I have watched this story for a few days. Thinking it would die down as all news seems too
I sorta keep a eye on certain things in the world. Like alot of other ppl do.
I do feel the US is doing a great job updating imo
The Who has been great on thier updates . I wish I had all the links i have read over the last few days, But here are some . Hope it helps
WHo link
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/26...flu/index.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30422676/

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517958,00.html

I would like to say , everyone so far in the US I think to the best of my knowledge has or is recovering. Which is a good sign for us.
imo

I pray as it dies out and goes away ...........

I just looked at news bot there is alot of good info in there too.

a new up date.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517998,00.html

[free2beme]

muffy,
I'm glad you are doing this thread. I've been keeping up on the topic also.
this can be frightening, but knowledge, imho, is power.

The antiviral drugs, 2 of them, are working if they are administered promptly.
ppl should be checked asap after symptoms develop....better safe than sorry.
This strain is affecting younger, healthy individuals. (20-50 yr. olds),
not the usual folks with compromised immune systems (infants and elderly).

Again, thank you, Muffy.

[thunderbear]

Thanks Muffy!!

Originally Posted by free2beme

muffy,
I'm glad you are doing this thread. I've been keeping up on the topic also.
this can be frightening, but knowledge, imho, is power.

The antiviral drugs, 2 of them, are working if they are administered promptly.
ppl should be checked asap after symptoms develop....better safe than sorry.
This strain is affecting younger, healthy individuals. (20-50 yr. olds),
not the usual folks with compromised immune systems (infants and elderly).

Again, thank you, Muffy.

(((free2beme)))))) Thank you .....knowledge is power i agree.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/27...flu/index.html

WHo has raised it to a leval 4. It goes to leval 6 , 6 being the highest.
I do think with knowledge comes calmness too.
There are 28 positive caes in NY , That does worry me.
But i am calm and watching to see how it devolops.

Originally Posted by thunderbear

Thanks Muffy!!

(((thunderbear))))) Yw

http://www.who.int/en/

the reason I have followed this closely. besides there being a fair amount of cases in NY.
Is years ago ((and it always goes back to my son lol))))))
He became ill. Had a cough and fever and it was endless. No antobitics would work it seemed. After weeks and weeks of Drs visits he was sent to a city hospital. Of course he could not go to school either durning this time. Anyways we finally had to go threw infectious diease ppl. They did a simple 6 dollar test . It was for TB. Well they did many other tests including x rays. But the Tb showed positive. Because of his syptoms. he was considered to have it TB that is till proven not too.
Which let me tell you they do not fool around as they should not,. They went in and got a sample from his lungs. That took 6 weeks to come back.
The health dept was involved right away. As they should be. Every person in the house was tested, Because I had been postive years ago after working in a nursing home.I had to prove It was not me by a x ray. I had no choice. Which i would have done it any ways. " Every aide on that floor was exposed. None of us got it. But had to take the meds for a year so we would not get it or be a carrier."
Long story short. The rest of us were ok., Clean so to speak.
That thou left us with the health dept every day at our house. to give my son his meds. WHich is a good thing. Cause some ppl i am assuming may not take them. He had to take all of them like he had tb till proven he was only exposed. Which after 6 weeks yayaay he was only exposed. The cough ...........after much to do they decided was wooping,.............
He did thou after that have to take the rest of the meds for being exposed and the health dept came every day till he went to school. and the nurse there gave them.
My point to this is I am not over doing swine flu .....just being aware.

As i wish more Drs and ppl were on TB.
one more time its a 5 or 6 dollar test;. So easy to give .
ty for listening to me ramble again as always
(you all matter very much to me ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
P.S. sorry for spelling errors I did not run it threw spell ck

[free2beme]

Updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Situation in the United States

As of 1:00 PM ET on April 27, 2009, CDC has confirmed 40 human cases of swine flu in the United States:

• California: 7 cases
• Kansas: 2 cases
• New York City: 28 cases
• Ohio: 1 case
• Texas: 2 cases

Of these 40 cases, there have been zero deaths. Only one has been hospitalized.
All 40 have fully recovered.

todays update form the WHo
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/29/swine.flu/index.html

as of this afternoon there is Eight suspected cases in the countys around me. 1 in my county

As of today
As the number confirmed cases of swine flu in the United States climbed to 91 across 10

States

# of laboratory confirmed cases
Deaths

Arizona1 California14 Indiana1 Kansas2 Massachusetts2 Michigan2 Nevada1 New York51 Ohio1 Texas

16

1TOTAL COUNTS91 cases1 death

From Kate Bolduan
CNN



WASHINGTON (CNN) -- At least 74 elementary, junior high and high schools have closed across the country because of confirmed or probable cases of swine flu, the Department of Education said Wednesday.
John Garcia disinfects a classroom at St. Mel Catholic School in Fair Oaks, California.



