Swine flu cases climbing

Saturday May 30, 2009 (foodconsumer.org) -- While reported cases of swine flu continue to rise, the World Health Organization reports that almost one half of patients with the virus in the United States had underlying conditions.

  As of yesterday (May 29) the WHO reported 53 countries have officially reported 15,510 cases of the H1N1 infection, including 99 deaths.

  Since the Friday report was logged, five new countries were added to the list today, according to a Voice of America News report. The new countries with confirmed new cases are Venezuela, Hungary, Estonia, Bolivia and Lebanon.


  The biggest leap in confirmed cases in Australia were reported in Victoria, dubbed Australia's "swine flu capital" by Adelaide Now. Cases in Victoria rose by 35 cases to 173 yesterday. Health Minister Nicola Roxon warned that the number of cases could continue to rise, according to the Canberra Times.

  "The community does need to prepare itself that those figures will continue increasing, probably significantly, over the weekend," she said.

  The number of confirmed cases nationwide in Australia, according to WHO figures, stood at 254 yesterday.

  In Canada, swine flu cases jumped nearly 20 percent since Wednesday, largely due to a rise in cases in Ontario, according to the Public Health Agency. Cases in Ontario rose by 131 cases to 626 yesterday. The Agency reported 1,336 cases nationwide and two deaths as of Friday.

  In England, 11 new cases were confirmed today bringing totals to 229, according to the Health Protection Agency. The HPA called eight of the 11 new cases "travel-related" meaning someone who has come back from a flu-affected country, such as the United States or Mexico. A number of schools, including Eton, have been forced to close in recent weeks due to spread of the virus.

  The largest number of confirmed cases of the virus is still the United States, with the Centers for Disease Control reporting 8,975 cases Friday and 15 deaths. Surprisingly, Wisconsin has the most confirmed cases at 1,430. Texas is reporting 1,403 cases and Illinois has 1,002 confirmed cases.

  The WHO reported last week that almost one-half of the patients hospitalized in the United States had underlying conditions, including pregnancy, asthma, diabetes, morbid obesity and heart disease among others.

  "Among 30 patients hospitalized in California," states the report, "64 percent had underlying conditions and two of five pregnant women developed complications, including spontaneous abortion and premature rupture of membranes."

  There have been 20 pregnant women in the U.S. confirmed with the swine flu, three who required hospitalization and one who died, according to the WHO report.

By Sheilah Downey