Mexico Flu Sparks Fears in London and NY

[The Lawspeaker]

Mexico Flu Sparks Fears in London and NY


A deadly flu which has killed up to 68 people across Mexico may have spread as far as London and New York.

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http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2009/Apr/Week4/15269052.jpg
Mexican children are fitted with masks amid health fears

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The World Health Organisation called an emergency meeting where they admitted to being "very, very concerned".

In New York up to nine people from a school party tested positive for what is believed to be swine flu after returning from a trip to Mexico.
And in London a member of a British Airways cabin crew was taken to hospital with "flu-like symptoms" after falling ill on a flight from Mexico City to Heathrow.

The man, who has not been named, has been taken to Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow, a hospital spokesman said.

He added: "He has flu-like symptoms and is responding well to treatment." The World Health Organisation's director-general, Margaret Chan, said the outbreak of the never-before-seen virus had "pandemic potential."
But she said it is still too early to tell if it would become a worldwide outbreak.

"The situation is evolving quickly," Chan said in a telephone news conference in Geneva.
"A new disease is by definition poorly understood."

At least eight people have been infected by the new virus in Texas (http://indepth.news.sky.com/InDepth/topic/Texas) and California (http://indepth.news.sky.com/InDepth/topic/California), raising fears of a pandemic.

And this evening health experts in America said that nine members of a school party which had visited Mexico had tested positive for suspected swine flu.

Mexican (http://indepth.news.sky.com/InDepth/topic/Mexico) authorities have closed schools and other public buildings, suspended public events and begun a vaccination campaign in an attempt to contain the outbreak.

Mexican health minister Jose Angel Cordova confirmed 20 deaths from swine flu and said authorities were probing another 48 who had died with flu symptoms. The flu combines genetic material from pigs, birds and humans in a way researchers have not seen before.

The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO), (http://www.who.int/en/) Margaret Chan, has cut short a visit to Washington and returned to the agency's Geneva headquarters to oversee the handling of the outbreak.


Source (+video and pictures): News Sky.com (http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Mexico-Deadly-Swine-Flu-Virus-United-States-Threatened-After-Cases-In-Texas-And-California/Article/200904415269048?f=rss)

[The Lawspeaker]

It's coming closer and closer.. and my girlfriend is in Texas. :eek:
One thing that strikes me is the composition of this virus: it has parts from avian flu, swine flu and human flu. That's a pretty weird zoonosis and finding one of those is a rare occasion- like finding a honest politician.
Where the ruddy hell did this virus come from ? Some CDC-lab ??

[Atlas]

Bird flu and mad cow were not a big deal...

[Manifest Destiny]

Maybe we should seal our border. I wonder if the government of Mexico will allow us to do that? :rolleyes2:

[Bloodeagle]

Maybe we should seal our border. I wonder if the government of Mexico will allow us to do that? :rolleyes2:

Maybe, this is some form of biological warfare intended to rid the world of Mexicans and illegal Mexican sympathizers.:D

[SwordoftheVistula]

One theory I heard is that it came from some middle eastern source, and they released it in Mexico knowing that it would take hold easier there, and then spread north into the US across the border.

[EWtt]

Where the ruddy hell did this virus come from ? Some CDC-lab ??

Interestingly that thought also passed my mind. Many conspiracy theories have already surfaced that it is medically made.

[Skandi]

It doesn't appear to be very deadly however, as the article on the bbc said that 200 children had it but only 3 were even admitted to hospital. Another panic for a slow news day.

[Tabiti]

Bird flu, Creutzfeldt–Jakob (mad cow), anthrax (sheep)...Of course next would be the pigs!

[Manifest Destiny]

Interestingly that thought also passed my mind. Many conspiracy theories have already surfaced that it is medically made.

It does seem sort of suspicious; this deadly flu that combines traits from diseases that afflict several different animals.

[Beorn]

A wild flu like epidemic? Not as severe in Europe? Drugs companies have prepared and marketed to the British government enough drugs to cover over half the population at the expense of millions?

Whatever could be behind this mild case of the flu?

[Aemma]

Here's a link to some news coverage on this item from Canada's national public broadcaster, the CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/04/27/swine-flu042709.html

Cheers!...Aemma

[Baron Samedi]

Death! Destruction! I embrace it with open arms.

Everyone is fucking steaming over this shit like it's the end of the world.

[Lady L]

Death! Destruction! I embrace it with open arms.

Everyone is fucking steaming over this shit like it's the end of the world.