Another 30 schools have closed as a precautionary measure because of the H1N1 virus, Department of Education spokesman Massie Ritsch said.
The closures -- of both public and private schools across eight states -- affect about 56,000 students out of the estimated 55 million students attending the nation's 100,000 kindergarten-through-12th grade schools, Ritsch said.
Some of the schools that were closed have reopened, he noted.
On Wednesday, President Obama called on schools with confirmed or possible swine flu cases to "strongly consider temporarily closing so that we can be as safe as possible."
And Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in a statement Wednesday that everyone involved in schools needs to "pitch in and do our part to prevent the spread of this flu virus."
"Use the same common sense and courtesy that you would use during winter flu season: Wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough, and stay home if you are sick," Duncan said.
The secretary said the department is closely monitoring the flu outbreak and urged schools to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


"Do what is appropriate for the health of your communities, your schools and your students," Duncan said.
Department of Education officials and experts from the CDC held a conference call Monday with more than 1,700 people from national education associations, state school offices, individual schools and school districts.
The Department of Education emphasized the need for "common sense" preventative measures among students and faculty in school facilities, an official said.
Education officials also stressed the need for people showing any flu-like symptoms to stay away from school and called on administrators to report any suspected or confirmed cases to local public health authorities as well as the Department of Education.
If a school has a confirmed case of swine flu, the CDC recommends closing the facility for about seven days

[sunflower55]

One school in Rhode Island closed for the week.
There are no confirmed cases in RI. One *possible* case in that town, though. The family just came back from Mexico. No one else in the family is sick and the 7 day incubation period is now over, so, it's probably an over-reaction....

Anxiety and paranoia is spreading.

I love FDR's statement, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."

Use normal healthy precautions, folks, just as you would for any flu season. Stay home if you're sick; keep your kids home from school if they're sick; wash your hand frequently; cover your mouth if you cough or sneeze and throw away your tissues immediately. Also, it's best to cough and sneeze into the crook of your arm rather than your hands.

Best of health to us all!

Peace!

(((sunflower))))))))))))))))))) I will say this knowledge is power.
I would have never known of the cases in my county and the next one over if I had not looked on my local news.
we are located in the middle of nowhere so we do not get alot of news coverage here.
You are right anxiety and paranoia does cause panic.
Knowledge does not thou,.
It gives us all the tools we need to know.

Plus the WHo does not react to everything.

may peace be with you

Last night after a very long day as alot of ppl had i am sure. I was thinking about the links i have been posting here. I reliazed everyone has a comp on here,LOL
I do not need to keep posting the links. Maybe if some new change happnens.Then yes.
I was questioning myself am i feeding the fear?
Was I myself getting fearful? I think the answer is yes

Was this maybe going back to when my Dad first became ill? the answer would be yes . Honestly.
He got the flu...then did some stuff ..I will leave it at that.
So if I caused fear here I am so very sorry.

[(JD)]

"Swine flu is a mix of pig, bird and human genes to which people have limited natural immunity. It has symptoms nearly identical to regular flu — fever, cough and sore throat — and spreads similarly, through tiny particles in the air, when people cough or sneeze. About 36,000 people die each year of flu in the United States."

I do recall Hong Kong flu the 1968-89 pandemic that killed about 700,000 people worldwide. It killed about the average for flu in a year: 35,000, mostly elderly. But was there the panic I feel today? No. I wonder why (I have many guesses.)

Anyway, while this can be serious, and we need to take it seriously, it isn't a panic-ridden state of affairs. Do what wise, healthy people do: wash your hands often, keep your hands away from your face. (Wash your hands before and after using the toilet!!! This is something most people don't do!) I'll bet with the heightened focus on WASHING YOUR HANDS after more often we might not even see the usual 36 THOUSAND deaths from flu this year...after all, flu season is practically over.

