Swine Flu Cases Confirmed In UK

Two people admitted to a Scottish hospital after returning from a holiday in Mexico have been confirmed as the UK’s first swine flu cases.

Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said both individuals were recovering well in a Lanarkshire hospital from mild cases of the virus.

It comes after Health Secretary Alan Johnson told the Commons 25 possible cases had been reported in the UK.

Nine of those have proved negative, while 14 are still being investigated.

Those 14 individuals were well enough to be managed in the community, Mr Johnson told MPs.

The pair receiving treatment in Scotland are from Polmont, Falkirk.

Announcing the results of the Scottish cases, Ms Sturgeon said: “I would reiterate that the threat to the public remains low.

“The precautionary actions we have taken over the last two days have been important in allowing us to respond appropriately and give us the best prospect of disrupting the spread of the virus.”

Meanwhile, UK tourists have been warned against travel to Mexico and other directly affected areas by the EU Health Commissioner. 

Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said on Monday that 149 people had died after contracting suspected swine flu.

However, there have been no deaths elsewhere.

The Department of Health (DoH) has said surveillance arrangements are being “stepped up” in the UK.

Among the UK cases that were reported were the two people in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, and a 62-year-old female Canadian visitor to Sale, Greater Manchester, who was taken to hospital as a precaution after showing flu-like symptoms.

NHS Northwest say the tests on the woman in Manchester have proved negative, and her case has been downgraded to being an unspecified viral infection.

Facemask advice

Mr Johnson also said the government proposed to use its stockpile of anti-viral drugs to treat patients showing symptoms of the disease, should the virus start spreading in the UK.

He added: “People will wish to know whether they should wear facemasks.

“Although we are aware that facemasks are being given out to the public in Mexico, the available scientific evidence does not support the general wearing of facemasks by those who are not ill, whilst going about their normal activities.”

And Mr Johnson said preparations had been going on to cope with a flu pandemic for the last five years.

“We have established a stockpile of enough anti-virals to treat more than 33m people, that is to say half of the UK population,” he said.

There are fears that the virus has begun to spread around the world:

• There are 40 laboratory-confirmed cases of swine flu in the US, 26 in Mexico, six in Canada and one in Spain, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday
• Tests are also being carried out on individuals or groups in New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Britain and Israel who fell ill following travel to Mexico
• The United States and the European Union have urged travellers to Mexico to exercise caution
• WHO experts are meeting to consider raising the global pandemic alert level.

EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou said: “I’d try to avoid non-essential travel to the areas which are reported to be in the centre of the cluster in order to minimise the personal risk and to reduce the potential risk to spread the infection to other people.”

England’s Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson said a potential pandemic would mean “many many more people becoming ill than occur every winter with the normal seasonal flu”.

SWINE FLU Swine flu is a respiratory disease thought to spread through coughing and sneezing Symptoms mimic those of normal flu – but in Mexico people are beginning to die Good hygiene like using a tissue and washing hands thoroughly can help reduce transmission

He added: “If a new pandemic does start as a result of this outbreak in Mexico and the United States, we can’t make it go away, but what we can do through our plans, particularly our stockpiles of anti-virals, is mitigate its effect.”

Foreign Secretary David Miliband said it was “right that we put the issue of swine fever on the foreign ministers’ agenda” because there needed to be “maximum European co-ordination” on the issue.

Agency procedures

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has a procedure for confirming whether or not a patient has swine flu.

If a patient rings their GP or NHS Direct to report symptoms, they will be told to stay at home, not to visit a surgery or hospital.

The HPA has prepared an “algorithm” – in essence, a flow chart – for suspected cases. On the phone, or possibly even face to face depending on the circumstances, the patient’s GP or NHS Direct will take the patient through the algorithm.

If the answers to the algorithm lead the questioner to believe the patient may have swine flu, a sample will be taken that will then be sent to one of the HPA’s network of regional labs for testing.

