Swine Flu Panic Goes Global

Scientists have been talking about the possibility of a possible global pandemic for years. The Centers for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC) report that there are currently “additional cases of confirmed swine influenza and a number of hospitalizations of swine flu patients. Internationally, the situation is more serious too, with additional countries reporting confirmed cases of swine flu.” Swine flu is common in animals, but rare in humans. However, people who work closely with swine are at risk of catching the flu, if there is a strain that can attach onto humans.

News of the newly discovered swine flu puzzled and concerned health officials when the story was made public days ago. The new flu has strains of avian, swine, and human components, with swine elements from several continents. A number of prominent health professionals have said that, since this flu virus is new, many people may not have immunity against it. One key reason the global health community is on alert. And since news of this grim outbreak sent national officials into emergency response mode, authorities have been scrambling to determine the source. When health officials first announced their concerns with the flu, less than 100 people worldwide had reported flu-like symptoms and Congress in Washington D.C., cautioned the public not to be alarmed. But today, numerous agencies are cautioning the public to take the flu serious.

The World Health Organization (WHO) held a committee meeting, and on advice from the committee, the WHO Director-General raised the level of influenza pandemic alert from 3 to 4. The alert was raised, based on several reasons including, “epidemiological data demonstrating human-to-human transmission and the ability of the virus to cause community-level outbreaks,” according to WHO information. Today, over 80 people have the swine flu in Mexico, with a reported seven deaths, 66 people have the swine flu in the U.S., with one reported death reported this morning, involving a 23-month old child.