Mexico has admitted that only about 20 of the deaths they reported are actually from the flu. Of course we really don't know their accounting system.

That it's rated by the WHO to higher level, that only means it's "in" more countries...maybe 1 or 2 people alone could do that.

Rated by the WHO. Ok, while we need to take this seriously can we be a bit light about it too? The WHO being a rock band.. made me think that back when the Hong Kong Flu was about, so many of "us" didn't seem to panic probably because "we" were too busy smoking pot and getting high on not too heavy stuff... and couldn't care less about Hong Kong or anything else they had going on... and some of "us" might have even thought it was a new Rock Band: Hong Kong flu.

So maybe this will just be " Mexican flu."..it surely isn't swine flu... just a subtype of 3 flues (human, avian, swine.) The media, once again, is trying to calm you while instilling panic. Subtypes are not generally as "dangerous" as main strains. but then...if you are one of the 36,000 people (in the USA) to die this year from flu... but you didn't last year..or the year before or the year before that...

I carry a mask with me. If ONE person coughs around me, I hand THEM the mask. If more than one person coughs, I put on the mask!

36,000 people (in the USA) to die this year from flu
9 out of 10 were over the age of 65
most had immune issues or other medical issues.

I agree do not panic wash your hands and stay safe, be aware
we have a few schools now closed here. I think imo they did the right thing.
the cases have not been confermed yet. But they followed what has been suggested.
the # in my state grows daily. Its a bit of a concern. The good news is everyone so far has gotten better. Is the flu season over or a new one starting?
only time will tell
in the mean time stay safe and wash your hands

I had been edgy all day. As the next county over has 20 cases of maybe h1n1. My son goes to school in that county. Also lots of ppl travel back and forth from county to county to work. Maybe checked the news too much
anyways do not really know any more. Excpet I did recieve this email.

Statement from Richard F. Daines, M.D., Commissioner

• New York State H1N1 (Swine Flu) Confirmed and Probable Cases as of May 2, 2009 (PDF, 274KB, 1pg.)
• New York State H1N1 (Swine Flu) vs. Seasonal Flu Cases April 27 - May 1, 2009 (PDF, 177KB, 1pg.)

Press Briefing: May 2, 2009
Governor Paterson's leadership has been invaluable in this evolving H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak in New York. As a result, New York is leading the nation in our response to this outbreak.
The Governor's decision last weekend to activate the State's health emergency preparedness plan has allowed us to act swiftly to monitor, identify and treat cases of H1N1 in New York State.
Yesterday, the Department of Health's Wadsworth Laboratories tested 43 specimens from 43 individuals, which included three repeat tests from the previous day. Three of those specimens tested probable for H1N1, including two from Suffolk County and one from Westchester County.
It is important to note that these three new probable cases have epidemiological links to Mexico – either they or those with whom they are in close contact traveled to that country.
Of the 43 specimens tested yesterday, five were positive for seasonal influenza and 33 were negative for any type of influenza. Two were inconclusive and will require additional testing.
To date, we have tested a total of 137 specimens from counties outside of New York City; 93 were negative for H1N1; 29 were positive for seasonal flu and 16 were probable for H1N1. Wadsworth Laboratories tested all but one of those specimens.
We are still waiting for validation by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the accuracy of the specimen testing performed by Wadsworth Laboratories. Once we have that, New York will no longer need to send specimens to CDC for confirmatory testing. Our Wadsworth Laboratories will perform confirmatory testing for H1N1.
As of last evening, there are 82 confirmed or probable cases in New York City:

• three in Nassau County;
• four in Suffolk County;
• two in Westchester County;
• three in Orange County; and
• one each in Cortland, Chautauqua, Monroe and Lewis counties.