We don't know whats going to happen with this. Considering it has killed many people and it's spreading is serious to me.

Wash Your Hands Wash Your Hands Wash Your Hands :D

I don't think this should be taken lightly.

[The Lawspeaker]

I just checked the news and no measures have been taken here yet- even now Dutch holidaymakers in Mexico are going home (several of them could be infected). If I were an MP I would ask this government 3 questions:

1. Why have there no infrared's that can monitor body heat (fever) been installed on airports (like has been done in China and Thailand) ?

2. Why are there just 5 million doses of Tamiflu in the Netherlands (at a population of 16.5 million- or at least for the 13.5 million Dutch ) ?

3. Why haven't travelers that have been flying in from countries like Mexico, the U.S and Canada been placed under quarantine ?

[Gooding]

Mexico Flu Sparks Fears in London and NY


A deadly flu which has killed up to 68 people across Mexico may have spread as far as London and New York.

<!---->
http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2009/Apr/Week4/15269052.jpg
Mexican children are fitted with masks amid health fears

<!---->
The World Health Organisation called an emergency meeting where they admitted to being "very, very concerned".

In New York up to nine people from a school party tested positive for what is believed to be swine flu after returning from a trip to Mexico.
And in London a member of a British Airways cabin crew was taken to hospital with "flu-like symptoms" after falling ill on a flight from Mexico City to Heathrow.

The man, who has not been named, has been taken to Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow, a hospital spokesman said.

He added: "He has flu-like symptoms and is responding well to treatment." The World Health Organisation's director-general, Margaret Chan, said the outbreak of the never-before-seen virus had "pandemic potential."
But she said it is still too early to tell if it would become a worldwide outbreak.

"The situation is evolving quickly," Chan said in a telephone news conference in Geneva.
"A new disease is by definition poorly understood."

At least eight people have been infected by the new virus in Texas (http://indepth.news.sky.com/InDepth/topic/Texas) and California (http://indepth.news.sky.com/InDepth/topic/California), raising fears of a pandemic.

And this evening health experts in America said that nine members of a school party which had visited Mexico had tested positive for suspected swine flu.

Mexican (http://indepth.news.sky.com/InDepth/topic/Mexico) authorities have closed schools and other public buildings, suspended public events and begun a vaccination campaign in an attempt to contain the outbreak.

Mexican health minister Jose Angel Cordova confirmed 20 deaths from swine flu and said authorities were probing another 48 who had died with flu symptoms. The flu combines genetic material from pigs, birds and humans in a way researchers have not seen before.

The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO), (http://www.who.int/en/) Margaret Chan, has cut short a visit to Washington and returned to the agency's Geneva headquarters to oversee the handling of the outbreak.


Source (+video and pictures): News Sky.com (http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Mexico-Deadly-Swine-Flu-Virus-United-States-Threatened-After-Cases-In-Texas-And-California/Article/200904415269048?f=rss)

:eek:Great! Yet another reason to keep those filthy spic beasts from South of the Border back South of the Border!They now bring death as well as economic burdens and cultural invasions.Keep the swine with the Swine Flu back in the pigpen they rolled out of.I and many like me have been making this point for years, so will the bastards in the Welfare Office (Black House) finally come to heel and see that these scum are disease carriers and their presence here is actually not in our best interest??:mad:

[Rainraven]

Swine flu in New Zealand...


Health officials have tonight announced that three of the Rangitoto College party that recently returned from Mexico have tested positive for swine flu.

At a press conference health officials said results from three samples tested at the World Health Organisation's Melbourne laboratory today had all come back positive for the same swine flu strain, H1N1.

"Unfortunately tonight we can confirm New Zealanders have tested positive to swine flu," Health Minister Tony Ryall said.



Source (http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/2368393/Health-Minister-on-swine-flu-Don-t-panic)

[Ulf]

I told my wife I would believe this nonsense when pigs fly. Then I turned on the news and heard swine flu...

:confused:

[Treffie]

I told my wife I would believe this nonsense when pigs fly. Then I turned on the news and heard swine flu...

:confused:


Groan! :rolleyes2:

[Ulf]

Groan! :rolleyes2:

You brought this upun yourself.

[Loki]

If this means cheaper ham & bacon, then bring it on.

[Vulpix]

A great time for face masks business.

[Ulf]

If this means cheaper ham & bacon, then bring it on.

Swine Flu, or Bacon Lung?

Your choice.

[Vulpix]

Bacon lung: it doubles as Muslim repellent :).