If the sample is confirmed as influenza type A, it will then be sent to the HPA’s Reference Lab at the Centre for Infections in Colindale, where they will carry out genetic typing on it and establish whether it is a confirmed case of swine flu.

There have also been cases of swine flu reported in Canada and a suspected case in France.

However, no-one outside of Mexico has yet died, leading to suggestions that the severity of the cases there may be due to the strain mixing with a second unrelated virus circulating in the community.

UK-based pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline said it had supplied 100,000 packs of flu drug Relenza and 170,000 additional doses of its seasonal flu vaccine to the Mexican authorities, at their request, since the outbreak began.

Swine flu is usually found in pigs and contracted only by people in contact with the animals.

Contingency plans

The DoH said they could not yet give details of what the “stepped up” surveillance arrangements were and that meetings were ongoing, adding that the outbreak was “unusual and of concern”.

Professor Steve Field is the chairman of the Royal College of GPs, which heads research into flu in the UK.

He says the coming days will be crucial in assessing the scale of the threat to the UK if people do contract swine flu.

He said: “We’ll know a lot more… tomorrow and by the end of the week.

“What we’ve got to try and do is stop people who’ve come in from Mexico, places where this is prevalent, going to their GPs and spreading it amongst vulnerable people. That’s what’s really important this week.”

In trading on the London stock market, shares in British Airways were down 7.4% and Thomas Cook fell 4.3% on fears over the economic impact of the swine flu outbreak.

Mexico: 149 dead – 26 confirmed cases United States: 40 confirmed cases of swine flu Canada: 6 confirmed cases UK: 2 confirmed cases Spain: 1 confirmed case UK, Spain, Israel, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand: suspected cases being tested

Swine Flu Hits Spain

A top European Union official has warned against travel to areas hit by a outbreak of swine flu, amid growing concern over the spread of the virus.

Experts suspect it has killed more than 100 people in Mexico. Cases have also been found in Canada, the US and on Monday in Spain.

At least five other nations are testing patients for possible swine flu.

World Health Organization experts are meeting later to discuss the global threat posed by the virus.

The UN has warned that the virus has the potential to become a pandemic. But it says the world is better prepared than ever to deal with the threat.

SWINE FLU Swine flu is a respiratory disease thought to spread through coughing and sneezing Symptoms mimic those of normal flu – but in Mexico more than 100 people have died Good hygiene like using a tissue and washing hands thoroughly can help reduce transmission

The EU has called an emergency meeting of health ministers to discuss the situation and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said he was monitoring the situation closely.

EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou said people should avoid travelling to virus-hit parts of Mexico and the US unless it was “very urgent”.

On Sunday, Mexican Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova said suspected swine flu cases in his country had risen to 1,614.

Of the 103 deaths in Mexico, only 20 are so far confirmed to have been caused by the new virus. 

There are 20 confirmed cases in the US, six in Canada and one in Spain, the first case in Europe. In most cases outside Mexico, people have been only mildly ill and have made a full recovery.

In other developments:

• Tests are also being carried out on individuals or groups in New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Britain and Israel who fell ill following travel to Mexico

• A top US health official has warned that there could be “more severe cases” to come

• Shares in airlines have fallen sharply on fears about the economic impact of the outbreak

‘Evolving picture’

Health experts say the virus comes from the same strain that causes seasonal outbreaks in humans. But they say this newly-detected version contains genetic material from versions of flu which usually affect pigs and birds.

FLU PANDEMICS 1918: The Spanish flu pandemic remains the most devastating outbreak of modern times – infecting up to 40% of the world’s population and killing more than 50m people, with young adults particularly badly affected 1957: Asian flu killed two million people. Caused by a human form of the virus, H2N2, combining with a mutated strain found in wild ducks. The elderly were particularly vulnerable 1968: An outbreak first detected in Hong Kong, and caused by a strain known as H3N2, killed up to one million people globally, with those over 65 most likely to die

There is currently no vaccine for this new strain, but severe cases can be treated with antiviral medication.

