Daniel Aguilar/Reuters
Commuters wore protective masks at a
subway station in Mexico
City
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By VOA News
13 May 2009
The swine influenza A-H1N1
virus is still spreading around the world.
Belgium
on Wednesday confirmed its first case, becoming the 34th country to
report an infection of swine flu. The
World Health Organization says
worldwide, the number of confirmed cases stands at more than 5,700.
Almost
all the deaths from the virus have been in Mexico. Mexican authorities
on Wednesday raised the death toll there to 60, though authorities say
the outbreak in Mexico is declining.
Swine flu has also killed
one person in Costa Rica, one in Canada and three people in the United
States. On Wednesday, the U.S. said
it had confirmed more than 3,300
cases of the virus.
U.S. officials say they expect more.
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On
Tuesday, Finland and Thailand each confirmed two cases, the first for
both countries. Authorities say each of those four patients had
recently traveled to Mexico.
China also confirmed its second case on the mainland, while Hong Kong
confirmed two as well.
Other
swine flu cases have been confirmed in Cuba, Guatemala, El Salvador,
Panama, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Switzerland, Spain,
Portugal, France, Ireland, Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway,
Sweden, Poland, Germany, Austria, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Australia
and New Zealand.
The WHO has released a report warning that
although a flu virus may be considered mild, it can change over time as
it spreads around the globe.
Update: April 30,
2009 -
from the World Health Organization
web site
The World Health Organization has announced there
is no evidence for the moment to suggest that it should raise a
pandemic flu alert from phase five to the highest level of six. The WHO
said that it had confirmed 257 cases worldwide.
From today, WHO will refer to the new
influenza virus as influenza
A(H1N1).
Update: May 1,
2009 -
from
the World Health
Organization web site
The
situation continues to evolve
rapidly. As of 06:00 GMT, 1 May 2009, 11 countries have officially
reported 331 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.
Update: July, 2009
The Problem:
Infected people can often spread the virus one day before their
symptoms
develop, and up to a week or more after becoming ill, said the CDC
(Center for Disease Control), and younger
children may be contagious for longer periods.
The CDC said the symptoms of swine flu are similar to the
symptoms of
regular flu, and can include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches,
headache,
chills and fatigue. Some people have reported vomiting and diarrhea.
If you are worried about your symptoms the CDC advises you to
contact your
health care provider, especially if you experience any of the following
warning
signs.
CDC’s Emergency Warning Signs
for children that need urgent
medical
attention include:
- Fast breathing or trouble
breathing
- Bluish skin color
- Not drinking enough fluids
- Not waking up or not
interacting
- Being so irritable that the
child does not want to be held
- Flu-like symptoms improve but
then return with fever and worse cough
- Fever with a rash
CDC’s
Emergency Warning Signs for adults
that need urgent
medical attention include:
- Difficulty breathing or
shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in the chest
or abdomen
- Sudden dizziness
- Confusion
- Severe or persistent vomiting
How do you keep from getting the flu? Avoid crowds and
people who appear to be ill, suggested the CDC. And try not touch
surfaces that
might be contaminated. Flu viruses may live as long as two hours or
more on
surfaces; wash your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based
hand
cleaners, and avoid touching surfaces such as doorknobs, desks, and
other
surfaces and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
The CDC also recommends that you take steps to stay healthy.
Get plenty of
sleep, remain active, avoid stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat
nutritious
food. If you get sick with influenza,
CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact
with
others to keep from infecting them.
Resource Links
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
World Health Organization
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