It is important to note that the individuals affected are recovering and symptoms have been mild to moderate.
The impact on schools is of great concern. Yesterday, the Governor spoke with Secretary Kathleen Sebelius from the Department of Health and Human Services and CDC Acting Director Richard E. Besser, M.D., about the new guidelines for school and child care facility closure when there is a laboratory confirmed case of H1N1.
The guidelines expand the duration of closing to up to 14 days to allow the virus to complete its course before students return to school. When students are dismissed, all related gatherings also should be cancelled, and parents and students should avoid congregating in large numbers outside of school settings. These decisions should be made locally by schools in consultation with local health officials.
Guidelines were sent to schools around the state yesterday. Both the state Health and Education Departments will continue to provide schools with updated information.
The Department is providing outreach materials for migrant worker communities to encourage proper respiratory and hand hygiene. This is a particularly vulnerable community during this outbreak.
Our migrant health workgroup is working to assure that these workers have full access to any needed services. In addition, our border health group is in daily contact with our tribal nations, provincial groups in Canada and CDC's Division of Global Migration and Quarantine.
The hotline Governor Paterson asked us to establish has answered questions and addressed concerns from more than 5,702 New Yorkers. For questions about swine flu, call the Department's hotline at 1-800-808-1987. New York City residents should call 311. Resources are available at www.nyhealth.gov/swineflu .

[Christina86]

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...502?hub=Health

Canadian H1N1 flu cases jump sharply to 85

Updated Sat. May. 2 2009 7:34 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Canada now has 85 confirmed cases of H1N1 flu within its borders, after new cases were identified in B.C., Quebec, Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia.
Public health officials in Nova Scotia said they have 17 new cases of the virus. 11 are students at a private high school that had an earlier outbreak.
The BC Centre of Disease Control confirmed three new cases on Saturday afternoon and Alberta announced another seven cases.
Dr. David Williams, Ontario's Acting Chief Medical Officer of Health, said Saturday's two new cases in his province were in the Greater Toronto Area.
Testing revealed one of the new cases was the result of person-to-person transmission, acquired by the roommate of a person who recently visited Mexico.
Health authorities in Quebec confirmed the province's second H1N1 case on Saturday, planning to release further details about the case at a news conference scheduled for later today.
There are now 22 confirmed cases of H1N1 virus in B.C., 31 in Nova Scotia, 14 in Ontario, 15 in Alberta, two in Quebec and one in New Brunswick.
All of the Canadians who have fallen ill from H1N1 -- previously known as swine flu -- have suffered only mild symptoms, and none have died as a result of the flu.
On Friday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he believes Canadians are concerned, but not panicked, about the spread of the H1N1 flu.
He told reporters in Edgeley, Sask., that Canadian health officials are working in a co-ordinated manner to keep track of the flu and deal with the outbreak.
The presence of H1N1 in Canada was officially confirmed last weekend.
Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announced at a Friday afternoon news conference that the government would be placing ads in Saturday newspapers to raise public awareness of the flu.
The federal government has also made use of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to promote a flu prevention campaign.
With files from The Canadian Press

[Christina86]

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...0424/20090424/

Should we be worried about 'swine flu'?

