U.S. declares public health emergency for swine flu

[Niels Bohr 72]

The Associated Press

Published: April 26, 2009

WASHINGTON—The U.S. is declaring a public health emergency to deal with the emerging new swine flu.

The precautionary step doesn’t signal a greater threat to Americans. But it allows the federal and state governments easier access to flu tests and medications.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napilotano says roughly 12 million doses of the drug Tamiflu are being released from a federal stockpile so that states can get it if needed.

Napilotano said at a White House news conference Sunday that the emergency declaration is standard operating procedure - one was recently declare for the inauguration and for flooding.

[Ggreen 12]

Let's stop eating pork for now.

[msu17 0]

Let's stop eating pork for now.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Let's stop eating pork for now.

Can people catch swine flu from eating pork?

No. Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food. You can not get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160°F kills the swine flu virus as it does other bacteria and viruses.

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/key_facts.htm

[Ggreen 12]

Let's stop eating pork for now.

Can people catch swine flu from eating pork?

No. Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food. You can not get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160°F kills the swine flu virus as it does other bacteria and viruses.

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/key_facts.htm

How did we get the flu then?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Where is HAL9000 when we need him!

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Let's stop eating pork for now.

Can people catch swine flu from eating pork?

No. Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food. You can not get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160°F kills the swine flu virus as it does other bacteria and viruses.

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/key_facts.htm

How did we get the flu then?

How does swine flu spread?

Influenza viruses can be directly transmitted from pigs to people and from people to pigs. Human infection with flu viruses from pigs are most likely to occur when people are in close proximity to infected pigs, such as in pig barns and livestock exhibits housing pigs at fairs. Human-to-human transmission of swine flu can also occur. This is thought to occur in the same way as seasonal flu occurs in people, which is mainly person-to-person transmission through coughing or sneezing of people infected with the influenza virus. People may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

What do we know about human-to-human spread of swine flu?

In September 1988, a previously healthy 32-year-old pregnant woman was hospitalized for pneumonia and died 8 days later. A swine H1N1 flu virus was detected. Four days before getting sick, the patient visited a county fair swine exhibition where there was widespread influenza-like illness among the swine.

In follow-up studies, 76% of swine exhibitors tested had antibody evidence of swine flu infection but no serious illnesses were detected among this group. Additional studies suggest that one to three health care personnel who had contact with the patient developed mild influenza-like illnesses with antibody evidence of swine flu infection.

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/key_facts.htm

[Ggreen 12]

Thank you Mister Bill.

Edited April 26, 2009 by VJ.mmbr

[Ggreen 12]

Let's stop eating pork for now.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/3...pork.html?cat=5

[Niels Bohr 72]

I eat those Asian raw pork that is shaped like a sausage. It's called NAM. It tastes good. The salt that is used to make it kills all the organism including the worms.

I don't know about viruses because its protected shell. I still eat it, and will continue to eat it.

[Ggreen 12]

I eat those Asian raw pork that is shaped like a sausage. It's called NAM. It tastes good. The salt that is used to make it kills all the organism including the worms.

I don't know about viruses because its protected shell. I still eat it, and will continue to eat it.

I haven't tried raw pork, but i heard that raw meat in general including fish is very bad for your health. see bellow :

WARNING : graphic : http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/gross/ig/...shi-Worms-2.htm

[Niels Bohr 72]

I eat those Asian raw pork that is shaped like a sausage. It's called NAM. It tastes good. The salt that is used to make it kills all the organism including the worms.

I don't know about viruses because its protected shell. I still eat it, and will continue to eat it.

I haven't tried raw pork, but i heard that raw meat in general including fish is very bad for your health. see bellow :

WARNING : graphic : http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/gross/ig/...shi-Worms-2.htm

ROFL. That doesn't scare me. Those japs are very smart.

[Ggreen 12]

I eat those Asian raw pork that is shaped like a sausage. It's called NAM. It tastes good. The salt that is used to make it kills all the organism including the worms.

I don't know about viruses because its protected shell. I still eat it, and will continue to eat it.

I haven't tried raw pork, but i heard that raw meat in general including fish is very bad for your health. see bellow :

WARNING : graphic : http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/gross/ig/...shi-Worms-2.htm

ROFL. That doesn't scare me. Those japs are very smart.

Sorry i don't want to scare you i am just trying to share and learn.

[c_and_a 0]

A "public emergency" yet the border continues to be open. Border guards are given PROTECTIVE CLOTHING which is acknowledging the risk is there and is pretty much saying sure we will let you cross and spread the flu.