Dr Keiji Fukuda, WHO’s assistant director-general in charge of health security, said all countries were “looking at this situation very seriously”.

“But it’s also clear that we are in a period in which the picture is evolving… [and that] we have to be very careful to collect the best possible information,” he said.

The WHO is advising all countries to be vigilant for seasonally unusual flu or pneumonia-like symptoms among their populations – particularly among young healthy adults, a characteristic of past pandemics.

Most of those who have died so far in Mexico were young adults.

A top US health official warned that there could be worse to come.

“From what we understand in Mexico, I think people need to be ready for the idea that we could see more severe cases in this country and possibly deaths,” Richard Besser, acting head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told ABC television.

Screening

Countries across the world are taking measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

In the Mexican capital schools, bars and public buildings remained closed and many people were staying indoors.

The BBC talks to people in Mexico City about the flu outbreak.

Soldiers handed out six million masks in and around the capital region, where the outbreak is centered.

In the US, a public health emergency has been declared after cases were found in New York, California, Texas, Kansas and Ohio.

In Canada, cases were recorded at opposite ends of the country, in British Columbia and in Nova Scotia, while in Spain, a young man who had recently returned from Mexico was found to have the virus. He was said to be in a stable condition.

A number of countries in Asia, Latin America and Europe have begun screening airport passengers for symptoms, while Germany’s biggest tour operator has suspended trips to Mexico.

Several countries have banned imports of raw pork and pork products from Mexico and parts of the US, although experts say there is no evidence to link exposure to pork with infection.

Mexico: 103 dead – 20 confirmed to have died from swine flu, 18 confirmed ill with swine flu United States: 20 confirmed cases of swine flu Canada: 6 confirmed cases UK, France, Spain, Israel, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand: suspected cases being tested

Swine Flu Could Become More Dangerous

The swine flu virus that has killed more than 80 people in Mexico may mutate into a “more dangerous” strain, the World Health Organisation has warned.

“It’s quite possible for this virus to evolve… when viruses evolve, clearly they can become more dangerous to people,” said Keiji Fukuda, of the global health watchdog.

Mr Fukuda also called for international vigilance as health experts wait to see whether the virus will turn into a worldwide pandemic.

Over 1,300 people are now thought to have contracted the virulent H1N1 swine influenza after it mutated into a form that spreads from human to human.

The Mayor of New York has confirmed that eight school children are suffering mild symptoms after becoming infected.

There have been at least 12 other confirmed cases in Texas, Ohio, California and Kansas.

The White House has declared a public health emergency but told the public “not to panic”.

Sky US correspondent Greg Milam said: “It’s important to realise that those affected have only had mild symptoms, and all have recovered or are recovering.

“But the authorities do believe that this outbreak will get worse.”

Elsewhere around the world, suspected cases have been reported in France, Spain, Israel, New Zealand and the UK.

In France, two people who had returned from Mexico with fevers are being monitored in regions near the port cities of Bordeaux and Marseille.

A 26-year-old Israeli man has also been admitted to hospital after returning from a trip to Mexico with flu-like symptoms.

In New Zealand, a group of school children have tested positive for influenza after returning from Mexico.

In the UK, two people have been admitted to a hospital in Scotland after returning from Mexico on April 21.

They are said to have mild flu-like symptoms but their condition is not causing concern.

Mexican City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said two more people have died of the virus, taking the death toll to 83.

All schools have been shut in Mexico City, the surrounding area and the central state of San Luis Potosi until May 6.

The WHO says it has a stockpile of the antiviral Tamiflu, which has proven effective against the virus, and is preparing a vaccine if needed.

The H1N1 strain of swine flu is usually only seen in pigs – but in humans can cause symptoms including fever and fatigue.

There is “zero evidence” that people are getting infected with the virus from exposure to pigmeat or pigs, the WHO said.

Deadly Flu Spreads Across The Globe

A deadly new strain of flu that has killed more than 80 people in Mexico is spreading across the globe.