[Loki]

Swine Flu, or Bacon Lung?

Your choice.

I'll take Bacon Lung. I'm gonna die anyway, I might as well please my tastebuds while I'm alive.

[Groenewolf]

I just checked the news and no measures have been taken here yet- even now Dutch holidaymakers in Mexico are going home (several of them could be infected). If I were an MP I would ask this government 3 questions:

1. Why have there no infrared's that can monitor body heat (fever) been installed on airports (like has been done in China and Thailand) ?

That is indeed a good question.


2. Why are there just 5 million doses of Tamiflu in the Netherlands (at a population of 16.5 million- or at least for the 13.5 million Dutch ) ?

I think they have made stockpiles for the high risk groups and for the whole population. You also do not vacinate the entire population for the flu each year, only high riks groups such as the eldery.


3. Why haven't travelers that have been flying in from countries like Mexico, the U.S and Canada been placed under quarantine ?

See #1.

[Lady L]

If this means cheaper ham & bacon, then bring it on.

Unless something has changed I don't think we can get it from eating pig. Its spread through germs I guess. :confused:

So, yea it would be a good thing if it wasn't harmful to eat pig and the price went down as well. :D

[Lady L]

WASHINGTON – A 23-month-old Texas toddler became the first confirmed swine flu death outside of Mexico as authorities around the world struggled to contain a growing global health menace that has also swept Germany onto the roster of afflicted nations. Officials say the death was in Houston.

"Even though we've been expecting this, it is very, very sad," Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday of the infant's death. "As a pediatrician and a parent, my heart goes out to the family."

President Barack Obama said this morning that Americans should know the government is doing all it can to control virus. Obama also says schools should consider closing if the spread of the swine flu virus worsens.

Canada, Austria, New Zealand, Israel, Spain, Britain and Germany also have reported cases of swine flu sickness. Deaths reported so far have been limited to Mexico, and now the U.S.

As the United States grappled with this widening health crisis, Besser went from network to network Wednesday morning to give an update on what the Obama administration is doing. He said authorities essentially are still "trying to learn more about this strain of the flu." His appearances as Germany reported its first cases of swine flu infection, with three victims.

"It's very important that people take their concern and channel it into action," Besser said, adding that "it is crucial that people understand what they need to do if symptoms appear.

"I don't think it (the reported death in Texas) indicates any change in the strain," he said. "We see with any flu virus a spectrum of disease symptoms."

Asked why the problem seems so much more severe in Mexico, Besser said U.S. officials "have teams on the ground, a tri-national team in Mexico, working with Canada and Mexico, to try and understand those differences, because they can be helpful as we plan and implement our control strategies."

Sixty-six infections had been reported in the United States before the report of the toddler's death in Texas.

The world has no vaccine to prevent infection but U.S. health officials aim to have a key ingredient for one ready in early May, the big step that vaccine manufacturers are awaiting. But even if the World Health Organization ordered up emergency vaccine supplies — and that decision hasn't been made yet — it would take at least two more months to produce the initial shots needed for human safety testing.

"We're working together at 100 miles an hour to get material that will be useful," Dr. Jesse Goodman, who oversees the Food and Drug Administration's swine flu work, told The Associated Press.

The U.S. is shipping to states not only enough anti-flu medication for 11 million people, but also masks, hospital supplies and flu test kits. President Barack Obama asked Congress for $1.5 billion in emergency funds to help build more drug stockpiles and monitor future cases, as well as help international efforts to avoid a full-fledged pandemic.

"It's a very serious possibility, but it is still too early to say that this is inevitable," the WHO's flu chief, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, told a telephone news conference.

Cuba and Argentina banned flights to Mexico, where swine flu is suspected of killing more than 150 people and sickening well over 2,000. In a bit of good news, Mexico's health secretary, Jose Cordova, late Tuesday called the death toll there "more or less stable."

Mexico City, one of the world's largest cities, has taken drastic steps to curb the virus' spread, starting with shutting down schools and on Tuesday expanding closures to gyms and swimming pools and even telling restaurants to limit service to takeout. People who venture out tend to wear masks in hopes of protection.

The number of confirmed swine flu cases in the United States rose to 66 in six states, with 45 in New York, 11 in California, six in Texas, two in Kansas and one each in Indiana and Ohio, but cities and states suspected more. In New York, the city's health commissioner said "many hundreds" of schoolchildren were ill at a school where some students had confirmed cases.