Utter stupidity.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/h...icle6173927.ece

[GaryC 7]

As per the screening at ports of entry and on airlines it looks like that has started.

Swine flu fears prompt quarantine plans, pork bans

AP

GENEVA – Canada became the third country to confirm human cases of swine flu Sunday as global health officials considered whether to raise the global pandemic alert level.

Nations from New Zealand to Spain also reported suspected cases, and some warned citizens against travel to North America while others planned quarantines, tightened rules on pork imports and tested airline passengers for fevers.

The six Canadian cases in Nova Scotia and British Columbia all had links to people who had traveled to Mexico, and all are the same swine flu strain.

The six people have recovered, said Dr. David Butler-Jones, Canada's chief public health officer.

But "these are probably not the last cases we'll see in Canada," he said.

The news follows the World Health Organization's decision Saturday to declare the outbreak first detected in Mexico and the United States a "public health emergency of international concern."

A senior World Health Organization official said the agency's emergency committee will meet for a second time Tuesday to examine the spread of the virus before deciding whether to increase the alert for a possible pandemic, or global epidemic.

The same strain of the A/H1N1 swine flu virus has been detected in several locations in Mexico and the United States, and it appears to be spreading directly from human to human, said Keiji Fukuda, WHO's assistant director-general in charge of health security.

Mexico's health minister says the disease has killed up to 86 people and likely sickened up to 1,400 since April 13. U.S. officials say the virus has been found in New York, California, Texas, Kansas and Ohio, but no fatalities have been reported.

Governments including China, Russia and Taiwan began planning to put anyone with symptoms of the deadly virus under quarantine.

Others were increasing their screening of pigs and pork imports from the Americas or banning them outright despite health officials' reassurances that it was safe to eat thoroughly cooked pork.

Some nations issued travel warnings for Mexico and the United States.

WHO's emergency committee is still trying to determine exactly how the virus has spread, Fukuda said

"Right now we have cases occurring in a couple of different countries and in multiple locations," he said. "But we also know that in the modern world that cases can simply move around from single locations and not really become established."

Raising the pandemic alert phase could entail issuing specific recommendations to countries on how to halt the disease. So far, WHO has only urged governments to step up their surveillance of suspicious outbreaks.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan called the outbreak a public health emergency of "pandemic potential" because the virus can pass from human to human.

Her agency was considering whether to issue nonbinding recommendations on travel and trade restrictions, and even border closures. It is up to governments to decide whether to follow the advice.

"Countries are encouraged to do anything that they feel would be a precautionary measure," WHO spokeswoman Aphaluck Bhatiasevi said. "All countries need to enhance their monitoring."

New Zealand said 10 students who took a school trip to Mexico "likely" had swine flu, and on Monday it said three students in a second group just back from Mexico likely have it as well. Israel said a man who had recently visited Mexico had been hospitalized while authorities try to determine whether he had the disease. French Health Ministry officials investigated four possible cases of swine flu, but three were found to be negative. In Brazil, a hospital said a patient who arrived from Mexico was hospitalized with some swine flu symptoms.

Spanish authorities said seven suspected cases were under observation.

Hong Kong and Taiwan said visitors who came back from flu-affected areas with fevers would be quarantined. China said anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms within two weeks of arrival from an affected area had to report to authorities. A Russian health agency said any passenger from North America running a fever would be quarantined until the cause of the fever is determined.

Tokyo's Narita airport installed a device to test the temperatures of passengers arriving from Mexico.

Indonesia increased surveillance at all entry points for travelers with flu-like symptoms — using devices at airports that were put in place years ago to monitor for severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, and bird flu.

Hong Kong and South Korea warned against travel to the Mexican capital and three affected provinces. Italy, Poland and Venezuela also advised their citizens to postpone travel to affected areas of Mexico and the United States.

Symptoms of the flu-like illness include a fever of more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius), body aches, coughing, a sore throat, respiratory congestion and, in some cases, vomiting and diarrhea.

The virus is usually contracted through direct contact with pigs, but Joseph Domenech, chief of animal health service at U.N. Food and Agriculture Agency in Rome, said all indications were that the virus is being spread through human-to-human transmission.

No vaccine specifically protects against swine flu, and it is unclear how much protection current human flu vaccines might offer.

Russia banned the import of meat products from Mexico, California, Texas and Kansas. South Korea said it would increase the number of its influenza virus checks on pork products from Mexico and the U.S.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/swine_flu_world

Edited April 26, 2009 by GaryC