Swine Flu Pandemic Plans Stepped Up As Us Investigates Deaths
Poorest nations would be hardest hit by a swine flu pandemic, says WHO, whilst California declares a state of emergency as 13 cases are confirmed
The World Health Organization today called on all governments to prepare for a swine flu pandemic and warned that if the disease took hold across the globe it could prove a disaster for the world's poorest countries.
The call came as New York's health commissioner said "many hundreds" of children were reported to have fallen sick with suspected swine flu.
The possible infection of large numbers of children in the city could be evidence of human-to-human transmission of the disease outside the source of the epidemic, Mexico. A group of children from a New York school who visited the country recently may have spread the illness to other children since their return.
Tonight Arnold Schwarzenegger, the governor of California, declared a state of emergency following the confirmation of 13 cases of the illness. It emerged tonight that the authorities in Los Angeles County were investigating the deaths of two men to establish whether they were as a result of swine flu. If confirmed they would be the first fatalities outside Mexico. after reports of a possible swine flu death.
A further increase in the pandemic threat level appeared to be the likely response to the numbers of confirmed infections rising on three continents.
The Mexican authorities said today that three more people died of swine flu on Monday, bringing the toll to 152.
Mexico City's mayor, Marcelo Ebrard, ordered the closure of gyms, sports clubs and swimming pools. Schools, theaters and many other public places are shut and the city authorities are considering closing the extensive underground system.
Mexicans stripped supermarket shelves bare today, prompted by growing concerns that the outbreak could result in a nationwide curfew.
Dr Keiji Fukuda, the WHO assistant director general for health security, said that while the organisation continued to say that a pandemic was not inevitable, the rising number of infections meant that governments should plan for the worst.
"Countries should take this opportunity to really prepare themselves for the possibility of a pandemic," he said.
The number of confirmed infections in the US, the largest outside Mexico, rose to 65 with new cases in Indiana and New Jersey. A firm in New York's financial district also reported that one of its workers had contracted the disease.
The US homeland security secretary, Janet Napolitano, said: "We anticipate that there will be confirmed cases in more states in the coming days."
The number of confirmed swine flu cases continued to rise across the world to more than 90 outside Mexico. Today there were 11 new cases of the disease in New Zealand and two in Israel, all among people who recently travelled to Mexico. A second case was confirmed in Spain.
But while the latest confirmations were in developed nations, Fukuda warned that the greatest threat is to the poorest countries: "We know from history … that the poorer countries are the ones who really get hit the hardest, they are really hit disproportionately hard, and they also have the least resources to deal with these kind of situations," he said.
Suspected infections are being investigated in Brazil, Guatemala and Peru, all countries that would struggle to cope with a large-scale swine flu outbreak.
Although the flu season is passing in the northern hemisphere, the onset of winter in southern Africa and parts of South America means that the impact of any pandemic could be particularly severe on countries with fragile health services.
Fukuda said the WHO is still investigating why all the deaths have so far been confined to one country and is looking to see if infections are becoming established in communities or countries outside Mexico. But he warned that even if the disease does not take hold immediately, that does not mean the threat has passed.
"Even if activity goes down and quiet over the next few weeks, I think it would be very hard to know if it has disappeared," he said.
Fukuda noted that the 1918 flu pandemic was not initially taken seriously, fell into a lull for a few months, and then returned to claim millions of lives.
In Mexico, the authorities continued to come under fire for issuing information in fragments, fueling a lively round of conspiracy theories. Families with masks stocked up on supplies in the city. "Best to get it while you can," said Rosa Lozano, 37, sweating from the weight of shopping bags in the Colonia Roma district.
The authorities ordered all restaurants in Mexico City – there are more than 30,000 – to serve only takeaway food to reduce the risk from people congregating to eat. Congress and courts operated but sessions were closed to the public.
For the third consecutive day, pharmacies were sold out of face masks, prompting media advice on how to make home-made versions with cloth and tape.