The new flu strain, a mixture of swine, bird and human viruses, poses the biggest risk of a large-scale pandemic since avian flu surfaced in 1997, killing several hundred people.

Governments around the world have imposed health checks at airports as the disease killed up to 81 people in Mexico and infected 20 in the US. Six cases were also confirmed in Canada.

Two people have been admitted to a Scottish hospital after returning from Mexico with flu-like symptoms, Scotland’s health secretary said.

In New Zealand, ten pupils from an Auckland school party that had returned from Mexico were being treated for influenza symptoms in what health authorities said was probably another outbreak of the virus.

US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said she would declare a public health emergency, release stockpiles of anti-flu drugs and prepare for school closures.

Three people in Spain and two in France are being tested for the disease after they arrived from Mexico with flu symptoms. Tests on a BA cabin crew member taken to a London hospital with flu-like symptoms showed he does not have swine flu.

Countries across Asia, which have grappled with H5N1 bird flu and Sars in recent years, snapped into action. At airports and other border checkpoints in Hong Kong, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, officials screened travellers for symptoms.

Russia imposed curbs on meat imports from Mexico, some US states and the Caribbean, and the United Arab Emirates said it was considering similar action.

Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said the swine flu has killed as many as 81 people in Mexico, and more than 1,300 people were being tested for suspected infection.

Most of the dead are aged 25 to 45, a worrying sign because a hallmark of past pandemics has been high fatalities among healthy young adults.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the flu a “public health event of international concern.”

International experts will convene on Tuesday to advise the WHO whether to raise the pandemic alert level, which currently stands at three on a level of one to six.

Swine Flu May Have Reached Scotland – April 26th

Two people have been admitted to a Scottish hospital after returning from Mexico with flu-like symptoms, Scotland’s health secretary said.

Nicola Sturgeon said the pair – who went to Scotland on April 21 – had not been in an area affected by recent outbreaks of swine influenza.

She said: “The patients have displayed mild flu-like symptoms and their current condition is not causing concern.”

The announcement came as the UK was on alert to look for unusual flu cases after a deadly outbreak.

More than 80 people have died of pneumonia in Mexico after contracting a flu-like virus and many others – including children in a New York school – have fallen ill in the US and Mexico.

Ms Sturgeon, who is also deputy First Minister of Scotland, said “19 or 20″ people in Scotland who had come in contact with the two people now in hospital had been traced.

She stressed that the pair were not very ill but were in isolation at Monklands Hospital, Airdrie, Lanarkshire.

Ms Sturgeon said: “The Scottish government in conjunction with other administrations in the UK, are closely monitoring the situation and assessing the implications, if any, of this situation for Scotland.

“The situation is also being monitored closely and assessed by the international organisations dealing with the prevention and control of infectious diseases.”

She said Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond convened a meeting of ministers and officials and that she had spoken to UK Health Secretary Alan Johnson about the development.

Doctors Sound Alarm On Pig Flu – April 27th

AUSTRALIANS have been urged to look out for symptoms of a deadly swine flu that appears to have spread from Mexico to New Zealand, France and the US, sparking fears of a major pandemic.

Australia’s chief medical officer Jim Bishop briefed hospital emergency departments and GPs on the flu’s symptoms at the weekend after the World Health Organisation warned it was a “public health emergency of international concern”.

The new strain, feared to have killed at least 81 people in Mexico and infected 11 in the US, also appeared to have affected 10 New Zealand students who tested positive for Influenza A when they returned home from Mexico on Saturday.

“Ministry of Health officials advise me there is no guarantee these students have swine influenza, but they consider it likely,” NZ Health Minister Tony Ryall said in a statement.

None were considered seriously ill and most seemed to be on the road to recovery, he said.

French health authorities had also found two suspected cases of swine flu in travellers returning from Mexico and others were expected to follow, general health director Didier Houssin told Le Parisien newspaper.

Swine influenza is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease of pigs. Symptoms in humans generally include upper respiratory problems, but the air-borne illness can cause severe pneumonia and death.

