 cases
Texas 2 cases
Kansas 2 cases
TOTAL COUNT 11 cases
International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization 
As of April 25th, 2009 7:30 p.m. EDT

Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the infection and whether additional people have been infected with similar swine influenza viruses.

CDC is working very closely with state and local officials in California, Texas, as well as with health officials in Mexico, Canada and the World Health Organization. On April 24th, CDC deployed 7 epidemiologists to San Diego County, California and Imperial County, California and 1 senior medical officer to Texas to provide guidance and technical support for the ongoing epidemiologic field investigations. CDC has also deployed to Mexico 1 medical officer and 1 senior expert who are part of a global team that is responding to the outbreak of respiratory illnesses in Mexico.

Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people. There are many things you can to do preventing getting and spreading influenza:

There are everyday actions people can take to stay healthy.

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. Summary Guidance
CDC has provided the following interim guidance for this investigation.


Residents of California and Texas
CDC has identified human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in people in these areas. CDC is working with local and state health agencies to investigate these cases. We have determined that this virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human. However, at this time, we have not determined how easily the virus spreads between people. As with any infectious disease, we are recommending precautionary measures for people residing in these areas.

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
There is no vaccine available at this time, so it is important for people living in these areas to take steps to prevent spreading the virus to others. If people are ill, they should attempt to stay at home and limit contact with others. Healthy residents living in these areas should take everyday preventive actions.

People who live in these areas who develop an illness with fever and respiratory symptoms, such as cough and runny nose, and possibly other symptoms, such as body aches, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, should contact their health care provider. Their health care provider will determine whether influenza testing is needed.

Clinicians
Clinicians should consider the possibility of swine influenza virus infections in patients presenting with febrile respiratory illness who:

Live in San Diego County or Imperial County, California or San Antonio, Texas or
Have traveled to San Diego and/or Imperial County, California or San Antonio, Texas or
Have been in contact with ill persons from these areas in the 7 days prior to their illness onset.
If swine flu is suspected, clinicians should obtain a respiratory swab for swine influenza testing and place it in a refrigerator (not a freezer). Once collected, the clinician should contact their state or local health department to facilitate transport and timely diagnosis at a state public health laboratory.

State Public Health Laboratories
Laboratories should send all unsubtypable influenza A specimens as soon as possible to the Viral Surveillance and Diagnostic Branch of the CDC’s Influenza Division for further diagnostic testing.

Public Health /Animal Health Officials
Officials should conduct thorough case and contact investigations to determine the source of the swine influenza virus, extent of community illness and the need for timely control measures.

[Texas_Bryan]

I just take off to the family land if things get all plaguey.  The city folk will have to fend for themselves.

[Texas_Bryan]

Notice how most of the cases are from Southern states, I betcha them Mexicans have got some thing to do with this, this is the perfect crisis to close the border.

[Sponsor]

[cookie62]

Notice how most of the cases are from Southern states, I betcha them Mexicans have got some thing to do with this, this is the perfect crisis to close the border.

Wouldn't bother me, I mow my own yard

[1911 Junkie]

After all, you can't let a good crisis go to waste.

Not to steal anything from the antis' playbook.

[Rastus]

Wouldn't bother me, I mow my own yard

Me either....but my boyz mow it for me.  

After all, you can't let a good crisis go to waste.

Not to steal anything from the antis' playbook.

Exactly.   

[Rob10ring]

Maybe this is Stephen King's, The Stand on slo-mo?

Nice time to be in California!

[Timothy]

We've been through this before in 1976.  I was in the military and they were forcing the flu shots on us until some GI's died from the vacine...

The main thing is wash your hands.  If you handle money, a filthy thing to do, wash your hands.  Don't shake anyone's hands and if you must, wash your hands.

Common sense, people are filthy animals, we can't help it, it's in our nature!