The WHO argues against closing borders to stem the spread, and the U.S. — although checking arriving travelers for the ill who may need care — agrees it's too late for that tactic.

"Sealing a border as an approach to containment is something that has been discussed and it was our planning assumption should an outbreak of a new strain of influenza occur overseas. We had plans for trying to swoop in and knockout or quench an outbreak if it were occurring far from our borders. That's not the case here," Besser told a telephone briefing of Nevada-based health providers and reporters. "The idea of trying to limit the spread to Mexico is not realistic or at all possible."

"Border controls do not work. Travel restrictions do not work," WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said in Geneva, recalling the SARS epidemic earlier in the decade that killed 774 people, mostly in Asia, and slowed the global economy.

Authorities sought to keep the crisis in context: Flu deaths are common around the world. In the U.S. alone, the CDC says about 36,000 people a year die of flu-related causes. Still, the CDC calls the new strain a combination of pig, bird and human viruses for which people may have limited natural immunity.

Hence the need for a vaccine. Using samples of the flu taken from people who fell ill in Mexico and the U.S., scientists are engineering a strain that could trigger the immune system without causing illness. The hope is to get that ingredient — called a "reference strain" in vaccine jargon — to manufacturers around the second week of May, so they can begin their own laborious production work, said CDC's Dr. Ruben Donis, who is leading that effort.

Vaccine manufacturers are just beginning production for next winter's regular influenza vaccine, which protects against three human flu strains. The WHO wants them to stay with that course for now — it won't call for mass production of a swine flu vaccine unless the outbreak worsens globally. But sometimes new flu strains pop up briefly at the end of one flu season and go away only to re-emerge the next fall, and at the very least there should be a vaccine in time for next winter's flu season, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the National Institutes of Health's infectious diseases chief, said Tuesday.

"Right now it's moving very rapidly," he said of the vaccine development.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090429/ap_on_he_me/med_swine_flu

[Æmeric]

I was watching the news last night & a reporter was interviewing people on the street in Mexico City. According to the urban myth there, swine flu was brought into Mexico by a Canadian tourist. It's not their fault :rolleyes2:.

It seems all the cases in the US have a Mexican connection. 1/2 the confirmed cases so far are from one private scool in Queens, New York, from a group of students who went to Cancun on spring break. I would bet the child who died in Texas is Mexican.

This could be a blessing in disguise if it relieves population pressures south of the US border.


If this means cheaper ham & bacon, then bring it on.
I don't like ham myself & I don't eat that much bacon. But I do appreciate the occasional pork roast.:)

[Loki]

I don't like ham myself & I don't eat that much bacon. But I do appreciate the occasional pork roast.:)

There was a very cheap "buy one get one free" special on ham at the supermarket yesterday. I wonder if they wanted to get rid of excess stock because of this ... you know how people panic and stop buying stuff.

[Aemma]

I was watching the news last night & a reporter was interviewing people on the street in Mexico City. According to the urban myth there, swine flu was brought into Mexico by a Canadian tourist. It's not their fault :rolleyes2:.

It seems all the cases in the US have a Mexican connection. 1/2 the confirmed cases so far are from one private scool in Queens, New York, from a group of students who went to Cancun on spring break. I would bet the child who died in Texas is Mexican.

This could be a blessing in disguise if it relieves population pressures south of the US border.:)


I don't like ham myself & I don't eat that much bacon. But I do appreciate the occasional pork roast.

It wasn't me! Honest! I was here at TA the whole time!! :D

But seriously, as sad as this is (especially its pandemic potential) I think that sometimes we lose sight of the fact that Nature has its way of seeking to balance itself through whatever means Mother Jorth deems appropriate, be that pandemic flus, earthquakes, volcano eruptions, what-have-you.

We live in a society that is so very devoid of respect for these forces of Nature but so dependent upon Science that we forget about the true vulnerability that is Man--our very own basic nature.

I by no means wish to gloss over the dire threat to us that such a pandemic potentially poses by waxing philosophical about such things--of course not. But sometimes, such natural disasters can serve to awaken us from the Silly Slumber of 21st Century Life and make us stand at attention, heed what's in our hearts and minds and then take action.

I perhaps I am a tad TOO philosophical about this right now and need more coffee. :D

But in the end, listen to Dr. Lady Lyfing!: Wash your hands! Wash your hands! Wash your hands!