Professor Bishop said the current strain seemed to be a hybrid form of human, bird and pig flu, which could be transmitted from human to human.

He said although there were no known cases in Australia, emergency departments were alerted to the potential for cases late on Saturday and GPs were notified yesterday.

Professor Bishop said Australia was well stocked with Tamiflu and Relenza, believed to be useful against the flu. It is not expected that the Australian seasonal influenza vaccine will provide protection against this new strain of the swine flu.

Greens senator Bob Brown criticised the Government’s response as too slow, given it learnt of the outbreak on Saturday. He said the nature of modern air travel meant it should be vetting travellers from the Americas coming to Australia either directly or indirectly.

“This is obviously a potential cause of huge trauma and misery around the world, including Australia,” he said.

World Wide Alarm Sounded Over Swine-Flu Spread

UNITED NATIONS: As the panic and fears spread over the outbreak of new influenza strain , governments around the world are on alert, taking urgent measures to head off the spread of the swine flu deadly virus.

Dr Keiji Fukuda, Assistant Director-Generalfor Health Security and Environment at the World Health Organization held a global press conference Sunday to assess the ominous threat to different parts of the world and evolve strategies to control it.

 Several Governments on Sunday issued travel advisories urging people not to travel toMexico the apparent origin of the outbreak, where 81 people have died and some 1,300 have been infected. China, Russia and others set up quarantines for anyone possibly infected. Some countries banned pork imports from Mexico, even though there is no link between food products and the flu, and others were screening air travelers for signs of the disease.

 Mexican President Felipe Calderon addressed a press conference on Sunday, saying he had given the government extraordinary powers to tackle the multi-strain swine flu outbreak that has killed as many as 81 people and infected over 1,000 so far.

 In the United States, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and top health officials were due to speak at a news conference Sunday afternoon to address what the government was doing to control the spread of the disease. Eight students from New York City are likely to have contracted swine flu, and there have been 11 confirmed cases inCalifornia, Kansas and Texas.

 No deaths from swine flu have been reported in the United States, the New York Times reported Sunday.

 On Sunday, the government of Hong Kong announced some of the toughest measures yet of any jurisdiction in response to a swine flu outbreak in Mexico and the United States.

 Officials urged residents not to travel to Mexico and ordered the immediate detention at a hospital of anyone who arrives with a fever and symptoms of a respiratory illness after traveling in the previous seven days through a city with a laboratory-confirmed outbreak.

 The swine flu virus causes flu-like symptoms such as a sudden fever, cough or muscle aches.

 It can spread quickly because no one has natural immunity and a vaccine takes months to develop.

 Those who are sick with respiratory illnesses should avoid crowded areas and wear masks.

 ‘This virus has clearly a pandemic potential,’ warned World Health Organization Director General Margaret Chan.

 The new flu strain, a mixture of various swine, bird and human viruses, poses the biggest risk of a large-scale pandemic since avian flu surfaced in 1997.

 A 1968 ‘Hong Kong’ flu pandemic killed about one million people globally according to a news report.

 The health authorities in the United States have taken a number of measures and urged people to take precautions after eleven people were infected.

 Argentina declared a health alert, requiring anyone arriving on flights from Mexico to confirm if they had flu-like symptoms.

 In Europe, ten New Zealand students who recently returned from Mexico have tested positive for influenza and are ‘likely’ to have the potentially fatal swine flu.

 The New Zealand Foreign Ministry has issued a travel health notice for Mexico, Californiaand Texas, where swine flu cases have been confirmed.

 It advised anyone who had recently traveled to these areas and developed flu-like symptoms to seek immediate medical attention.

 Thousands of miles away in Asia, Hong Kong stepped up surveillance at border control points.

 ‘People who develop respiratory illness within seven days after returning from the affected places should put on a surgical mask and seek medical consultation from public clinics and hospitals immediately,’ said Thomas Tsang, controller of the Centre for Health Protection.

 In China, the quarantine authority issued an emergency notice requiring people to report flu-like symptoms at ports of entry when coming from affected places.