The health minister, José Ángel Córdova, said 400,000 doses of antiviral drugs would be distributed, but appealed to doctors to prescribe them with caution to avoid a resistant strain developing. The authorities urged people not to buy antivirals online. US health officials said it will take several months to have a vaccine .
The call came as New York's health commissioner said "many hundreds" of children were reported to have fallen sick with suspected swine flu.
The possible infection of large numbers of children in the city could be evidence of human-to-human transmission of the disease outside the source of the epidemic, Mexico. A group of children from a New York school who visited the country recently may have spread the illness to other children since their return.
Tonight Arnold Schwarzenegger, the governor of California, declared a state of emergency following the confirmation of 13 cases of the illness. It emerged tonight that the authorities in Los Angeles County were investigating the deaths of two men to establish whether they were as a result of swine flu. If confirmed they would be the first fatalities outside Mexico. after reports of a possible swine flu death.
A further increase in the pandemic threat level appeared to be the likely response to the numbers of confirmed infections rising on three continents.
The Mexican authorities said today that three more people died of swine flu on Monday, bringing the toll to 152.
Mexico City's mayor, Marcelo Ebrard, ordered the closure of gyms, sports clubs and swimming pools. Schools, theaters and many other public places are shut and the city authorities are considering closing the extensive underground system.
Mexicans stripped supermarket shelves bare today, prompted by growing concerns that the outbreak could result in a nationwide curfew.
Dr Keiji Fukuda, the WHO assistant director general for health security, said that while the organisation continued to say that a pandemic was not inevitable, the rising number of infections meant that governments should plan for the worst.
"Countries should take this opportunity to really prepare themselves for the possibility of a pandemic," he said.
The number of confirmed infections in the US, the largest outside Mexico, rose to 65 with new cases in Indiana and New Jersey. A firm in New York's financial district also reported that one of its workers had contracted the disease.
The US homeland security secretary, Janet Napolitano, said: "We anticipate that there will be confirmed cases in more states in the coming days."
The number of confirmed swine flu cases continued to rise across the world to more than 90 outside Mexico. Today there were 11 new cases of the disease in New Zealand and two in Israel, all among people who recently travelled to Mexico. A second case was confirmed in Spain.
But while the latest confirmations were in developed nations, Fukuda warned that the greatest threat is to the poorest countries: "We know from history … that the poorer countries are the ones who really get hit the hardest, they are really hit disproportionately hard, and they also have the least resources to deal with these kind of situations," he said.
Suspected infections are being investigated in Brazil, Guatemala and Peru, all countries that would struggle to cope with a large-scale swine flu outbreak.
Although the flu season is passing in the northern hemisphere, the onset of winter in southern Africa and parts of South America means that the impact of any pandemic could be particularly severe on countries with fragile health services.
Fukuda said the WHO is still investigating why all the deaths have so far been confined to one country and is looking to see if infections are becoming established in communities or countries outside Mexico. But he warned that even if the disease does not take hold immediately, that does not mean the threat has passed.
"Even if activity goes down and quiet over the next few weeks, I think it would be very hard to know if it has disappeared," he said.
Fukuda noted that the 1918 flu pandemic was not initially taken seriously, fell into a lull for a few months, and then returned to claim millions of lives.
In Mexico, the authorities continued to come under fire for issuing information in fragments, fueling a lively round of conspiracy theories. Families with masks stocked up on supplies in the city. "Best to get it while you can," said Rosa Lozano, 37, sweating from the weight of shopping bags in the Colonia Roma district.
The authorities ordered all restaurants in Mexico City – there are more than 30,000 – to serve only takeaway food to reduce the risk from people congregating to eat. Congress and courts operated but sessions were closed to the public.
For the third consecutive day, pharmacies were sold out of face masks, prompting media advice on how to make home-made versions with cloth and tape.
The health minister, José Ángel Córdova, said 400,000 doses of antiviral drugs would be distributed, but appealed to doctors to prescribe them with caution to avoid a resistant strain developing. The authorities urged people not to buy antivirals online. US health officials said it will take several months to have a vaccine .
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