The World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert to 5, its second-highest level Wednesday, indicating the outbreak of the H1N1 virus flu that originated in Mexico is nearing widespread human infection.
According to the WHO, "while most countries will not be affected at this stage, the declaration of Phase 5 is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short."
The annoucement came as the number of people infected with the flu increased rapidly across the world, and health officials scrambled to get more information about the virus and has no vaccine. About 30 U.S. Marines in southern California on the biggest military base in the United States have been quarantined after one of them was confirmed to have contracted the swine flu virus, the Marine Corps said on Wednesday.
WHO Director-General Margaret Chan declared the phase 5 alert after consulting with flu experts from around the world. The decision could lead the global body to recommend additional measures to combat the outbreak, including asking vaccine manufacturers to switch production from seasonal flu vaccines to a pandemic vaccine.
"All countries should immediately now activate their pandemic preparedness plans," Chan told reporters in Geneva. "It really is all of humanity that is under threat in a pandemic."
"It's a virus that we've never seen before," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
"There's no background immunity in the population, and it is spreading from human to human, all of which has the potential for a pandemic."
The virus has been reported in 10 states, and the number of people infected with the 2009 H1N1 influenza strain grew to 91 in the U.S., the CDC said Wednesday. That number includes the first U.S. swine flu fatality: a 22-month-old child from Mexico who died of the illness Monday at a Houston, Texas, hospital.
Swine flu’s symptoms are similar to those of the regular flu: fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some people also may have a runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
“If you experience any of these symptoms accompanied with fever over 100 degrees with a cough or sore throat, contact your health professional or doctor,” said registered nurse Susie Petro.
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Showing posts with label Flu Pandemic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Flu Pandemic. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 29
WHO Not Fluing Around-- Pandemic Probability Raised to Second Highest Level
The following are compilations form from numerous news agencies:
Monday, April 27
Counting Down to a Flu Pandemic?
A very serious story that is playing out today is the flu outbreak that has officials across North America, Spain, France, Hong Kong, and New Zealand on high alert.
Reuters reports that a virologist at the University of Hong Kong who helped to fight SARS and bird flu, Guan Yi, said a flu-like pandemic looked inevitable. "I think the spread of this virus in humans cannot possibly be contained within a short time ... We are counting down to a pandemic." This as 149 people in Mexico have died as a result of the flu and Mexican officials closing down schools and other public places. The threat level or phase of the disease, with confirmed cases reported by the World Health Organization in Mexico, the United States, Canada and Spain, is at a high level: phase 4 out of 6.
The WHO defines Phase 4 as "characterized by verified human-to-human transmission of an animal or human-animal influenza reassortant virus able to cause “community-level outbreaks.” The ability to cause sustained disease outbreaks in a community marks a significant upwards shift in the risk for a pandemic. Any country that suspects or has verified such an event should urgently consult with WHO so that the situation can be jointly assessed and a decision made by the affected country if implementation of a rapid pandemic containment operation is warranted. Phase 4 indicates a significant increase in risk of a pandemic but does not necessarily mean that a pandemic is a forgone conclusion."
The next phase is characterized by human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region. While most countries will not be affected at this stage, the declaration of Phase 5 is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Dr. Richard Besser was quoted as saying, "We are seeing rates of respiratory infections among contacts. This virus is acting like a flu virus and flu viruses spread from person to person." This means it is highly contagious and can spread relatively quickly.
Reuters also reports that the CDC had taken a sample of the virus causing the disease, produced a vaccine virus strain and was now growing it in eggs, the first stage in a vaccine production process.
"We certainly know that the work has begun to produce a vaccine," Gregory Hartl of the CDC said, adding that it would typically be 5-6 months from this initial development before a vaccine was commercially available.
Reuters reports that a virologist at the University of Hong Kong who helped to fight SARS and bird flu, Guan Yi, said a flu-like pandemic looked inevitable. "I think the spread of this virus in humans cannot possibly be contained within a short time ... We are counting down to a pandemic." This as 149 people in Mexico have died as a result of the flu and Mexican officials closing down schools and other public places. The threat level or phase of the disease, with confirmed cases reported by the World Health Organization in Mexico, the United States, Canada and Spain, is at a high level: phase 4 out of 6.
The WHO defines Phase 4 as "characterized by verified human-to-human transmission of an animal or human-animal influenza reassortant virus able to cause “community-level outbreaks.” The ability to cause sustained disease outbreaks in a community marks a significant upwards shift in the risk for a pandemic. Any country that suspects or has verified such an event should urgently consult with WHO so that the situation can be jointly assessed and a decision made by the affected country if implementation of a rapid pandemic containment operation is warranted. Phase 4 indicates a significant increase in risk of a pandemic but does not necessarily mean that a pandemic is a forgone conclusion."
The next phase is characterized by human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region. While most countries will not be affected at this stage, the declaration of Phase 5 is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Dr. Richard Besser was quoted as saying, "We are seeing rates of respiratory infections among contacts. This virus is acting like a flu virus and flu viruses spread from person to person." This means it is highly contagious and can spread relatively quickly.
Reuters also reports that the CDC had taken a sample of the virus causing the disease, produced a vaccine virus strain and was now growing it in eggs, the first stage in a vaccine production process.
"We certainly know that the work has begun to produce a vaccine," Gregory Hartl of the CDC said, adding that it would typically be 5-6 months from this initial development before a vaccine was commercially available.
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