Swine Flu – How Humans Catch It.

What is swine flu and how can humans catch it?

What is swine flu?

Like humans, pigs get the flu. They develop a sudden fever, a barking cough, sneezing, lethargy and typically lose their appetite.

Pigs usually don’t die from swine flu; their flu viruses cause high levels of illness but low death rates.

Swine influenza viruses circulate among pigs throughout the year, but most outbreaks occur during the late fall and winter, just like with outbreaks in humans.

Most swine flu viruses belong to the Influenza A H1N1 and H3N2 subtypes.

Can humans catch swine flu.

Normally, swine flu bugs don’t infect people. When they do, it’s been in people who have direct contact with pigs; historically, there’s such a case every year or two in the U.S.

Between Dec. 2005 and Feb. 2009, there were 12 human swine flu infections in the U.S. – about four a year.

It’s possible this uptick was due to improved reporting systems, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control says “genetic changes in swine flu viruses and other factors might also be a factor.”

Since March 2009, a number of confirmed human cases of a new strain of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in the U.S. and internationally have been identified.

Can humans pass swine flu?

Usually no. But what makes this new outbreak worrisome is that in all the recent cases, none had any direct contact with pigs.

Two of the new cases were among 16-year-olds at the same school in San Antonio and there’s a father-daughter pair in California, said CDC’s Dr. Anne Schuchat.

Is this a new kind of swine flu?

Yes. The CDC reports that the virus in these latest cases is a never-before-seen mixture of viruses typical among pigs, birds and humans.

The influenza A H1N1 virus contains DNA typical to avian, swine and human viruses, including elements from European and Asian swine viruses.

Although it’s called swine flu, this new strain is not infecting pigs and has never been seen in pigs.

Why would a new strain be worrisome?

Epidemiologists have been warning for years that it’s just a matter of time before a new strain of the flu emerges that has the potential to kill millions. Flu pandemics have historically occurred about three times per century and the world hasn’t seen one in more than 40 years.

If an influenza virus changes and becomes a new strain against which people have little or no immunity — and this new strain is easily spread from person to person — many people around the world could become ill and die.

The World Health Organization estimates that in the best case scenario, the next pandemic could kill two to seven million people and send tens of millions to hospital.

Is there a vaccine?

There is a vaccine available that can be given to pigs to prevent swine influenza. But there is no vaccine to protect humans from swine flu.

I got the flu shot this year. Am I protected?

No. H1N1 swine flu viruses are very different from human H1N1 viruses and, therefore, vaccines for human flu would not provide protection from H1N1 swine flu viruses.

Can people catch swine flu from eating pork?

No. Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food; you cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products.

What are the symptoms of swine flu in humans?

Symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of our regular flu, with sudden onset of:

• Fever
• Lethargy
• Lack of appetite
• Coughing

Some people with swine flu also have reported:

• Runny nose
• Sore throat
• Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

How is the virus transmitted?

Human-to-human transmission of swine flu is believed to occur the same way as seasonal flu, mainly through coughing or sneezing of people infected with the influenza virus.

People also can become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. 

Can we treat swine flu in humans?

Yes. Most swine influenza viruses have been treated with antiviral medications.

The virus from the most recent U.S. swine flu cases appeared to be resistant to amantadine and rimantadine but were susceptible to zanamivir and oseltamivir (Tamiflu).

Have there been swine flu outbreaks before?

Yes. Most famously, there was an outbreak in 1976 at Fort Dix, N.J., among military recruits that grabbed big headlines at the time.

Worried that they had the beginning of a pandemic on their hands, U.S. officials ordered the manufacture of swine flu vaccine and the country launched a mass immunization program that saw about 40 million people vaccinated.

But the outbreak didn’t turn into a pandemic and went away as mysteriously as it appeared.

Swine Flu News – April 26th

A deadly new strain of flu that has killed more than 80 people in Mexico is spreading across the globe.