Cheers!...Aemma

[Beorn]

Here's a public warning advert from the 70s about swine flu.
You all must remember the epidemic which wiped out absolutely millions of people, don't you? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swine_Flu#1976_U.S._outbreak)

T_qJ2tOY7ss

[Aemma]

Here's a public warning advert from the 70s about swine flu.
You all must remember the epidemic which wiped out absolutely millions of people, don't you? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swine_Flu#1976_U.S._outbreak)

T_qJ2tOY7ss

I know Beornie, it might not sound like such a threat across the pond. But such forces of Nature are still to be respected I believe. And the fact that this is occurring more so on this continent than on yours might have a tad of an effect on the perception of potential dangers.

I do believe that people need to keep a cool head and keep their wits about them. But by the same token, I also believe that to have a cavalier attitude wouldn't be serving anybody well either.

Being middle-wise and level-headed in approach is perhaps the best way of dealing with such things.

Cheers!...Aemma

[Æmeric]

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama suggested Wednesday that school closings may be necessary, in an escalating global health emergency that claimed the first death in the United States and swept Germany onto the roster of afflicted nations. Obama said local educators across America should consider shuttering schools if conditions worsen.

Giving an update on a raging health menace that has dominated public officials' time and caused universal anxiety, Obama said, "Every American should know that the federal government is prepared to do whatever is necessary to control this virus."

He said he wanted to extend "my thoughts and prayers" to the family of a 23-month-old Texas boy who died, representing the first confirmed U.S. fatality in addition to more than five dozen infections.

"This is obviously a serious situation" and "we are closely and continuously monitoring" it, Obama said.

The president said it is the recommendation of public health officials that authorities at schools with confirmed or suspected cases of swine flu "should strongly consider temporarily closing so that we can be as safe as possible."

"If the situation becomes more serious and we have to take more extensive steps, then parents should also think about contingencies if schools in their areas do temporarily shut down, figuring out and planning what their child care situation would be," Obama advised.

Just sending children from schools to day care centers in infected areas "is not a good solution," he said.

Obama said the federal government is "prepared to do whatever is necessary to control the impact of this virus." He noted his request for $1.5 billion in emergency funding to ensure adequate supplies of vaccines.

The government needs local agencies to help by looking out for any suspected flu cases, the president said.

And he advised individuals to take their own precautions -- washing hands, staying home if they are sick, and keeping sick kids home.

The world has no vaccine to prevent infection but U.S. health officials aim to have a key ingredient for one ready in early May, the big step that vaccine manufacturers are awaiting. But even if the World Health Organization ordered up emergency vaccine supplies -- and that decision hasn't been made yet -- it would take at least two more months to produce the initial shots needed for human safety testing.

"We're working together at 100 miles an hour to get material that will be useful," Dr. Jesse Goodman, who oversees the Food and Drug Administration's swine flu work, told The Associated Press.

And the U.S. is shipping to states not only enough anti-flu medication for 11 million people, but also masks, hospital supplies and flu test kits.

Dr. Richard Besser, acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was asked Wednesday why the problem seems so much more severe in Mexico than in the United States.

He replied that U.S. officials "have teams on the ground, a tri-national team in Mexico, working with Canada and Mexico, to try and understand those differences, because they can be helpful as we plan and implement our control strategies."

Cuba and Argentina banned flights to Mexico, where swine flu is suspected of killing more than 150 people and sickening well over 2,000. In a bit of good news, Mexico's health secretary, Jose Cordova, late Tuesday called the death toll there "more or less stable."

Mexico City, one of the world's largest cities, has taken drastic steps to curb the virus' spread, starting with shutting down schools and on Tuesday expanding closures to gyms and swimming pools and even telling restaurants to limit service to takeout. People who venture out tend to wear masks in hopes of protection.

The number of confirmed swine flu cases in the United States included 45 in New York, 11 in California, six in Texas, two in Kansas and one each in Indiana and Ohio, but cities and states suspected more. In New York, the city's health commissioner said "many hundreds" of schoolchildren were ill at a school where some students had confirmed cases.

But only in Mexico so far are there confirmed deaths, and scientists remain baffled as to why.

The WHO argues against closing borders to stem the spread, and the U.S. -- although checking arriving travelers for the ill who may need care -- agrees it's too late for that tactic.

Authorities sought to keep the crisis in context: Flu deaths are common around the world. In the U.S. alone, the CDC says about 36,000 people a year die of flu-related causes. Still, the CDC calls the new strain a combination of pig, bird and human viruses for which people may have limited natural immunity.

