CDC: "Too late to contain U.S. flu outbreak"

CDC says too late to contain U.S. flu outbreak

sounds to me like a man made virus - what would happen if a mexican and someone from Eqypt were on a plane trip together and the virus from h5n1 avain  and this new H1N1 swine flu were to mix up in a genetic reassortment nightmare.  

MelodyAtHome wrote: <FONT style=": #000000">So wht are you all doing about this? Anything we can do? Melody

Melody, I think you are doing just what you should be doing...staying informed! I have prepped for bird flu, so swine flu would be about the same, except maybe less dramatic than the numbers for H5N1 would indicate. I am planning a trip to pick up a few extras, but I'm not in panic mode yet. In fact, I am supposed to be going to Tucson, Arizon next Tuesday, and I have not cancelled the trip. I will wait to see what the next few days bring.

There is nothing to contain. You have 7 cases.  Why couldn't you contain 7 cases all of whom recovered?

Here is another perspective from the Middle East:

Deaths in Mexico swine flu outbreak

An outbreak of swine flu in Mexico has killed scores of people and sickened hundreds, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said. Fadela Chaib, a WHO spokeswoman, said on Friday there had been 57 deaths in the capital, Mexico City, while Mexican authorities were also investigating three deaths and 24 suspected cases in San Luis Potosi in central Mexico. Jose Cordova, the Mexican health secretary, said the disease was a flu virus "that mutated from pigs and then at some point was transmitted to humans". Meanwhile, US public health officials on Thursday said that seven people had been diagnosed with a new kind of swine flu in the states of California and Texas, but it was not clear if they were linked with the cases in Mexico. All seven people have since recovered from the virus, the Associated Press news agency reported. US officials said the White House was closely following the outbreak in the United States and Barack Obama, the president, has been informed.   The officials said the virus in the United States was a never-before-seen mixture of viruses typical among pigs, birds and humans. Armando Ahued, Mexico City's health minister, said a massive vaccination campaign was being launched against the illness. Pandemic fears The WHO, which has identified swine influenza as a potential source of a human flu pandemic, said it had activated its global epidemic operations centre, which oversees acute public health events in response to the crisis. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said the A/H1N1 influenza identified in at least two of the recent cases by US counterparts could develop into a pandemic-type virus. Human outbreaks of H1N1 swine influenza virus were recorded in the US in 1976 and 1988, when two deaths were recorded, and also in 1986, while in 1988 a pregnant woman died after contact with sick pigs, the WHO said. In recent years the global focus for a possible pandemic has shifted to the H5N1 bird flu virus, which has spread from poultry to humans and killed 257 of the 421 people infected by the virus since 2003.

Kind of ironic. The kind of apathy there usually is for outbreaks in Southeast Asia and other parts of the world.

Have they even linked the outbreaks?

Medclinician

But Besser said it was unclear why the virus was causing so many deaths in deaths in Mexico and such mild disease in the United States.

Um.. because they are not the same virus.

If it is too late to contain and very communicable, what are the odds there are a lot more cases already than are currently known about?

CDC says the odds are good that there are more cases around the country.

Do you all think it could mutate to a more deadly strain? I just wonder why those in Mexico died but here in the states not? Any ideas? Different strain? Do viruses usually mutate to a less deadly strain or can they become more deadly? Does anyone know?

MelodyAtHome wrote: Do you all think it could mutate to a more deadly strain? I just wonder why those in Mexico died but here in the states not? Any ideas? Different strain? Do viruses usually mutate to a less deadly strain or can they become more deadly? Does anyone know? Melody

Any virus can mutate any number of ways, it could mutate into nothing more then a sniffle or it could mutate into something that could kill everyone it touches.. (Not likely..But possible)

There could be many reasons why the strain in question (Swin flu) effects people in the USA differently then it is down in Mexico. Just one of those reasons is the fact that the quality of Health care and mandatory inoculations in the USA is higher then it is in Mexico. << Is probably the number one reason why there have been no recorded deaths in the USA yet.

Considering that this Flu is rearing its head at the start of the Summer months this little bug could really cause a lot of trouble. Viruses survive better in warmer weather then in colder temperatures.

I do have a observation to make,  it is interesting how it seems to me that the CDC and Who etc are down playing the risks that this bug represents.. While many people catching a bug  would not be good, the worse part is many people catching it and requiring medical attention to keep them alive. That is what causes deaths, When you have hundreds if not thousands of people all requiring medical attention.. There just isn't enough hospital beds nurses , doctors etc in the world to treat all the people who get infected.

As it is, I personally think all travel, trade, etc Every contact with Mexico should be stopped. The people in charge are playing with fire by not taking the appropriate steps in preventing this from spreading further.

The bug has already proven to be transmissible human to human,  (854+ cases  just in Mexico city) It has proven to be a killer.(50-80 deaths-- Depending on what source you read) What more do they need to take steps ?

Thats roughly 13 people dead out of every 100...............Given Mexico Citys population (20 million) if everyone came down with it there would be 2.6 million people who would die.

 EDIT...

Just wanted to add something here ..

The main question we need to be asking is how many cases are not going reported, IR how many people  are just sucking it up and not going to the doctor. I am no expert but i would think that the number of people who are not going to the hospital is more then likely double or even triple the numbers of those who have sought out medical treatment.

I mean.. How many people actually go to the doctors unless they absolutely have to? I know that i personally am one of the type of people who never go unless i have to.. Even though i know better.

One last thing.. I doubt that we are being told everything that is going on.. (The powers that be most likely do not want to cause a panic.) Its that old argument.. If the Governments of the world knew we all only had a year left to live would they tell us? More then likely not.

Part of the reason may be that this is an H1N1 virus, a type of flu that we've been exposed to many times in the US.  Most of us older folk have already had multiple infections of H1N1 in various strains.

MelodyAtHome wrote: Thank you Wolfmanjack. Well said. I know myself I could be dying with a flu and I won't go to the hospital so I totally agree with you that most won't go to hospital. I always figured I'd rather die in my bed then in some waiting room for 12 hours sitting in a chair or lying on the floor... When my dad was dying for cancer he was having an acute problem which required the ER room...we waited 8 hours before my sister started screaming to get him something to lie down on. He was 80 years old and near death and they made him wait in a chair for 8 hours! Nuts...can you imgaine if we have any type of mass illness how hospitals would be like...they would have to close. Thanks again. Melody

My dad died at age 82 from cancer.. A cancer that could have been treated etc if it hadn't been for his jackass (pardon my swearing) doctor. So i know exactily what you mean.

I also have a bit of inside knowledge about health care due to the fact i worked for many years in the field. Frankly if this does get bad just hope you don't catch it and have enough food water etc stockpiled. Exercise proper precautions and stay away from other people etc and you should be fine.

Right now we are seeing the first wave / waves of this bug.. It seems to have a 3 day (pretty short) incubation period. If this is simply a isolated incident and it burns itself out quickly then we should see deaths and infected numbers decrease..

BUT....... If the numbers start jumping up i would suggest taking vacation time from work

In 3-6 days from now we should have a good idea what this bugg is going to do.. (That is if it doesn't mutate into a more viral version)

Basically from the information they are telling us. Every 3 days the newly infected will present symptoms, Then those people who they infected will present symptoms 3 days later.. It will all depend on how transmissible this bug is.. I am not holding my breath that it is not highly transmissible. i am going to be taking steps now ..Not after it is too late.