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

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by oldandslow

Oh, I don't know...you mean like the kind that wiped out 90% of the American Indian population or the ones that just wiped out 40% of the European population....

This one probably isn't bubonic or small pox or whatever, but someday one will be...

You're talking about pandemics that occured amongst primitive populations or in centuries before modern medicine.

[Pants]

Originally Posted by Ultra Peanut

What's sad is going to be when this thing is contained and people start whining about all of the fuss about it. The media is hyperbolic and irresponsible, shocker, but that doesn't mean a lot of people aren't working very hard on dealing with this.

I think the reason WHO and co. are going bonkers over this is because, like it's been said, the virus is brand new and we have 0 resistance to it compounded by the fact there is no vaccine designed for it. Well, it's not like the current vaccines for the known forms of influenza are 100% effective. I don't know the exact numbers, but every year a huge percentage of vaccinated people still get the flu.

I, myself, have never gotten the vaccine and I do usually get the flu every 2-3 years. Yeah, it's a miserable 3 days, but I see it as something out of our immediate control and just a reality we have to face. I'm sure hundreds of thousands, if not millions, will end up going through this in the US alone and I think the death rate will be comparable to what we experience every year.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Ultra Peanut

The response is pretty hyperbolic, but it's still something that a lot of incredibly proficient people are rightly putting a lot of work into containing. Every single one of these things is an unknown quantity, at least until well after the fact, and prevention is a top priority for any of them.

Another, different lot of incredibly proficient people are putting a lot of work into scaring the bejesus out of the common person.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Metrolike

I think the reason WHO and co. are going bonkers over this is because, like it's been said, the virus is brand new and we have 0 resistance to it compounded by the fact there is no vaccine designed for it. Well, it's not like the current vaccines for the known forms of influenza are 100% effective. I don't know the exact numbers, but every year a huge percentage of vaccinated people still get the flu.

I, myself, have never gotten the vaccine and I do usually get the flu every 2-3 years. Yeah, it's a miserable 3 days, but I see it as something out of our immediate control and just a reality we have to face. I'm sure hundreds of thousands, if not millions, will end up going through this in the US alone and I think the death rate will be comparable to what we experience every year.

The reason the WHO is going bonkers is because 75% of the world's population lives in conditions that could actually make the flu DEADLY. I don't have a problem with the WHO.

I have a problem with the US media and our government acting like this is going to be a huge problem here.

[RJ]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

I can understand taking precautionary measures, but there were hundreds kids around here staying home before there was ever any confirmed cases NEAR here.

The chicken little-ness of it is ridiculous.

I think that might be in part because it's so near the end of the school year in most districts. At this time of year they're not doing anything important, at least not in the elementary schools. Schools right now are just a baby sitting service.

[DenverChief]

Originally Posted by Ultra Peanut

Just to clarify, the alert level is related to the spread of it rather than its severity.

The baby got it in Mexico, as it turns out.

Understood on both levels...and as she pointed out, the full spectrum of this virus is not yet understood, we may have seen the worst or may not


and yes they got it in Mexico but died in the care of an American Medical facility

[DenverChief]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

1) It was an INFANT.

2) Said infant already had a compromised immune system.

3) Apparently, said infant was a MEXICAN CITIZEN who was brought to Texas for treatment.

Please, this is STUPID.

ok so this advanced medical technology we have should have been able to treat it right?

[007]

Originally Posted by RJ

I think that might be in part because it's so near the end of the school year in most districts. At this time of year they're not doing anything important, at least not in the elementary schools. Schools right now are just a baby sitting service.

You would be wrong. Especially on private schools.

[007]

Originally Posted by DenverChief

ok so this advanced medical technology we have should have been able to treat it right?

not if the baby was already beyond help by the time the baby got here.

[DenverChief]

Originally Posted by Guru

not if the baby was already beyond help by the time the baby got here.

from the FLU?? I mean we have all these anti-viral drugs and....sheesh...I'm not panicking I just like being well informed some people here are acting as if nothing is wrong at all

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by DenverChief

ok so this advanced medical technology we have should have been able to treat it right?

Infants in this country will likely die of the swine flu, just like the die of the regular flu. This is because they have underdeveloped immune systems and are less able to tolerate the symptoms, like high fever and dehydration. Infants and the elderly are ALWAYS at risk with the flu, and this strain isn't any worse in that aspect than any other.

Furthermore, it's highly likely that the child was already very, very sick by the time they got here. Our advanced technology can do alot of things, but it can't raise the dead.

[WoodDraw]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

1) It was an INFANT.

2) Said infant already had a compromised immune system.

3) Apparently, said infant was a MEXICAN CITIZEN who was brought to Texas for treatment.

Please, this is STUPID.

He was visiting family in the US and became sick. So he didn't just come up for treatment.

Also, I'd be careful about make assumptions about preexisting conditions or other factors this early, as HIPPA protects a lot of that until the family consents to release.

He was an infant though, so he's a "typical" flu victim.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by DenverChief

from the FLU?? I mean we have all these anti-viral drugs and....sheesh...I'm not panicking I just like being well informed some people here are acting as if nothing is wrong at all

anti-viral drugs don't CURE a viral infection, they prevent the spread of infection. Once you're infected with a virus, the only course of action is to let it run it's course.

Furthermore, infants and the elderly die from the flu ALL THE TIME. Not from the infection itself but from COMPLICATIONS - mainly dehydration.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by WoodDraw

He was visiting family in the US and became sick. So he didn't just come up for treatment.

Also, I'd be careful about make assumptions about preexisting conditions or other factors this early, as HIPPA protects a lot of that until the family consents to release.

He was an infant though, so he's a "typical" flu victim.

I didn't say anything about preexisting conditions. Infants have underdeveloped immune systems when they're healthy.

[RJ]

Originally Posted by Guru

not if the baby was already beyond help by the time the baby got here.

I read the child was admitted to a Brownsville hospital on April 13th. Obviously I can't testify to the accuracy.