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Texas Infant First Reported US Swine Flu Fatality
Reuters is reporting the sad news that the current swine flu outbreak has claimed its first US casualty:
The AP has more on the Texas case:
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Worldwide, the WHO has confirmed cases in 7 countries, and is considering raising its pandemic alert level to phase 5. Currently, the alert level is at phase 4, with phase 6 being the most serious. From the World Health Organization website:
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A government official confirmed the first U.S. death from the new H1N1 swine flu on Wednesday, a 23-month-old child who died in Texas.There have now been 66 cases of the disease reported in the US, while in Mexico, the death toll from swine flu has reached 159.
The AP has more on the Texas case:
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Kathy Barton, a spokeswoman for the Houston Health and Human Services Department, said Wednesday that the child had traveled with family from Mexico to Brownsville in South Texas. The child became ill in Brownsville and was taken to a Houston hospital and died Monday night, she said.The LA Times, meanwhile, is reporting that swine flu has been effectively ruled out in 2 earlier deaths that were initially suspected to be related to the outbreak.
"Even though we've been expecting this, it is very, very sad," Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday of the infant's death. "As a pediatrician and a parent, my heart goes out to the family."
Worldwide, the WHO has confirmed cases in 7 countries, and is considering raising its pandemic alert level to phase 5. Currently, the alert level is at phase 4, with phase 6 being the most serious. From the World Health Organization website:
Phase 4 is characterized by verified human-to-human transmission of an animal or human-animal influenza reassortant virus able to cause "community-level outbreaks." The ability to cause sustained disease outbreaks in a community marks a significant upwards shift in the risk for a pandemic. Any country that suspects or has verified such an event should urgently consult with WHO so that the situation can be jointly assessed and a decision made by the affected country if implementation of a rapid pandemic containment operation is warranted. Phase 4 indicates a significant increase in risk of a pandemic but does not necessarily mean that a pandemic is a forgone conclusion.
Phase 5 is characterized by human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region. While most countries will not be affected at this stage, the declaration of Phase 5 is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short.
Phase 6, the pandemic phase, is characterized by community level outbreaks in at least one other country in a different WHO region in addition to the criteria defined in Phase 5. Designation of this phase will indicate that a global pandemic is under way.
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Tommy Christopher
Tommy Christopher is a freelance writer, blogger, and online journalist based out of New Jersey and Washington, DC...moreRelated Articles
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Comments (8)
marcachaine
6:46PM Apr 29th 2009
No, Texas infants have died of Swine Flu yet. A Mexican infant died in Texas while seeking treatment.
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(2) 
rocksabound
3:34AM May 1st 2009
I hope everyone discussing this subject is aware of the factual realities here.
The cases of the virus in New York arose among a group of AMERICAN students who had traveled to Mexico on Spring Vacation, and returned bringing the virus back with them.
The one fatality thus far in the US was a 23-month-old toddler who had been brought here by the parents for treatment (so far as I know quite "legally" --- but who could condemn them even if that WEREN'T the case?).
"Fusion" flu virus strains that cross over interspecies barriers occur by happenstance. The "Hong Kong Flu" of a few years back was eventually traced to a chance FUSION of two strains that arose in a remote village where poor people lived in close proximity with both their PIGS and their DUCKS. Some poor pig happened to come to be SIMULTANEOUSLY infected by a flu virus strain that could infect both ducks and pigs (but not humans) and ALSO by another flu virus strain which could infect both pigs and humans (but was relatively mild in humans). But when the TWO DIFFERENT viral strains GOT TOGETHER in this particular pig, a new CHIMERA strain arose that then in effect carried the DUCK viral strain OVER to the humans --- who had no immunity to that NEW immunological challenge. Lots of people DIED, before increasing human immunity came to gradually be developed (partly by natural selection, and partly by work to scientifically develop a vaccine as quickly as possible).
Efforts to develop a vaccine for this NEW viral strain are now ALREADY underway --- but it will take MONTHS before that can be achieved. In the meantime, we are going to have to fall back to more PRIMITIVE-strategy tactics of INFECTION AVOIDANCE.
It does NOT particularly help to have ideological idiots of the "political" sort seeking to "make hay" among folks who may be basically IGNORANT of the mechanics of infectious diseases. Indeed, such people may do EVEN FURTHER HARM if by preying on the ignorance of the foolish in order to incite "political" reaction they end up diverting energies and resources AWAY from efforts to deal with the ACTUAL problem!
The cases of the virus in New York arose among a group of AMERICAN students who had traveled to Mexico on Spring Vacation, and returned bringing the virus back with them.
The one fatality thus far in the US was a 23-month-old toddler who had been brought here by the parents for treatment (so far as I know quite "legally" --- but who could condemn them even if that WEREN'T the case?).
