Influenza A (H1N1) near epidemic

Is this a new strain as far as you know?  One that has not had a vaccine developed for it yet?

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_04_24/en/index.html

yeah, the authoirities decided to close all the schools today in Mexico City, people is scared and yeah this is a strange case, i dont really remember something similar in the last years, we have to take care of ourselves

I was out earlier today, and just saw the news on the website of the Italian newspaper I usually read... It seems a very serious thing, and I can only imagine how worried our Mexican friends must be. There have been a few deaths in the border states of the US too, and it seems that even EU authorities are concerned about the gravity of the situation.

There are sporadic cases of swine influenza that cross to humans every year, usually by people in close contact with pigs who get a big dose of virus. Occasionally a strain of the virus mutates, allowing it to cross more easily. Most mutations are actually bad for the virus, so it causes mild or no disease and the strain fizzles out. However, sometimes, because the strain is new to human immune system as a population, it can spread more quickly or be more virulent. As time passes, the collective immune system knocks it back down to typical levels of virulence.

First of all mutation is a scary word that just means that a virus has changed a few of its characteristics. All of the things we are talking about are influenza, a virus that causes a respiratory illness ranging from something that looks like the common cold to something that can cause fatal pneumonia. Most of the influenza that goes around year after year gives a respiratory condition that makes you feel like you've been hit by a truck, significant fever, headache, and a cough. It is typically only dangerous for people who are already weak. Occasionally, very new strands (and influenza has an extremely high different number of varieties) are more virulent, they get nasty faster. In these cases, those with healthy immune systems suffer because the chemical battle between the immune system and the virus can injure the lungs leading to pneumonia or respiratory failure.

Edited by Negoba - April 24 2009 at 16:30

Henry Plainview wrote: Science has advanced a lot since then, and we're not distracted and affected by the horrible conditions of World War 1. And who knows how much of this is media fear-mongering, although this seems much more serious than the silly avian flu from a while ago.

Maybe that Chinese SARS outbreak a handful of years ago is a better parallel, then? I really hope it doesn't get anywhere that bad, though, because from what I read it looks like SARS did get pretty bad in Asia.

Latest news:

First this Influenza kill more than 100 people

It's spread in 3 provinces of the country.

Children go to school after the 6 of may.

And ALL public events are suspended public and private.

Museums, Threathers, Concerts, etc. are strictly suspended.

Raff wrote: I was out earlier today, and just saw the news on the website of the Italian newspaper I usually read... It seems a very serious thing, and I can only imagine how worried our Mexican friends must be. There have been a few deaths in the border states of the US too, and it seems that even EU authorities are concerned about the gravity of the situation.

I heard on the BBC world service this morning, that there had been cases in New York. However, I also heard that none of the US cases - so far - had been fatal. This is one anomoly that is confusing the authorities; why have the only deaths been in Mexico?

Although it seems you have heard differently from your source. I wish media would work together on things this important, and get their facts straight!

Blacksword wrote: Raff wrote: I was out earlier today, and just saw the news on the website of the Italian newspaper I usually read... It seems a very serious thing, and I can only imagine how worried our Mexican friends must be. There have been a few deaths in the border states of the US too, and it seems that even EU authorities are concerned about the gravity of the situation. I heard on the BBC world service this morning, that there had been cases in New York. However, I also heard that none of the US cases - so far - had been fatal. This is one anomoly that is confusing the authorities; why have the only deaths been in Mexico? Although it seems you have heard differently from your source. I wish media would work together on things this important, and get their facts straight!