Updated Tue. Apr. 28 2009 12:26 PM ET
Angela Mulholland, CTV.ca News
What is this swine flu outbreak?
Technically, what we're calling swine flu in this outbreak is no longer a swine flu. It's an influenza virus that does not appear to be infecting pigs; it's infecting humans.
The virus is a brand new strain, a subtype of Influenza A/H1N1 that has never been detected before in swine or humans.
It appears to be a combination of human, swine and bird flu viruses. It contains the DNA of: North American swine influenza; a swine influenza virus typically found in Asia and Europe; human influenza A; and a North American avian influenza.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control's Dr. Anne Schuchat calls it "an unusually mongrelized mix of genetic sequences."
Why are we calling it 'swine flu'?
The CDC was the first to use the term "swine flu" to describe this virus after initial analysis showed the virus had many of the characteristics of a swine flu. Further tests revealed it also contained genetic material from a human flu virus and avian flu virus. After undergoing genetic changes (called "antigenic shift"), what likely started as a swine flu has now become a human swine flu virus.
But now that the name is being used by media outlets and governments everywhere, it is likely the "swine flu" name is going to stick.
How did this new strain develop?
No one yet knows.
It is likely that pigs were the "reservoir" where the virus developed, since pigs are notorious "mixing bowls" for viruses. But even though this new strain of flu contains some elements of swine influenza virus, it may not have started in pigs. It could as well have been bred in birds or even another mammal.
The investigation could take a while and it's possible the answer will never be found.
How far has this virus spread?
What makes this new virus disturbing is how easily it appears to be able to pass from person to person. With cases popping up across the globe every day, it might be around the globe already.
How far this virus has spread will become clearer in coming days.
Why is a new strain worrisome?
If an influenza virus changes and becomes a new strain against which people have little or no immunity -- and if this new strain can easily spread from person to person and cause severe illness in a high percentage of people that it infects -- the seeds would be sown for a pandemic that could sicken and kill many people around the world.
Epidemiologists have been warning for years that it's just a matter of time before a new strain of the flu emerges that has the potential to kill millions. Flu pandemics have historically occurred about three times per century and the world hasn't seen one in more than 40 years.
What is a pandemic?
A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that has spread across a large region, such as across continents or worldwide.
But a pandemic can be mild or severe, depending on how many deaths the disease causes. When most of us think of flu pandemics, we think of the 1918 Spanish Flu. But remember that the 1968 Hong Kong flu epidemic killed only about 700,000 worldwide. That's less than many yearly outbreaks of garden-variety seasonal flu.
If the current human swine flu outbreak is declared a pandemic, it is more likely to be of the 1968 variety because we have been exposed to several parts of this virus before. We also have good public health systems that are ready for a pandemic with antiviral medications and infection control measures.
Do we have a pandemic strain of influenza virus here?
We're not yet sure. It's clear we have a new infectious disease. In Mexico, it also appears to be causing severe illness in people who should be in the prime of health - young and middle-aged people. But its ability to spread easily from person-to-person is still being debated.
The good news is that so far, the number of deaths from this virus is relatively low. In countries where the virus is just being found, such as Canada, it's causing such mild illness, it's running its course in two to three days, in some cases without treatment.
Is there a vaccine?
There is no vaccine, as the genetic makeup of this virus is still being analyzed.
But CDC officials have prepared a "seed stock" of the virus that could be used in the manufacture of a vaccine, though it is still premature to send it to pharmaceutical companies. Preparing a new vaccine would likely take several months.
For swine influenzas that affect pigs, there is a vaccine available that can be given to pigs; there is no vaccine to protect humans from swine flu.
I got the flu shot this year. Am I protected?
Not likely. This is a virus that has never been seen before; therefore, vaccines for human flu would not provide adequate protection from the swine flu material contained in this virus. It may offer some protection though against the human flu genetic elements.
Can people catch swine flu from eating pork?
No. Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food; you cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products.
What are the symptoms of swine flu in humans?
Symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of our regular flu, with sudden onset of:

• fever
• lethargy
• lack of appetite
• coughing

Some people with swine flu have also reported:

• runny nose
• sore throat
• nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

How is the virus transmitted?
Human-to-human transmission of swine flu is believed to occur the same way as seasonal flu, mainly through coughing or sneezing of people infected with the influenza virus.
People also can become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.
How can I protect myself from this virus?
Since influenza spreads through spit and spray as well as contact with contaminated surfaces, the usual good personal hygiene habits are the best defence.

• Wash your hands repeatedly through the day with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitizers
• Avoid touching you mouth, nose or eyes with your hands unless they've been washed
• When coughing, cough into a tissue and throw it in the garbage
• If you cough into your hand, wash your hands immediately
• Sanitize surfaces that may have come into contact with the virus
• If you become ill with flu-like symptoms, stay home

With human flu, the virus is most contagious between the second and third days after infection -- sometimes before symptoms appear -- and the virus remains contagious for about a week in adults and up to 10 days in kids.
Can we treat swine flu in humans?
Yes, for the most part. Most of the infections have been treated successfully, though there have been deaths in Mexico.
In many cases, patients with this swine flu have recovered on their own. In those who have had to be hospitalized, this virus has been treated with antiviral medications. The virus appears to be resistant to amantadine and rimantadine but has been susceptible to zanamivir and oseltamivir (Tamiflu).
What about pigs? Are they at risk?
Because pigs are not monitored for illness as closely as humans are, we're not yet certain if pigs are being infected with this new strain.
What is known is that pigs, like humans, can get the flu. They develop a sudden fever, a barking cough, sneezing, lethargy and typically lose their appetite.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is asking producers, veterinarians and labs to increase their vigilance in monitoring for and reporting swine disease.
Humans can also catch a swine flu directly from a pig -- historically, there's such a case every year or two in the U.S. - but what they catch is a flu virus inherent to pigs, not this new strain that appears to combine animal and human viruses.
Have there been swine flu outbreaks before?
Yes. Most famously, there was an outbreak in 1976 at Fort Dix, N.J., among military recruits that grabbed big headlines at the time.
Worried that they had the beginning of a pandemic on their hands, U.S. officials ordered the manufacture of swine flu vaccine and the country launched a mass immunization program that saw about 40 million people vaccinated.
But the outbreak didn't turn into a pandemic and went away as mysteriously as it appeared.
Sources: The Canadian Press, Public Health Agency of Canada and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control

