Pig Flu

The World Health Organization has raised the level of pandemic alert from 4 to 5; 6 is considered a pandemic. But both levels 5 and 6 are considered to raise the awareness to great concern according to the World Health Organization. Chart showing the WHO pig flu levels of alertness.

Follows the statement by WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan:

"Based on assessment of all available information, and following several expert consultations, I have decided to raise the current

Texas Officials reported that a Mexican toddler who came to the United States already infected with Pig Flu, was being treated in Texas

In a separate statement, President Obama recommended that schools with confirmed or suspected cases of the disease “strongly consider temporarily closing.”

“This is obviously a serious situation, serious enough to take the utmost precautions,” Barrack Obama said.

There are now more than 50 cases reported in the United States, and the number of confirmed cases worldwide continues to raise.  It is now apparent also that the number of daily new cases in Mexico is slowing.  Source: NY Times

The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised today the Influenza Pandemic Prepardness Level to Phase 4, making it one step below Pandemic. This level was raised based on evidence that it is being transmitted from human to human causing community level outbreaks.  See the descriptions of the phases from the WHO below.

Read Description of Phases

Obama on Pig Flu

Obama made a speech from Washington, DC urging people to be calm and assuring them that the US CDC (Center for Disease Control) was taking the necessary steps to ensure a potential pandemic. Part of this included a more tight control at the US-Mexico and US-Canada borders. Source: Routers

Funny note on Obama shaking hand of Person with Pig Flu in Mexico. True or Hoax?

There are "rumors" that say that Obama might have shaked the hand of a person who later died of pig flu. This might have occurred during Barack Obama's visit to Mexico on April 16, three days after the first cases started showing in Mexico. Source: Anorak (UK)

Obama video on Pig Flu

CBS-YouTube video where Obama tries to calm the public about the global Pig Flu outbrake.

Sources: CBS,

As the spread of the deadly Swine Flu virus speeds up in Mexico and starts entering other countries such as the United States, New Zealand, Canada, and Israel, countries are taking necessary precautions to prevent the virus from reaching a pandemic in their own countries.  This measures include quarantining some sick travelers from Countries known to have the pig flu virus.  The United States Homeland Security has released a quarter of its 50 million antiviral medicatons to be delivered to the cities and towns as a preemptive measure to combat the sperad of the flu infections.  Source: AP

It is belived that 10 students "likely" have swine flu after returning from a school trip to Mexico, The New Zealand Health Minister Tony Ryall said none of the patients was seriously ill and they seemed to be recovering. The students traveling students had tested possitive for influenza, but it was still not tested if they  had swine flu.  Governments across Asia began quarantining those that had traveled to Mexico and that had symptoms of the deadly virus; in that same not,  some issued travel warnings for Mexico.

Those who need to walk the streets of Mexico City, do it mostly with face masks (surgical masks) and stopped shaking hands with those they meet.  Surgical mask stocks ran out, and available human flu vaccines are in too high demand in comparison with the available quantity.

Mexico City, the Mexican Capital is today at the epicenter of the epidemic, there are an estimatedd 1,324 pig flu cases nationwide by April 25t. The City's and State's schoolsare closed until May 6, and President Felipe Calderon issued a decree allowing the federal health department to enter homes and forcibly quarantine people.

The Mexican Health Secretary, Jose Cordova said that by Saturday, the death count is 81 of "probably linked" deaths although there are only 20 confirmed deaths linked to the deadly virus.  Córdova also said most of the swine flu case were of people between 20 and 50, unlike other types of flu that target children and the elderly.

Ciudad de Mexico, or Mexico City is the largest City of Mexico, and it is considered overpopulated with 20 million citizens dweling in it.  The streets are usually crammed with people and is very busy specially at this time of the year.  The City officials have adviced people to stay at home in  an intend to minimize the spread of the disease.

As of April 25 at 7:30 PM ET, The Center for Disease Control has confirmed 11 human cases of swine-pig flu in the United States: seven in California, two in Texas, and two in Kansas. CDC continues to investigate other suspected cases.  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.

Reuters: April 25, 2009.  The World Health Organization warns that the outbreaks of swine flu in Mexico and the United States have the potential to cause a worldwide pandemic, but still,  it is too early to say whether this will be the case.  The statement was issued by WHO director general Margaret Chaun.  

Chan urged health authorities in all countries to be on high alert for unusual patterns of disease and any rise in severe flu or pneumonia cases. "This is clearly an animal strain of the H1N1 virus and it has pandemic potential because it is infecting people... However, we cannot say on the basis of currently available laboratory, epidemiological, and clinical evidence whether or not it will indeed cause a pandemic."

The World Health Organization Building from where the statement was released.

BBC video report about the swine pig flu and how it is creating a horrible situation in Mexico, where respiration masks have been sold out, and the government is planning to delivery mass vaccinations with human influenza vaccines. It is not clear if the vaccine for the human flu virus will be effective against this new strain of pig virus.