WHO raises pandemic alert to second-highest level

[DenverChief]

I know there is another thread on this but this article addresses some of the questions that have been raised in other thread as to why the big deal

GENEVA, Switzerland (CNN) -- The World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert to 5, its second-highest level Wednesday, indicating the outbreak of swine flu that originated in Mexico is nearing widespread human infection.

Dr. Margaret Chan, the U.N. agency's director-general, said the decision mean to raise the alert to 5 on its 6-point scale indicated that all countries should "immediately" activate pandemic preparedness plans.

"This change to a higher phase of alert is a signal to governments, to ministries of health and other ministries, to the pharm industry and the business community that certain actions now should be taken with increased urgency and at an accelerated pace," Chan said.

The annoucement came as the number of people infected with swine flu increased rapidly across the world, and health officials scrambled to get more information about the virus -- which has no vaccine.

Germany and Austria became the latest European countries to report swine flu on Wednesday, while the number of cases increased in the United Kingdom and Spain.

The WHO and national governments have confirmed 148 cases of swine flu in 11 countries. Most of those are in the United States, where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 91 cases.

The figures include seven deaths in Mexico and one in the United States. More than 2,700 other patients worldwide are believed to be suffering from the virus, known scientifically as H1N1.

The WHO's "Phases of Pandemic Alert," which has been in existence for five years, characterizes phase 5 as a human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region, which signals that a pandemic is imminent.

The highest level, phase 6, is defined by community-level outbreaks in at least one other country in a different WHO region, according to the agency.

"The question now is how severe will the pandemic be, especially now at the start," Chan said. "It is important for us to take this very seriously and take vigilance as the virus evolves."

The Pentagon is planning for a task force that would help with transportation, logistics and distributing medical supplies in the event of a pandemic, a spokesman said.

The U.S. government is distributing 25 percent of its stockpile of antiviral medications Tamiflu and Relenza to all states, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Wednesday. Health officials stress that the medications are effective only if taken in the early stages of the infection. Learn more about swine flu and how to treat it »

Researchers also are conducting a complete genetic sequencing of the H1N1 virus as the federal government considers more effective methods of combating the swine flu outbreak, a health official told a Senate committee Wednesday.

The 91 confirmed cases in the United States includes the country's first swine flu fatality: a 22-month-old child visiting from Mexico who died Monday at a Houston, Texas, hospital.

A U.S. Marine in California is the military's first suspected case of swine flu, and three military family members in San Diego have confirmed cases, the CDC said.

As a precaution, the military is banning travel to Mexico for nonessential personnel.

The first cases of the virus were detected in Mexico, where health officials suspect swine flu in more than 150 other deaths and roughly 2,500 illnesses. Only 26 cases have so far been confirmed, including the seven fatal cases.

The deadly outbreak has prompted authorities to order about 35,000 public venues in Mexico City to shut down or serve only takeout meals as health officials tried to contain spreading of the virus. iReport.com: "Regular life" in Mexico with masks

Mexican officials also said they believe they may have found "patient zero" -- the first case of the global outbreak -- in the small mountain village of La Gloria.

Edgar Hernandez, 5, survived the earliest documented case of swine flu. He lives near a pig farm, though experts have not established a connection between that and his illness.

Edgar has managed to bounce back from his symptoms and playfully credits ice cream for helping him feel better.

President Obama called on schools with confirmed or possible swine flu cases to "consider temporarily closing so that we can be as safe as possible."

At least 74 elementary, junior high and high schools have closed across the country due to confirmed or probable cases of swine flu, the Department of Education said Wednesday.

Another 30 schools have closed as a precautionary measure, Department of Education spokesman Massie Ritsch said.

Researchers do not know how the virus is jumping relatively easily from person to person, or why it's affecting what should be society's healthiest demographic. Many of the victims who have died in Mexico have been young and otherwise healthy.

Governments around the world are scrambling to prevent further outbreak.

Some countries, such as China and Russia, have banned pork imports from the United States and Mexico, though the WHO said the disease is not transmitted through eating or preparing pig meat. Several other countries, such as Japan and Indonesia, are using thermographic devices to test the temperature of passengers arriving from Mexico.

Egypt reportedly is considering culling all pigs although there have been no reported cases of swine flu there.

Swine influenza, or flu, is a contagious respiratory disease that affects pigs.

When the flu spreads person to person, instead of from animals to humans, it can continue to mutate, making it harder to treat or fight, because people have no natural immunity

Symptoms include fever, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Common seasonal flu kills 250,000 to 500,000 people every year worldwide, far more than the current outbreak of swine flu. But there is a vaccine for seasonal flu.

