foodconsumer.org: Swine flu continues to spread

Swine flu continues to spread
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admin on 05/17/2009 15:43:00
 
Sunday May 17, 2009 (foodconsumer.org) -- With cases of swine flu in the United
States continuing to rise, three public schools in Queens, New York, were closed
today (Friday, May 15) according to The New York Times.
The Centers for Disease Control reported Friday that confirmed cases of the H1N1
virus in the U.S. stood at 4,714, with four deaths. The disease has now spread
to 47 states.
New York Health Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden said at a news conference in
Queens on Friday that the virus seems “to be spreading more rapidly than
traditional influenza,” according to the Times. “We don’t know why that
is, but the fact that we have neither a vaccine nor experience being infected
with this strain of influenza are likely explanations.”
Frieden and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who also attended the conference, said that
while the virus may be spreading more rapidly, it did not appear to be causing
any more severe illness than seasonal influenza.
While deaths in the U.S. are still at four, an assistant principal at a Queens
school remained hospitalized in critical condition with the flu. Reports stated
that the man may have had pre-existing conditions that made him more susceptible
to the virus.
The World Health Organization is reporting that 34 countries have officially
reported 7,520 cases of influenza infection. Mexico has reported 2,446 cases and
60 deaths. Canada has reported 449 confirmed cases, including one death.
The WHO is not recommending travel restrictions related to the H1N1 virus. They
advise individuals who are ill, however, to delay travel plans. Returning
travelers who fall ill should seek appropriate medical care, they advised.
(By Sheilah Downey, and edited by Heather Kelley)