Swine influenza

I heard on talk-back radio yesterday, callers criticizing announcer Jon Faine, for being ‘alarmist’ regarding the pandemic (yes, now announced in US and by the WHO [who seemed to have found some teeth] as a pandemic) swine influenza A (H1N1).
As I write 149 people are suspected to have died in Mexico, although, there have been no recent updates from other countries on fatalities. I would say that many of the developed countries where the flu presents will not see fatalities due to stockpiles of antiviral medicines, which have been in preparation for a pandemic event, which was initially expected to be Avian influenza. On Twitter, Al Jezzera correspondent in Mexico has tweeted, saying some impoverished Mexicans are claiming to have been ignored when presenting at hospitals with flu like symptoms and returning home, hence the deaths in those communities. If there is a global pandemic, I wonder if the developed world will share drugs with developing countries.
The WHO have issued the following statement; ‘The change to a higher phase of pandemic alert indicates that the likelihood of a pandemic has increased, but not that a pandemic is inevitable’. They have also declared that the widespread presence of the virus means that the containment of the outbreak is not feasible. The current focus should be on mitigation measures suggested the WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan. Dr John Simon, a consultant in infectious diseases and tropical medicine in Hong Kong, told Al Jazeera that the virus could be treated.
"It is an H1N1 virus and that is easy to treat with anti-viral drugs; I am not saying it is going to be easily containable, but it should be quite responsive to treatment," he said.
The reason that swine influenza A (H1N1) is so dangerous is because it has done what the Avian influenza alone couldn’t- it has mutated from animal to human to human. Avian influenza could only be passed to human directly, but NOT passed from human to human. Bird to human contact is severely limited due to the way many of us live in cities; the greatest probability for these out breaks were, as we had already seen in the developing world, Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong and other places where person to avian contact was more likely, the Avian influenza virus and SARS have been responsible for 800 plus deaths.
Mexico, another developing country has now seen the outbreak of swine influenza A (H1N1), a mixture of human/swine/avian flu, because swine and human contact is high, the possibility of an influenza with that ferocity moving from animal to human and then human to human, especially presenting in developed countries where public transport is so accessible, is something to be very afraid of. There have only been very few cases in human history where an animal disease has mutated to become a human disease.

An update from Al Jazeera website
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/americas/2009/04/2009427203648307397.html

Deaths: At least 20 confirmed, 149 now suspected in Mexico
Sickened: 1,614 suspected or confirmed in Mexico, 40 confirmed in US, six confirmed in Canada; two in UK, suspected cases in Chile, New Zealand, South Korea, Australia (in NSW), Spain, Brazil, France and Israel
Safety measures in Mexico: Schools closed until May 6, surgical masks given to train passengers, public events canceled, schools and public venues closed

Safety measures worldwide: Airports screening of travelers from Mexico for flu symptoms

Stocks of influenza medication increased in Europe, North America and the Middle East

Several countries including US and EU issue travel advisories for Mexico

Some countries increasing screening of pigs and pork imports or banning them outright

Here are some facts about swine flu:
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/04/2009426165851276111.html

What is swine flu?
The World Health organisation says swine influenza, or "swine flu" is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease typically found in pigs. It spreads through tiny particles in the air or by direct contact.
The virus tends to infect large numbers of a given pig population, killing between one and four per cent of those affected, the WHO says. Not every animal infected displays symptoms.
How do humans contract the virus?
Swine flu normally only infects pigs, but the virus can cross the species barrier and infect humans, the WHO says.
People can catch the virus through contact with infected pigs, though there have been limited instances of human-to-human transmission.
What are the symptoms of swine flu in humans?
Symptoms are similar to those of human strains of the seasonal influenza virus, including fever, cough sore throat and body aches.
But the symptoms can also include severe pneumonia that can result in death, the WHO says.
Where do outbreaks occur?
Swine flu is considered endemic in the United States, though outbreaks in pigs have also been reported elsewhere in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and in parts of eastern Asia.
How high is the risk of a pandemic?
If the virus establishes efficient human-to-human transmission, it can cause a pandemic, the WHO says.
Health officials say the swine flu might develop into a form easily spread among humans by combining with a human flu virus or mutate on its own into a transmissible form.
But Dr Laurence Gerlis, an expert on infectious diseases, told Al Jazeera it is too early to call the outbreak a pandemic.
"If you have got an epidemic that affects several countries in the world then it becomes a pandemic.
"But at the moment it is a problem in Mexico and people who have traveled to Mexico have carried it elsewhere. We have to assess it on an hour-by-hour basis."
Is it safe to eat pork products?
Properly handled and prepared pork products are safe to eat, according to the WHO. The swine flu virus is killed when cooked at temperatures of 160 F/70 C or higher.
Does a vaccine exist?
There are no vaccines to protect humans from the current swine flu virus.
The flu virus evolves quickly, meaning that vaccines are soon obsolete.
Health officials say there is no evidence to suggest that the vaccine prepared for seasonal flu will protect against swine flu.
Are there any other treatments?
The swine flu virus detected in Mexico and the United States appears to respond to treatment with oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza).
Are there any other treatments?
The swine flu virus detected in Mexico and the United States appears to respond to treatment with oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza).
What can be done to stop the spread of the disease?
Most of the cases have been detected by chance through seasonal influenza surveillance.
But Dr Gerlis told Al Jazeera that "anyone traveling out of Mexico could be potentially carrying the virus and would have no symptoms at all."
Health officials say maintaining good hygiene, including regular hand-washing and staying a safe distance from those infected, may help in preventing the spread of the virus.