Swine Flu Fact

The Swine Influenza virus began circulating in Mexico, which is also where the most deaths have occurred. To this point Mexican officials have said that 149 deaths have resulted from Swine flu causes. Over 1,300 people have been admitted to hospitals in Mexico for fear of the Swine Flu. Many cases have been reported in the exceptionally large densely populated Mexico City. There the Mexican military has passed out four million face filter masks that have been proven to slow and prevent the transfer of the disease; Mexico City has a population of twenty million residents.

Mexico City has been dealing the infection for weeks longer than any other country, but its emergency response programs are known to be less effective than those of first world nations, also overcrowding is known to help the spread of the virus. Recently Mexico City has closed its schools to prevent further infection, and the streets of the city have been deserted on many nights. These are signs of what awaits other countries in which the Swine Flu spreads. Great panic has resulted from the fact that many of the deaths in Mexico have been young adults who would usually shrug off the virus quickly; it is likely that these people had underlying conditions that quickened their demise.

A contagious virus is a threat to the entire world community. People infected with the Swine Flu virus have been confirmed in the following countries:

• Mexico
• Canada
• United States
• Spain
• New Zealand

Canada and other countries have begun screening airline passengers from Mexico and the United States for the Swine Influenza Virus. People returning from vacation in Mexico are being screened for the virus as they arrive home or on the planes. Russia, China, and Thailand have stopped receiving American and Mexican pork products despite the fact that it is proven that you cannot receive the virus from well cooked pork meat. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, stated earlier in the Swine Flu epidemic that “We are now more prepared then ever to meet this threat.”

The UN is addressing the threat worldwide as you are reading this text. The World Health Organization held its second meeting on the 27^th of April to discuss data from the Swine Flu Scare. Their conclusions have been not to close borders, nor to impose travel restrictions on infected areas. If the spread increases in pace it is possible that they will impose quarantines on infected areas to prevent more people from become infected. Currently there are 64 cases of the disease in America with no deaths and an expected 149 deaths already occurred in Mexico (Data on Mexican deaths and infections may be unreliable, or unreported).