[Christina86]

Flu virus mutations are big concern for H1N1 experts

Updated Sat. May. 2 2009 11:08 AM ET
Angela Mulholland, CTV.ca News
While fears about the H1N1 virus that we used to call swine flu are abating somewhat, virologists say we shouldn't let our guard down yet. The virus could undergo genetic changes and perhaps even return with a vengeance in the fall.
Influenza viruses are notorious for their ability to mutate. No one can predict what this virus will do, but we can look to past pandemic-type strains for guidance.
The 1918 Spanish flu first emerged in early summer, then went quiet, only to cause a severe pandemic in the fall. The same pattern occurred in 1957 and 1968, when flu strains emerged first in Asia then re-emerged in North America and Europe in the fall, though with less virulence than the 1918 strain.
This H1N1 strain, too, could continue to evolve. So far, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the virus does not have the markers for virulence that were seen in the 1918 virus. But there is still much to understand.
Virologists say this new virus is a bit of a "mutt," containing bits of a virus that appears to have mixed with another hybrid virus that contained swine, bird and human genes.
Scientists in Mexico, the United States and New Zealand have all mapped full sequences of the DNA taken from 34 virus samples, and posted them in an online public journal called Eurosurveillance.
They explain that influenza A is a virus with eight different segments. When two viruses co-infect the same cell, new viruses can be produced that contain segments from both parental strains
Researchers from the Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics at Columbia University and elsewhere announced this week they've found that six segments of the virus are related to swine viruses from North America and the other two are from swine viruses isolated in Europe/Asia.
Hybrid virus: Where and when did it originate?
This particular strain looks partly like another hybrid virus. That virus was a swine virus that acquired a little bit of avian genetic material and a little bit of human genetic material sometime in 1997. It has been circulating in pigs in North America since that time.
This new virus seems to have taken that hybrid and then acquired some genetic material from an influenza virus that's been seen in parts of Europe and Asia.
The analysis is important to learn where and how the virus originated. If researchers can sequence the virus' genomes regularly during an outbreak, they can see which genes are evolving. That way, if the virus changes to cause new symptoms in patients -- for example, suddenly causing diarrhea in all patients -- researchers can figure out which gene mutation is causing the change.
That will also allow scientists to create and adjust tools to fight the virus, such as vaccines and rapid diagnostic test kits.
Microbiologists use "polymerase chain reaction" tests to analyze flu viruses. The technique "amplifies" DNA, generating millions copies of a particular DNA sequence. First, the test determines if the virus is influenza A, then further tests identify its subtype.
In Canada, when a lab can't identify the subtype, it has to be sent on to the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, which is the only lab in the country that can confirm this new strain of H1H1.
The hope is that a new, rapid PCR test can be developed to detect this specific H1N1 by looking for gene sequences that are unique to this virus.
That should mean that a testing process that can now take as many as five days could soon pick up this H1N1 in four to six hours.
A rapid test confirmation can be critical; if a patient needs the antiviral medication Tamiflu, they need to start treatment within 48 hours of symptom onset.
Hong Kong scientists hope to design a PCR kit within a matter of weeks.
Vaccine and antibodies
A vaccine could take much longer: as long as six months. But scientists think a new vaccine is needed because while previous vaccines contain protection against H1N1, it's not the correct subtype of H1N1.
As Mark von Itzstein, director of the Institute for Glycomics in Australia's Griffith University, told Reuters this week: "it only takes one amino acid change in the whole protein makeup of the virus to escape the vaccine."
Preliminary research suggests people 60 and older may already have some protection against the new swine flu, possibly because of vaccines they've received in the past.
Dr. Nancy Cox, the head of the influenza division at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control says work being done in the Atlanta labs shows older people have some antibodies that may offer protection against the swine H1N1 virus.
Cox says her team is seeing higher levels of antibodies against the virus in people starting at about age 50, but the rise is more noticeable in people 60 and older. She says the pattern of disease spread seems to support the idea, because most of the cases are in young people.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...502?hub=Health