Hence the need for a vaccine. Using samples of the flu taken from people who fell ill in Mexico and the U.S., scientists are engineering a strain that could trigger the immune system without causing illness. The hope is to get that ingredient -- called a "reference strain" in vaccine jargon -- to manufacturers around the second week of May, so they can begin their own laborious production work, said CDC's Dr. Ruben Donis, who is leading that effort.

Vaccine manufacturers are just beginning production for next winter's regular influenza vaccine, which protects against three human flu strains. The WHO wants them to stay with that course for now -- it won't call for mass production of a swine flu vaccine unless the outbreak worsens globally. But sometimes new flu strains pop up briefly at the end of one flu season and go away only to re-emerge the next fall, and at the very least there should be a vaccine in time for next winter's flu season, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the National Institutes of Health's infectious diseases chief, said Tuesday.

"Right now it's moving very rapidly," he said of the vaccine development.

Source (http://www.nypost.com/seven/04292009/news/nationalnews/obama__us_may_close_schools_to_battle_sw_166790.ht m?page=2)

Another possibility is they could close the border with Mexico.:rolleyes: OK, not likely they would want to do that, much too drastic. But this is a situation where Obama will fail, whether by not managing the crisis properly or by making it much worst.

I just hope the longterm consequences include a backlash against Mexican & other Latino immigration.

[Æmeric]

The toddler who died in Houston was Mexican. (http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-swine-flu30-2009apr30,0,4696825.story)


The boy was a Mexican national from Matamoros, just across the border from Texas, who was brought to this country by his parents to seek medical treatment.

[SwordoftheVistula]

Great-now every Mexican with a cough is going to sneak across the border to get free treatment at a hospital here for 'swine flu'

[The Lawspeaker]

The first Dutch case (http://www.nos.nl/nosjournaal/artikelen/2009/4/30/300409_besmetting_nederland.html). It's now in the Netherlands as well...
A 3 year old toddler that had been on holiday (with his parents) in Mexico where they had a "family celebration" (this may indicate that they aren't Dutch).

[Allenson]

It's getting closer to here now--two cases in Massachusetts & three in Maine. :rolleyes:

[Lady L]

There were a couple of suspected cases in Alabama, but not confirmed yet. Huntsville City Schools have closed and schools in another county have closed for 7 days. That's only 30 miles from here.

[Beorn]

Dozens showing swine flu symptoms after schoolgirl, 12, becomes latest victim (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1174110/Dozens-complain-swine-flu-symptoms-schoolgirl-12-latest-British-victim.html)

Dozens of people in Devon have complained of flu-like symptoms after a girl of 12 became the latest - and youngest - Briton to be diagnosed with deadly swine flu.Doctors refused to give an exact figure for the cases now being investigated in the region after the schoolgirl from Torbay tested positive for the virus.
But they said the potential victims are 'of all ages' and that hundreds of doses of anti-viral drugs had been handed out to pupils and staff at the affected school.
The schoolgirl's friends could be among those at risk because she was at school and spending time with them for three days before falling ill.

Check Google Map To See The Spread Of The Sniffles
(http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=p&msa=0&msid=106484775090296685271.0004681a37b713f6b5950&source=embed&ll=22.917923,-33.046875&spn=123.575049,226.40625&z=2)

[Æmeric]

A Natural Therapy for self-protection and treating influenza

Several years ago, various U.S. and U.N. agencies and the Council on Foreign Relations were spreading the word that the Avian Influenza could be as severe as the worldwide Spanish Influenza epidemic of 1918, and predicted hundreds of millions of deaths worldwide. Fortunately, that outbreak did not come to pass.

This year, however, a severely debilitating swine flu has already stricken more than a thousand people in Mexico and killed as many as 68, with 20 confirmed (as of April 25, 2009). The U.S. has already declared a health emergency.

For people who have weakened immunity and are vitamin C deficient, this influenza can kill its victims by rapidly depleting ascorbate (vitamin C) stores in the body, inducing scurvy and collapse of the arterial blood supply, causing internal hemorrhaging of the lungs and sinus cavities.

Most people today have barely enough vitamin C in their bodies (typically 60 mg per day) to prevent scurvy under normal living conditions, and are not prepared for this kind of illness. (Vitamin C deficiency is the root cause of high infant mortality and many childhood deaths worldwide; it is the root cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome - SIDS.)

