New swine flu cases up

You might think that inter-species diseases are a thing of the movies, but in reality viruses, bacteria, and fungus jump between the species they attack. The recent H1N1 pig flu virus had genes from bird flu, and when it migrated to humans, it acquired human genes.
Vaccines try to prevent inter-species viruses and include immunity against variations of H1N1, H3N2, H1N2. Viral mutations are not fiction, and vaccination and potent anti-virals are some of our weapons.

MEXICO CITY - The swine flu epidemic spread deeper into the United States, Europe and Latin America - and in Canada, back to pigs - even as Mexico's health chief hinted Sunday it might soon be time to reopen businesses and schools in the nation where the outbreak likely began.

The virus spread to Colombia in the first confirmed case in South America, worrisome because flu season is about to begin in the Southern Hemisphere.

More cases were confirmed in Europe and North America; health officials said at least 934 people have been sickened worldwide.

Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said swine flu is spreading just as easily as regular winter flu, with 226 confirmed cases in 30 U.S. states.

"The good news is when we look at this virus right now, we're not seeing some of the things in the virus that have been associated in the past with more severe flu," Besser said. "That's encouraging, but it doesn't mean we're out of the woods yet."

Mexican Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova said the virus that has killed 19 people in Mexico and sickened at least 506 apparently peaked between April 23 and April 28. A drastic nationwide shutdown appears to have helped prevent the outbreak from becoming more serious, he said.

"The evolution of the epidemic is now in its declining phase," Cordova declared.

He said officials would decide today whether to extend the shutdown or allow schools and businesses to reopen Wednesday.

Pablo Kuri, an epidemiologist advising Cordova, said Sunday that tests have confirmed a swine flu death in Mexico City on April 11, two days earlier than what had been believed to be the first death.

In the Canadian province of Alberta, officials quarantined about 220 pigs that became infected from a worker who recently had returned from Mexico. It was the first documented case of the H1N1 virus being passed from a human to another species. Canada stressed that pigs often get the flu and there's no danger in eating pork.

Egypt has ordered all pigs in the country slaughtered as a precaution, sparking riots Sunday by pig farmers who threw stones at police.

Health officials around the world cautioned that despite encouraging signs, swine flu still poses a very real threat.

"Most experts would agree that the current outbreak that we are experiencing is mild to moderate in severity," Dr. Jon Andrus of the Pan American Health Organization said. "That is not to say that things cannot change very rapidly and very dramatically."

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Biotechnology advances have allowed us to understand viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens better than ever before. We use genetic engineering, DNA sequencing, microarrays, PCR, and other genomic and proteomic tools to understand pathogens better.

We've also developed vaccines and potent antivirals and antibiotics that fight diseases. A proof of this is how much longer life expectancy is Today than it was before the 1940's when antibiotics were invented.

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