[Christina86]

Worker may have passed H1N1 to Alberta pigs

Updated Sat. May. 2 2009 6:36 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff

Health authorities have confirmed the presence of H1N1 in Alberta pigs, and say the virus may have jumped from a farm worker to the animals, in what could be the first case of human-to-animal transmission of the virus.
Dr. Brian Evans, of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, said a Canadian returned from Mexico on April 12, and began work at an Alberta swine farm on April 14.
"This person was exhibiting flu-like symptoms following the return, and may have exposed swine on the farm to an influenza virus," said Evans. "I can tell you that the traveler has recovered."
It was later confirmed that the pigs were, in fact, infected with the same H1N1 virus spreading around the world.
"We have determined that the virus H1N1, found in these pigs, is the virus which is being tracked in the human population," said Evans.
The animals are now recovering, and the herd has been placed in isolation.
Evans said it is not uncommon for influenza to jump from humans to pigs. He also said there is no evidence humans can get H1N1 from eating pork, and urged against any bans of Canadian products.
"I want to be clear: There is no food-safety concern related to this finding," said Evans.
"They key here is that influenza viruses do not affect the safety of pork," he added. "Therefore, we are calling on the international community that they base their decisions on facts, not fear."
Herman Simons, a spokesperson for Alberta Pork, told The Canadian Press he was worried about how the news may impact exports.
"That's our big concern," Simons said. "The biggest concern is it may impact exports of live animals into the U.S."
Scientists believe the H1N1 virus, or so-called "swine flu," has been passed from human to human for some time. But even though the virus contains swine flu genes, the World Health Organization says there is no evidence pigs are passing the disease to humans.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories

[Rhapsody]

I just heard on the news that there are six confirmed cases of the Swine Flu here in Central Florida..... Hillsborough County and Orange County - I don't like the thought of this as live in between both of them and my two sons go to college over in Orange County.

The case in Orange County was of a 14 year old girl that recently came back from Mexico.... makes one wonder if the border should be closed (even to Americans returning home)?

Three middle schools in Hillsborough County will be closed this week coming as a precaution...... three of the six confirmed cases of Swine Flu in Florida are students at the schools being closed.

(((Rhapsody)))) they closed another school on the other side of me yesterday.
I am in most agreement with them closing them. We have 2 schools in that area closed. I am not near NYC at all.
our other county other side of me
has 20 cases waiting as I said before except #s went up.
Makes me wonder why no schools have been closed there
amazing how different counties work
by the way my son goes to county where there are 20 maybe cases

I have wondered about he boarder issue too. At least say no travel to there. Till this is under control
and thank goodness everyone so far in US have had mild cases

[(JD)]

I haven't heard of any deaths except for Mexicans. I'm sure it has much to do with the lack of care there. I did hear that the Mexican government hasn't even provided medicine to the family members of those sick! That would be sad.

I know they are comparing this to the 1918 flu in that it COULD be horrible in the fall, while mild now in the spring. It's hype to me. People need to be outraged that our government hasn't protected us from the usual flu, nor provided such admonitions to wash hands etc! Of course, taking off from work for the normal flu (which KILLS36 THOUSAND people a year in the USA) would ruin the economy... huh? Ok...as if losing that many people and workers isn't affecting the same economy?

I'm always careful. I carry a little bottle of waterless hand cleaner attached to my purse all the time. I carry tissues with me, or a -gasp- handkerchief!

Tomorrow I have to go see the MD for consult, and I WILL WEAR A MASK. I always get sick in some way after I go to her office. I don't care if people think the worst of me when they see me (WHY DON"T THEY MAKE BEIGE AND BROWN AND BLACK MASKS instead of the blue and green and white that stand out so?)
I do what I have to do... and being sick isn't on my list.

Keep your hands away from your face. Wash your hands often. Cough or sneeze into something, like normal polite people. It isn't so hard.