The way to prepare yourself and protect your family from this influenza is not a vaccine or anti-viral drug. I strongly recommend that if vaccines and/or anti-viral drugs are offered to you, that you refuse them. These actually reduce your immunity; vaccines contain many toxic components, such as aluminum, mercury, and solvents, and anti-viral drugs interfere with critical body processes. Historical evidence of vaccinations has shown that they actually increase the chances of becoming severely ill. Influenza vaccines in particular are notoriously ineffective and have harmed thousands of people, and there is evidence already that Tamiflu, now being stockpiled for a possible epidemic, is useless against influenza. The best way to prepare for influenza is by enhancing your immune system and increasing the amount of vitamin C in your body.

The amounts of vitamin C suggested below are perfectly safe. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient. It is actually produced in the bodies of most animals in enormous quantities. Only humans, monkeys, and a few other animals must consume it to get enough of it, and most humans get about one-thirtieth (1/30) of the amount they really need. It is necessary for dozens of body processes, such as the building of collagen and the making of antibodies, white blood cells, and neurotransmitters.

The supplements I suggest below can be obtained at good quality supplement stores such as Vitamin Shoppe or at online supplement discounters such as iherb.com, although for the most part the powdered forms can only be purchased from online discounters. Buy good quality supplements such as those made by NOW Foods, Source Naturals, Jarrow, Nature's Way, Vitamin Shoppe (store brand), etc. (These are not endorsements, but suggestions based on my personal experience). For vitamin C, buy ascorbic acid, not the chelated forms such as calcium or sodium ascorbate or Ester-C, because at the acute illness dosages you would be taking too much of these minerals). Do not use drug store supplements. For children, modify the dosages according to the body weight of the child as compared to that of an adult (~150 lbs, 70 kg). For instance, if your child weighs 50 lbs, use 1/3 of the adult dose. Always divide the dosages over the course of the day, taking 1/3 of the daily dose with meals.

1. Begin increasing the amount of vitamin C that you take each day to very high levels, spread over the course of the day, in divided doses taken with meals. Start at 1000 mg per meal, and increase slowly to 2000-4000 mg per meal. (These are adult doses, modify by body weight for children.) Your optimal dose is just below the point where your body complains by giving you mild diarrhea. This is called the "bowel tolerance dose." Such doses are perfectly safe - vitamin C is natural to our bodies and needed for many body processes. Most people don't get nearly enough. Stock up on this vital nutrient - buy ascorbic acid in 1000 mg capsules or in powder form, 1-pound or 3-pound canisters. Mix powder with water or fruit juice. Be sure to take vitamin C with food that will coat your stomach to prevent stomach upset, such as organic soymilk, and to rinse your mouth afterwards to prevent mouth irritation or potential interaction with tooth enamel.

2. Take 6000 mg of the amino acid lysine per day, 2000 mg per meal (adult dose, modify by body weight for children). Lysine is a natural protease inhibitor - it prevents bacteria and viruses from spreading in your body. You can obtain it in tablet, capsule, or powder form. The latter form is the least expensive; buy several pound containers of it.

3. Take a high-potency multivitamin/multimineral tab, and a calcium/magnesium supplement, every day.

4. Drink at least 2 quarts (8 cups, 2 liters) of non-caffeinated liquids per day. Spring water and/or decaffeinated green tea made with spring water are best. Do not drink diet soda or consume anything with aspartame or other artificial sweeteners.

5. Stock up on other anti-viral agents and nutrients: l-proline and l-glycine (amino acids - at least one pound of each, in powder form), turmeric extract capsules, ginger capsules, garlic capsules, 15-mg zinc/1-mg copper capsules or tabs, oil of oregano (Gaia Herbs brand is a good one), decaffeinated green tea extract, N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC), and non-gmo or organic soy protein drink concentrate. (Note to expectant mothers: Do not use oregano oil or green tea extract during pregnancy.)

6. In advance (right now), find a chelation or alternative health clinic that is willing to administer 30-gram intravenous vitamin C infusions. This may be necessary if you are stricken by the Avian Flu and find that you cannot keep up with it with the oral dosage. Please contact me at http://www.cqs.com/contact.htm if your clinic needs preparation and administration information.