"Fusion" flu virus strains that cross over interspecies barriers occur by happenstance. The "Hong Kong Flu" of a few years back was eventually traced to a chance FUSION of two strains that arose in a remote village where poor people lived in close proximity with both their PIGS and their DUCKS. Some poor pig happened to come to be SIMULTANEOUSLY infected by a flu virus strain that could infect both ducks and pigs (but not humans) and ALSO by another flu virus strain which could infect both pigs and humans (but was relatively mild in humans). But when the TWO DIFFERENT viral strains GOT TOGETHER in this particular pig, a new CHIMERA strain arose that then in effect carried the DUCK viral strain OVER to the humans --- who had no immunity to that NEW immunological challenge. Lots of people DIED, before increasing human immunity came to gradually be developed (partly by natural selection, and partly by work to scientifically develop a vaccine as quickly as possible).
Efforts to develop a vaccine for this NEW viral strain are now ALREADY underway --- but it will take MONTHS before that can be achieved. In the meantime, we are going to have to fall back to more PRIMITIVE-strategy tactics of INFECTION AVOIDANCE.
It does NOT particularly help to have ideological idiots of the "political" sort seeking to "make hay" among folks who may be basically IGNORANT of the mechanics of infectious diseases. Indeed, such people may do EVEN FURTHER HARM if by preying on the ignorance of the foolish in order to incite "political" reaction they end up diverting energies and resources AWAY from efforts to deal with the ACTUAL problem!
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(1) Cube
3:20PM May 1st 2009
Correction! "Swine Flu" is no longer called "Swine Flu." It is now called the "H1N1 Virus" or, as Israel calls it officially, "Mexico Flu." Seriously. Pigs aren't Kosher. And, that's actually all true.
http://cubicpolitics.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/israel-refuses-to-acknowledge-virulent-traif/
http://cubicpolitics.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/israel-refuses-to-acknowledge-virulent-traif/
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(1) priley8104
3:50PM May 3rd 2009
Correction! "Swine Flu" is no longer called "Swine Flu." It is now called the "H1N1 Virus"
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And the War on Terror is now called an "Overseas Contingency Plan" and Terrorist Activity is called a "man made disaster" by this stupid administration. Glad to see the Narcissistic Megalomaniac Community Organizer has now renamed the Swine Flu in honor of him and his Vice President, Heretic 1 Ninny 1. WTG, Totus!
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And the War on Terror is now called an "Overseas Contingency Plan" and Terrorist Activity is called a "man made disaster" by this stupid administration. Glad to see the Narcissistic Megalomaniac Community Organizer has now renamed the Swine Flu in honor of him and his Vice President, Heretic 1 Ninny 1. WTG, Totus!
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(1) Cube
3:43PM May 1st 2009
Phase Seven: This shit makes Ebola look like Christmas phase.
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(1) brntrewesl
2:06PM May 3rd 2009
Tommy
Cube
You finally made the big time, where you both belong! Back page entry with 4 (correction 5) responses. I love it when reality sets in.
It brings a whole new meaning to "Unusable Signal", don't ya think?
Cube
You finally made the big time, where you both belong! Back page entry with 4 (correction 5) responses. I love it when reality sets in.
It brings a whole new meaning to "Unusable Signal", don't ya think?
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(2) Michelle
2:39PM May 3rd 2009
and here you are gloating, brnwezel...
how nice...
maybe you don't realize the size of this new blog, nor the calibur of writers that are here...
even on the "back page", this is a pretty big deal...
how nice...
maybe you don't realize the size of this new blog, nor the calibur of writers that are here...
even on the "back page", this is a pretty big deal...
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(-1) brntrewesl
4:24PM May 3rd 2009
Michelle
“and here you are gloating, brnwezel...
how nice...”
--------------------------
I’m sure Tommy and Cube appreciate your support, Michelle. I’ve come to expect nothing less, from you.
But, after four days (other than Cube, you and me) three people have responded to Tommy’s analysis of the most discussed issue of the past week, a possible Swine Flu pandemic.
The fact is, if Tommy did not try to use Sarah Palin, George Bush and/or Dick Cheney to poke conservatives in the eye, no one would pay any attention to his irrelevant dithering, at all.
You can spin it if you wish, Michelle, but you can't change the facts. Maybe, Tommy needs another "session" with Helen Thomas?
“and here you are gloating, brnwezel...
how nice...”
--------------------------
I’m sure Tommy and Cube appreciate your support, Michelle. I’ve come to expect nothing less, from you.
But, after four days (other than Cube, you and me) three people have responded to Tommy’s analysis of the most discussed issue of the past week, a possible Swine Flu pandemic.
The fact is, if Tommy did not try to use Sarah Palin, George Bush and/or Dick Cheney to poke conservatives in the eye, no one would pay any attention to his irrelevant dithering, at all.
You can spin it if you wish, Michelle, but you can't change the facts. Maybe, Tommy needs another "session" with Helen Thomas?
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(2) 
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