I work in health care administration and have been following this from a distance (recovering from surgery). This issue has morphed overnight. About one hour ago I was called to come into work because we are now on 24/7 alert. And with lots of work to do. Stay tuned. This has the potential to get very big internationally.
check this out:
http//www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090424.wflumain0424/BNStory/International/home
Don't know why, but that link doesn't seem to work in Firefox or Chrome; looks like a colon got dropped? Here ya go...
globeandmail.com: WHO considers raising global pandemic alert level
There are plenty of other stories tho. Mexico City closed their schools today, but then with the horrible air quality there - I'm sure that any contagious respiratory infection can be a major threat in crowded schools. Also see that alerts are being put into action in various Texas and California cities to get early actions into play.
And sddiver is right; these things can spread amazingly fast if unchecked. History has certainly taught us to take these seriously. The 1918 epidemic erroneously called Spanish Flu took horrible tolls worldwide much because of limited medical possibilities. I remember the 1976 outbreak and accidental President Ford asking
everyone in the US to get shot with the rushed vaccine they came up; from Wiki...
The vaccination program was plagued by delays and public relations problems, but about 24% of the population was vaccinated by the time the program was cancelled. [11]
There is "enough evidence to suggest that" about 500 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome resulting in death from severe pulmonary complications for 25 people was caused by an immunopathological reaction to the vaccine in some people.[11] Other influenza vaccines have not been linked to Guillain-Barré syndrome.[12]
If I understand the descriptive names correctly, Swine flu is
usually limited to pigs and Avian flu is
generally found in birds, but pigs can harbor influenza viruses adapted to humans and others that are adapted to birds, allowing the viruses to exchange genes and create a pandemic strain. Seems like I read a report in Discover or another magazine around 1980 about new flu strains mutate easiest in Asia where pigs, fowl, and humans live so close together in some rural settings around a pond they all use, leading to faster development of new strains.
Today, Discover is warning also of the risks of hysteria:
Bird Flu and Swine Flu Outbreaks: The Health Risks of Hysteria | 80beats | Discover Magazine
I am still in agreement with the first story linked:
"There's no reason for Canadians to change their plans to travel to Mexico, Dr. McGeer said," or to California or Texas, but it's good that the medical pros are taking organized actions early. Remember the usual flu season warnings...
Avoid shaking hands;
Wash hands often;
Seek medical help early if indicated.