US declares Public Health Emergency for Swine Flu (418 hits)
WASHINGTON – The U.S. declared a public health emergency Sunday to deal with the emerging new swine flu, much like the government does to prepare for approaching hurricanes. Officials reported 20 U.S. cases of swine flu in five states so far, with the latest in Ohio and New York. Unlike in Mexico where the same strain appears to be killing dozens of people, cases in the United State have been mild — and U.S. health authorities can't yet explain why.
"As we continue to look for cases, we are going to see a broader spectrum of disease," predicted Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We're going to see more severe disease in this country." At a White House news conference, Besser and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano sought to assure Americans that health officials are taking all appropriate steps to minimize the impact of the outbreak.
Top among those is declaring the public health emergency. As part of that, Napolitano said roughly 12 million doses of the drug Tamiflu will be moved from a federal stockpile to places where states can quickly get their share if they decide they need it. Priority will be given to the five states with known cases so far: California, Texas, New York, Ohio and Kansas. Napolitano called the emergency declaration standard operating procedure — one was declared recently for the inauguration and for flooding. She urged people to think of it as a "declaration of emergency preparedness." "Really that's what we're doing right now. We're preparing in an environment where we really don't know ultimately what the size of seriousness of this outbreak is going to be."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the symptoms and transmission of the Swine Flu from human to human is much like seasonal flu: commonly fever lethargy lack of appetite and coughing runny nose sore throat nausea vomiting diarrhea.
It is believed to be spread between humans through coughing or sneezing of infected people and touching something with the virus on it and then touching their own nose or mouth. The Swine Flu in humans is most contagious during the first five days of the illness although some people, most commonly children, can be contagious for up to ten days. Diagnosis can be made by sending a specimen, collected during the first five days, to the CDC for analysis.
The Swine Flu is susceptible to four drugs licensed in the United States, amantadine, rimantadine, oseltamivir and zanamivir, however, for the 2009 outbreak it is recommended it be treated with oseltamivir and zanamivir. The vaccine for the human seasonal flu does not protect against the Swine Flu, even if the virus strains are the same specific variety, as antigenically very different.
This should make you want to WASH your hands more often! Great information, and also places one to be on alert!
Sunday, April 26th 2009 at 5:29PM
MIISRAEL Bride
We have to be prepared Miisrael and that's for sure. This thing (swine flu) is nothing to take lightly.
Tuesday, April 28th 2009 at 11:28PM
Jen Fad
