New cases of the deadly swine flu virus have been confirmed as far afield as New Zealand and Israel, as the UN warns it cannot be contained. The US, Canada, Spain and Britain confirmed cases earlier but no deaths have been reported outside Mexico, where the virus was first reported.

 

Mexico has raised the number of probable deaths to 152, with 1,614 suspected sufferers under observation. UN inspectors are to examine reports pig farms may have spread the virus. The UN's health agency, the World Health Organization (WHO), confirmed that the flu had been transmitted between humans.

 

WHO chief Dr Keiji Fukuda said it was not inevitable that the outbreak would develop into a global epidemic - or pandemic - but countries should "take the opportunity to prepare".

 

Several countries have issued warnings against travelling to Mexico, but the WHO and the EU's health chief, Androulla Vassiliou, said such measures would do little to combat the flu's spread. WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said experts were working on a vaccine, but said it could take five or six months to develop.

 

Health experts say the virus comes from the same strain that causes seasonal outbreaks in humans, but also contains genetic material from versions of flu which usually affect pigs and birds. New Zealand confirmed that three students who had travelled to Mexico had swine flu. Israeli health officials confirmed on Tuesday that the country now had two people infected with the virus. Both sufferers had recently been to Mexico.

 

UN alert raised

 

Sixty-four cases have been confirmed in the US, six in Canada, two in the UK and two in Spain. The EU said patients were also under observation in Denmark, Sweden, Greece, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy and Ireland.

 

Tests are being carried out on people in Brazil, Guatemala, Peru, Australia and South Korea. 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.

 

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is sending a team to Mexico to investigate rumours that people had been falling ill last month near intensive pig farms. The WHO raised its pandemic alert status to level four on Monday - two levels from a full pandemic - after concluding there had been sustained transmission between humans.

 

Levels five and six are reserved for when there is widespread human infection. WHO spokesman Mr Hartl said there were a number of cases in New York "which appear to be human-to-human transmission".

 

He said that if the New York cases were confirmed, the WHO could raise its alert to level five. The UN body is encouraging countries to begin intensive surveillance of possible infection and send as much information as possible to the WHO.

 

In Mexico, swine flu has been confirmed in 20 of the 152 known deaths. In almost all cases outside Mexico, people have been only mildly ill and have made a full recovery. Meanwhile, Swiss police said a container with animal swine flu samples exploded as it was being shipped on a train from Zurich to Geneva on Monday, injuring a woman.

 

Authorities said dry ice keeping the samples cold caused the explosion, but the incident posed no threat to humans.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8022437.stm

 

 

 

Suspected Mexico flu toll hits 81[/url]

 

The Mexican authorities say 81 people may have died from a new swine flu virus which the WHO says could lead to a pandemic.

Why is Pete Townshend making death predictions? :thinking:

:laugh3:

 

 

but seriously- pig flu? scaaaryyyy:stunned:

it already hit the US too....Their are 7 here San Diego and 1 in Texas and about 8 in NY that we know of......

^^Rush your mood says SICK...

 

you ok ?

 

 

(avoids your avi to prevent another seizure;))

 

feel better soon.

I remember a SNL skit with John Belushi where the Killer Bees were friends with the swine flu.

lol- ya tellin your age there , Angie?!

^^Rush your mood says SICK...

 

you ok ?

 

 

(avoids your avi to prevent another seizure;))

 

feel better soon.

 

Thanks for asking...Im actually doing much better.

 

and sorry bout the avi making u have seizures an all..:)

Glad you are better!

 

 

*no worries/ i still have half my tongue left:P*

dont laugh this is serious

There are 2 known cases in Kansas. In Dickenson County I think.

Is it anything like Bird flu?

I'm not sure. I just heard that symptoms are like the regular flu. And the people that have died were healthy young adults.

So a particular nasty version of the flu virus, nasty.

Yeah. Kinda scary

from what i've heard it comes from US, but people noticied it in Mexico first. or am i mistaken?

 

i hope there's a solution for this soon.

 

but this one seems is even worse than the bird flu. :confused:

that ones goes through air, so people have been told not to kiss or shake hands with other people, those kind of things are very contagious, in fact it is crossing borders already, not only US.

Mexico city is in panic.

I might die... and maybe I mean business... or maybe I'm just paranoic... hell I don't feel good at all, but apparently people with problems such as AIDS and pneumonia are the one dying, but still this is scary

You won't die my friend, have fait .

20 cases in the US,

 

I believe that this virus may be some sort of bio terrorism... The virus contains structures from avian, human, and swine influenzas.

 

I'm no biologist, but that isnt normal... Not in nature anyway.

First bird flu, now pig flu?

 

Blegh!

Don`t panic.

 

 

But did see on Fox news earlier that it is a possibility the US-Mexico border could be closed if things worsen in the San Diego area.

 

Good idea, for many reasons...like interrupting the drug flow all the way up the I-5 corridor.

(which is killing more than any flu ever will) Go figure.:dozey:

First bird flu, now pig flu?

 

Blegh!

 

For Rick's sake, let's hope the next one isn't sheep flu!!:stunned::rolleyes:

Just heard on the news that there is over 100 deaths in Mexico now! :(

:sad: This is all so terrible :sad:. It'll be like SARS in the quickness of spreading, etc...

 

It just came up on the news here "All flights into Australia from North or South America will have to report any passengers with flu-like symptoms before the aircraft is allowed to land."

 

:\ I hope this gets nipped in the bud soon...