(Swine) A-H1N1 Flu Pandemic Declared
VOA’s Diaa Bekheet
A-H1N1 virus (CDC)
After six weeks of closely watching the spread of H1N1 swine influenza across the globe, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an A-H1N1 pandemic as the number of infections has grown and spread across continents. “This means the world is moving into the early days of its first influenza pandemic in the 21st century,” WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan said.
Pandemic is an outbreak of illness that expands to different parts of the world.
“We also want to make clear that the higher level of the pandemic does not necessarily mean we are going to see a more dangerous virus or see many more people falling severely ill or dying,” Dr Chan said.
U.S. officials are monitoring the spread:
Reliable resources: Read, listen or watch: H1N1 Swine Flu Center for Disease Control WHO
At least 74 countries have reported cases of the swine flu virus, and at least 144 people have died, including more than 100 in Mexico, according to the WHO.
A pandemic occurs when a new strain of virus infects people, who have little or no immunity to the illness, and it spreads easily from person to person.
U.S. health sources say one of the challenges of confronting a pandemic is developing and distributing medical supplies, including vaccines. There can also be economic repercussions if officials decide to enforce travel bans, and close businesses.
The world was hit by three influenza pandemics during the 20th century, including the Spanish flu in 1918-1919, which caused an estimated 40 million to 50 million deaths.
The deadly flu pandemic 90 years ago was fueled by a type-A human influenza virus of subtype H1N1, but it was very different from the current swine flu. The new swine flu A-H1N1 is a combination of fragments of pig, avian and human flu viruses, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control says no vaccine has yet been developed that can prevent the outbreak from spreading.
U.S. and U.N. health sources say swine flu cannot be contracted through eating pork products. They say washing or sanitizing hands is the best method for preventing infection. Some experts say wearing a face mask in public may also help.
More information is available from the U.S. government at www.PandemicFlu.gov, and from the World Health Organization at www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/
More reliable resources:
Read: Center for Disease Control
Listen or Watch: H1N1 Swine Flu
Hey! Don’t forget you can also track global coverage of the H1N1 pandemic at VOANews.com – http://www.voanews.com/english/Swine-Flu.cfm
As we address climate change in my view i see a lot of out breaks which are deadly and kill a lot of people.I think the most important thing for the nations to address is the problem of climate change,which i think is the reason for these deadly pandemics int the world today.
H1N1 Swine Flu Projections
To understand the impact that this flu virus will have worldwide we need to have more information. News coverage is focusing on the severity of the illness not the overall impact of the number of people who may become infected. As a novel virus we will likely see many cases. So let’s look at some projections based on varying infection rates. In this analysis hospitalization rates and mortality rates are fixed and based on low average predictions.
Assumptions:
Hospitalization Rate constant: 5%
Mortality Rate constant: 1%
World Population 5,734,000,000
Scenario 1 – Typical Seasonal Flu profile
Infection: 1% -57,340,000
Hospitalization: 5% -2,867,000
Mortality: 1%- Mortality – 573,400
Scenario 2 – Moderately increased infection rate
Infection: 5% – 286,700,000
Hospitalization 5% – 14,335,000
Mortality: 1% – 2,867,000
Scenario 3 – (1968–1969) Hong Kong Flu infection rate
Infection: 15% – 860,100,000
Hospitalization 5% – 43,005,000
Mortality: 1% – 8,601,000
Scenario 4 – 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic Infection rate
Infection: 50% – 2,867,000,000
Hospitalization 5% – 143,350,000
Mortality: 1% – 28,670,000
So which scenario do you think will unfold?
Debra (math-girl)
[...] April, the World Health Organization issued an extremely dire warning saying: “all of humanity is under threat.” However, the science says something [...]
H1N1 notepad
http://www.conspirare.net
October 2009
On October 1 2009, a former federal health minister dismisses as “crackpots and conspiracy theorists” those who would actively discourage Australians from having their swine flu vaccine’. October 2nd, the San Fransisco Chronicle publishes that ‘Everybody seems to be saying TRUST THE GOVERNMENT but it’s hard to trust the H1N1 vaccination campaign’ and on October 4rd, the Washington Post wonders ‘When the swine flu vaccine finally arrives this week, will Americans line up to get it?’ and CBS News writes about health care workers protesting the flu vaccine mandate. October 6th Foodconsumer publishes ‘Do NOT Let Your Child Get Flu Vaccine — 9 Reasons Why’ and writes that ‘modern medicine has no explanation for autism, despite its continued rise in prevalence. Yet autism is not reported among Amish children who go unvaccinated’. October 7th Healthnews writes that 72 percent are concerned about potential vaccine side effects and the Examiner writes that’ theorists believe that government may force people to take the vaccine’. October 8th Times&Transscript publishes that ‘a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal would be included as one of the substances in the H1N1 vaccine’, Medill Reports writes that Dr. Mayer Eisenstein is advising his patients to say no and is convinced that vaccines cause autism and the Los Angeles Times Blog publishes that media commentators Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh have apparently fallen prey to the loony websites of the anti-vaccine folks and that Beck would do “the exact opposite” of what the government recommended and attend a swine flu party.
September 2009
September 8th 2009, an article on EnjoyFrance reports that France, Greece the UK and the US have or are planning to make the Swine Flus vaccination mandatory and that those opposed are afraid of contracting the Guillain Barre Syndrome or even dying, an anxiety which is, according to this article, rooted in the ‘76 scare. On September 11th 2009, a Spanish security firm detects a ’swine flu’ computer virus and this article quotes Margaret Chan, head of WHO, that she could not imagine major pharmaceutical firms to be behind the the Swine flu outbreak. On September 21th CanadafreePress publishes that the right-wing seems as enamored as the left, when it comes to using big PhRMA to make Big Money. Moammar Gadhafi Rants at U.N. General Assembly according to this article published September 23rd and suggests that the H1N1 flu virus was a military conspiracy. The ‘Right to Say ‘No’ to Vaccine’ is advocated by Khaleej Times on 24th September 2009.On September 26th, the Daily Contributor publishes that Dr Kent Holtorf, an Infectious Disease Expert wouldn’t even consider having his family take the vaccine’. On September 28th, PrisonPlanet asks the question ‘Where Did the H1N1 Late-2009 Flu Season Virus Come From?’.
April – August 2009
April 2009, NaturalNews reports that as Swine flu spreads, conspiracy theories of laboratory origins abound. June 25th, Nature News reports that Austrian Journalist Jane Burgermeister filed charges against WHO and UN for Bioterrorism and Intent to Commit Mass Murder. In August, the NWO Observer reports that an official UK government report is warning the British public that there will be countless deaths and that freight containers and “inflatable” storage units may be needed to provide extra mortuary space.
Read the full article with references @ http://www.conspirare.net
notepad publishing (a non-profit news agency based in Switzerland)
[...] (Swine) A-H1N1 Flu Pandemic Declared [...]
Leave your response!
Keep up with the Arts, Movies, Music and Popular Culture
Stay current with the latest news and developments, and chat about it with friends around the world.
Interact with others, comment on the news, share pictures and video, and improve your English
Click here for the latest economic videos, see what the community thinks about the ups and downs
Categories
Pages
Recent Comments
Popular keywords
myVOA.com
Voice of America
Disclaimer and Privacy