The new flu strain, a mixture of swine, bird and human viruses, poses the biggest risk of a large-scale pandemic since avian flu surfaced in 1997, killing several hundred people.

Governments around the world have imposed health checks at airports as the disease killed up to 81 people in Mexico and infected dozens in the US.

Eleven cases were confirmed in California, Kansas and Texas, and eight schoolchildren in New York City caught a type A influenza virus that health officials say is likely to be the swine flu.

In New Zealand, ten pupils from an Auckland school party that had returned from Mexico were being treated for influenza symptoms in what health authorities said was probably another outbreak of the virus.

Three people in Spain and two in France are being tested for the disease after they arrived from Mexico with flu symptoms. Tests on a BA cabin crew member taken to a London hospital with flu-like symptoms showed he does not have swine flu.

Countries across Asia, which have grappled with H5N1 bird flu and Sars in recent years, snapped into action. At airports and other border checkpoints in Hong Kong, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, officials screened travellers for symptoms.

Russia imposed curbs on meat imports from Mexico, some US states and the Caribbean, and the United Arab Emirates said it was considering similar action.

Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said the swine flu has killed as many as 81 people in Mexico, and more than 1,300 people were being tested for suspected infection.

Most of the dead are aged 25 to 45, a worrying sign because a hallmark of past pandemics has been high fatalities among healthy young adults.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the flu a “public health event of international concern.”

International experts will convene on Tuesday to advise the WHO whether to raise the pandemic alert level, which currently stands at three on a level of one to six.

Swine Flu News – April 24th

World health experts are investigating a new strain of flu that may have killed as many as 60 people in Mexico.

The US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) said tests so far seem to link Mexico’s outbreak with a swine flu virus that had sickened eight in the southern US.

The CDC said it was taking the virus – about which it was working to learn as much as possible – seriously.

Mexican authorities have closed public buildings, suspended public events and and launched a vaccination campaign.

It is suspected the virus may have been involved in the deaths of about 60 people, mostly in and around Mexico City, since mid-March.

A new swine flu strain has been confirmed in 16 of the deaths and 44 others are being tested, Mexico’s health secretary said. More than 900 other people are thought to have been infected.

Officials said most of those killed so far were young adults – rather than more vulnerable children and the elderly.

Schools, museums and libraries have been closed across the capital region and people are being urged to avoid shaking hands or sharing crockery. All public events have been suspended, an official said.

In Geneva, the World Health Organization (WHO) said an emergency committee would likely convene over the weekend.

And in the US, the White House said it was watching the situation.

‘Learn more’

Dr Richard Besser, acting director of the CDC, said that preliminary tests on seven out of 14 samples from patients in Mexico had matched the virus found in the US.

Eight people have fallen sick – six in California and two in Texas – with a virus that experts say is a new strain of swine flu. All eight have recovered and only one was hospitalised.

SWINE FLU Swine flu is a respiratory disease found in pigs Human cases usually occur in those who have contact with pigs Human-to-human transmission is rare and such cases are closely monitored

Dr Besser said more information was needed to determine the extent of the threat posed by the virus. It was unclear, he said, why it was proving fatal in Mexico but not in the US.

“We are not at the point – WHO is not at the point – of declaring a pandemic; we are at the point of trying to learn more about this virus, understand its transmission, and how to control it,” he said.

“In Mexico, other influenza viruses are circulating there, so sorting out which cases are caused by swine flu, which are other viruses and which are co-infections will be very important public health information.”

The WHO said it had prepared “rapid containment measures” in case they were needed.

But both it and the CDC said that there was no need at this point to issue travel advisories for parts of Mexico or the US.

The CDC said it planned to send experts to Mexico to help investigate the virus.

Swine flu is a respiratory disease which infects pigs. It does not normally infect humans, although sporadic cases do occur usually in people who have had close contact with pigs.

There have also been rare documented cases of humans passing the infection to other humans.

Such cases are monitored very closely because of fears that a new strain of swine flu with the ability to pass from person to person could spark a pandemic.