Texas reported the nation's second death from the novel H1N1 influenza (swine flu), in a woman from Cameron County who had a chronic health condition. According to an update posted on the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) Web site, she died earlier this week. The first US death from the new flu strain also occurred in Texas, a 22-month-old boy from Mexico City.
Twenty countries were reporting a total of 985 confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 (swine flu) as of early today, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported. Mexico has reported 590 cases with 25 deaths. The WHO total includes yesterday's US report of 226 cases in 30 states, with one death. Other countries with more than 10 cases were Canada, 85; Spain, 40; and the United Kingdom, 15. [WHO statement]
(CIDRAP News) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) signaled today that it will change its current recommendation—which is to close schools for at least 2 weeks when a confirmed case of novel H1N1 swine flu is found among students—as health officials in the Seattle area and Minnesota scaled back their guidance to reflect more of a seasonal influenza approach.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 1,085 confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 (swine flu) and 26 deaths in 21 countries as of 18:00 GMT (noon US EST) today, up from 985 cases in 20 countries reported earlier in the day. Mexico has reported 590 confirmed cases and 25 deaths. The WHO's latest total reflects today's updated US numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which stand at 286 cases and 1 death. [WHO update 14]
(CIDRAP News) The tentative detection of the novel swine influenza H1N1 virus in an Alberta swine herd over the weekend shook Canada's pork industry and raised concern about the potential for new hybrid viruses to emerge.
— Update #2
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 331 cases of swine influenza H1N1 in 11 countries as of 6 a.m. GMT today. The case numbers by country are United States, 109 (1 death) (these are yesterday's totals); Mexico, 156 (9 deaths), Canada, 34; Spain, 13; United Kingdom, 8; New Zealand, 3; Germany, 3; Israel, 2; and 1 each in Austria, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. [WHO update 7]
(CIDRAP News) National and international health authorities said today that they have begun the first steps in manufacturing a vaccine against the novel H1N1 swine influenza, though they appeared to disagree over whether full-scale manufacturing will move forward.
(CIDRAP News) The first person in Mexico to have a confirmed case of swine influenza H1N1 fell ill on Mar 17, only 11 days before the first case on the American side of the border, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported yesterday in a profile of Mexico's flu outbreak.