7. If you do become ill, start increasing your daily vitamin C dosage dramatically - your bowel tolerance dose will rise as it is used to detoxify your body from the virus toxins; it may rise to as much as 100,000 mg (100 grams) per day (adult dose). Take up to 2000 mg per dose, increasing the number of dosages to as many as once per hour. Back off the dosage and frequencey if you get diarrhea. Start taking 12,000 mg of each of l-lysine, l-proline and l-glycine per day, in divided doses. Take 1000 mg oregano, 4000 mg turmeric extract, 4000 mg ginger, 4000 mg garlic, 45 mg zinc/3 mg copper, 1500 mg N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), and 2000 mg green tea per day, in divided doses. Increase fluid intake to 3-4 quarts (liters) per day. (These are the adult doses, slightly more or less is OK, modify by weight for children.) Eat small easily-digestible meals complemented with 1/2-scoop soy or whey protein shakes. Continue this regimen until all signs of illness have subsided. If the illness is not controlled by the regimen, obtain a series (2-3 per week) of 30-gram Vitamin C intravenous infusions at a chelation or alternative health clinic, with higher dosages if necessary for pneumonia or previously compromised immunity (e.g., AIDS or CFIDS). (Important: See note above regarding use of this regimen during pregnancy; do not use oregano oil or green tea during pregnancy.)

8. If you are currently taking Lipitor or another cholesterol-lowering (statin) drug, stop taking it immediately. These drugs are very damaging to the immune system. The above vitamin C and lysine regimen will (through a completely different mechanism) naturally balance your cholesterol and protect you from heart disease. If you continue to take a maintenance dose of 6000 mg of vitamin C and 6000 mg of lysine per day, you will never need to take statin drugs ever again. For more information on this, see http://www.cqs.com/lipitor.htm for an article about statin side effects. If you have any other kind of heart or blood pressure problem, see the article http://www.cqs.com/cvstherapy.htm.

9. You must take the regimen above every day, consistently. After the danger period has passed, I recommend that you continue the regimen at the level of 6000 mg vitamin C and 6000 mg lysine per day (adult dose, modify by weight for children). You will enjoy better health, lose fewer days to illness, and protect yourself against heart disease. (If you choose not to continue the regimen, please taper off gradually.) Use your stocks of anti-viral nutrients for any illness you may encounter.

If you or a member of your family have any kind of serious or chronic disease, or you are looking for a long-term regimen to maintain health, I urge you to look at the Natural Therapy Virtual Clinic website, http://www.cqs.com

Source (http://www.cqs.com/influenza.htm)

[Loki]

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/04/30/article-1175510-04C16546000005DC-251_468x351.jpg

[Baron Samedi]

I don't see what everyone's problem is with this.... I think the world needs a good "cleansing" if you know what I mean.

And if I perish because of it, so mote it be.

[Skandi]

I see that it has spread to Africa, oh dear, and they think that it is being transmitted person to person, but I can't say I'm worried, mortality is low from this infection, unless you are otherwise susceptible. As other people have said this is natures way of dealing with things and what will come will come.

[SwordoftheVistula]

The population bubble is about to burst!

[Jamt]

Congressman Paul on the Swine Flu Scare

TB5-Y08qbjo

[Beorn]

GBeKB7aKzOs

[Ulf]

This is all media hype bullshit. It is sweeps (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nielsen_Ratings#Sweeps) after all...

Also:
Deaths from Flu: 63,730 annual deaths for influenza and pneumonia (NVSR Sep 2001); estimated 20,000 deaths from flu (NIAID)

Cause of death rank: 7th leading cause of death in 1999 and 2000 is "pneumonia/influenza" (CDC)
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/f/flu/deaths.htm


So, shocking news: The flu can kill you, especially if you have a weak immune system.

[The Lawspeaker]

First Dutch death from swine flu (http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2009/08/first_dutch_death_from_swine_f.php)


Tuesday 04 August 2009
A 17-year-old boy who was born with a serious illness, has become the first person to die from swine flu in the Netherlands reports the website of public broadcaster Nos on Tuesday afternoon quoting the public health institute RIVM.

The boy, who became affected by the swine flu virus, died on Monday night, says Nos. It dod not gve further details.
Health minister Ab Klink has sent his condolences to the boy's family. Klink stressed that in the overwhelming majority of cases people only experience a mild form of swine flu.

‘Alas the new influenza A, like normal flu, claims victims in incidental cases. But we are doing all we can to limit that number as much as possible,’ he is quoted by Nos as saying.

The RIVM expects one patient in every 1,000 to die of swine flu but adds that this is almost always someone who is already seriously sick, reports Nos.

Since the outbreak of swine flu in the Netherlands in April nine people have been hospitalised but some of these are now back home says the RIVM.
The institute says around 665 people in Holland have been diagnosed with the virus since April but in reality the number is higher.