Visit msnbc.com for 5799DB !important;" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com">Breaking News, 5799DB !important;">World News, and 5799DB !important;">News about the Economy

[Donger]

Originally Posted by DenverChief

I completely agree and from a law enforcement standpoint I'm not looking forward to "dealing" with it

Errr, I'm one of the good guys and I always donate to those police solicitors when they call, k?

[Jenson71]

People are coughing around me. They sneeze. They cough some more. I hate it. I'm starting to itch all around. Another cough. In my nightmares, coughs and heat, coughs and heat. I wake up in a pool of sweat. I itch terribly.

[kaplin42]

Originally Posted by Jenson71

People are coughing around me. They sneeze. They cough some more. I hate it. I'm starting to itch all around. Another cough. In my nightmares, coughs and heat, coughs and heat. I wake up in a pool of sweat. I itch terribly.

Are you starting to crave brains?

[Donger]

Originally Posted by kcfanXIII

there are those that are panicking though. when i was clocking out today, i heard one of the office ladies say "Did you know you can pass swine flu before you even know you have it?" and there was genuine terror behind her voice.

I believe that is an accurate statement, however. If you are contagious before being symptomatic, I'd guess that the virus would spread more rapidly.

[kcfanXIII]

my point is, there are a relatively small number of confirmed cases. sure take the extra precautions so it does not spread, but it not like the movie outbreak, or as we've discussed, 28 days later. (thank god)

further, i don't see how this any different than the shit they've tried to scare us with in the past 7 years or so. its just fear mongering.

[DenverChief]

Originally Posted by kcfanXIII

and i wonder how many threats like this popped up before the "instant information" age. before there had to be 24 hours a day worth of news to report on. we're hearing about a few thousand world wide. once again, WORLD WIDE. i'll take my chances...

there are those that are panicking though. when i was clocking out today, i heard one of the office ladies say "Did you know you can pass swine flu before you even know you have it?" and there was genuine terror behind her voice.

I remember SARS and not being nearly as worried as I am now...maybe because it started in SE Asia not Mexico...

[Joie]

Originally Posted by Donger

I don't really understand the laughing about this. This outbreak of H1N1 exists and has spread pretty quickly. And, it has killed. It's apparently a new bug that they've never seen before and we don't have a natural immunity to it.

I'm not about to get naked and run around my neighborhood about it, but it IS real. I suppose over the next few weeks, we'll all see how nasty it is.

Laughing is a way of handling a bad situation. It can seem disrespectful (my brother and I have been known to crack bad jokes at funerals because we're nervous and uncomfortable) but it's natural and shouldn't be seen as people taking a situation too lightly.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by kcfanXIII

my point is, there are a relatively small number of confirmed cases. sure take the extra precautions so it does not spread, but it not like the movie outbreak, or as we've discussed, 28 days later. (thank god)

It seems to be doing just fine with spreading globally. 91 confirmed cases in 10 states, 2,500 in Mexico (with 159 deaths) and is now showing up in Canada, Britain, Israel, New Zealand, Spain, Germany and Austria.

[Midway Chief]

This whole flu thing has officially pissed me off. My wife worked her a$$ off for her company to earn a 7 day all expense paid vacation (me included) to Cancun. The trip was supposed to be the last week of May and today they canceled the trip. If this whole thing blows over next week I will be more pissed. (Disclaimer: Yes I realize my missed vacation pales in comparison next to the people who have died, but I am going to b!tch anyway. I am more pissed at the virus, not the company that canceled the trip. However, I am pretty sure the amount of tequilla I would have drank would have killed off anything that I could have possibly caught.)

[DenverChief]

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[kcfanXIII]

i laugh all the time, but never at zombies.

[Otter]

Originally Posted by kaplin42

Technically, they arent even zombies. They are still alive, they are just infected with a disease dubbed RAGE. In a sense it made the infected nothing more than rabid dogs.

Also, have you seen 28 weeks later. Not quite as good as the first, but there are a few scenes in that movie that are just raw, and completely F'ed up.

In the Subway with the night vision comes to mind. That was cool.

Donger - not really laughing at as in it's not serious. Just nothing can do about but wait and see and laughing about it makes it easier.

[Ultra Peanut]

Originally Posted by Miles

WMD. Got ya WMD.

RED TOPS HERE!

[Ultra Peanut]

Originally Posted by Jenson71

People are coughing around me. They sneeze. They cough some more. I hate it. I'm starting to itch all around. Another cough. In my nightmares, coughs and heat, coughs and heat. I wake up in a pool of sweat. I itch terribly.

Thousands of rats! With little red eyes; like his, only smaller.

Rats! Rats! Rats! Thousands! Millions of them! All red-blood! All these will I give you, if you will obey me!

[Mr. Krab]

53,000 kids in Texas out of school for awhile because of the swine flu.