domingo, 3 de mayo de 2009

Influenza. Notas publicadas el sábado 2 de mayo de 2009 en el portal de The New York Times

(Imagen: The New York Times)

No Signs of Sustained Global Spread of Swine Flu
By DENISE GRADY and LIZ ROBBINS
Published: May 2, 2009
The World Health Organization announced an increase in the number of confirmed cases of swine flu on Saturday, but said there was no evidence of sustained spread in communities outside North America, which would fit the definition of a pandemic.

No hay signos de una expansión global sostenida de la influenza porcina
Por Denise Grady y Liz Robbins
Publicado: 2 de mayo de 2009

La Organización Mundial de la Salud anunció un incremento en el número de casos confirmados de influenza porcina el sábado, pero dijo que no hay evidencia de una expansión sostenida en comunidades externas a América del Norte, lo cual encajaría en la definición de una pandemia.
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Standing Shoulder to Shoulder With Fear of the Flu
By ANNE BARNARD
Published: May 2, 2009
Hawra Awada tries not to hold the poles on subway trains, backs away from people with coughs — subtly, so as not to hurt their feelings — and takes a shower as soon as she gets home from college.

Parados hombro con hombro con miedo a la influenza
Por ANNE BARNARD
Publicado: 2 de mayo de 2009
Hawra Awada intenta no agarrarse a los tubos del metro, se aleja de las personas que tienen tos -sutilmente, para no herir sus sentimientos- y se baña tan pronto como llega a casa de la universidad.


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Opinion
American Epidemics, a Brief History
By HOWARD MARKEL and SAM POTTS
Published: May 2, 2009
ALL epidemics are different in their own way, and the current swine flu outbreak — which by Friday had sickened 141 people in 19 states, and caused deaths and illness in Mexico and 13 other countries — is no exception. Yet, as you can see from the chart below (http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/08/30/opinion/03opchart.ready.html), which provides details on a selected handful of epidemics in American history, all outbreaks share certain themes. While some of these events killed many thousands and others affected only a few, in each case public health officials felt a grave threat was imminent and did what they could using the science of the day.


Epidemias americanas, una breve historia

Todas las epidemias son diferentes, y el actual brote de influenza porcina -el cual hasta el viernes ya ha infectado a 141 personas en 19 estados, y causado muerte y enfermedad en México y 13 otros países- no es la excepción. Aún así, como pueden ver en la tabla (http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/08/30/opinion/03opchart.ready.html), la cual da detalles de un selecto puñado de epidemias ocurridas en la historia americana, todos los brotes comparten ciertas características. Mientras que algunos de estos eventos mataron a miles y otros afectaron sólo a unos cuantos, en cada caso los oficiales de salud pública sintieron que era una amenza inminente, e hicieron lo que pudieron usando lo más moderno en la ciencia.

Continúa: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/opinion/03markel.html

Influenza. Notas publicadas el viernes 1 de mayo de 2009 en el portal de The New York Times


Questions Linger Over the Value of a Global Illness Surveillance System
By GARDINER HARRIS
Published: May 1, 2009

Dr. Scott Dowell was sorting through e-mail messages on April 20 at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta when he decided to cruise through that day’s outbreak reports from the agency’s Global Disease Detection center.


Permanecen las preguntas acerca del valor de un Sistema Global de Vigilancia de Enfermedades.
Por GARDINER HARRIS
Publicado: 1 de mayo de 2009

El Dr. Scott Dowell estaba revisando su e-mail el 20 de abril, en el Centro de Control y Prevención de Enfermedades en Atlanta, cuando decidio navegar por los reportes acerca del brote, provenientes de la agencia del Centro Global de Detección de Enfermedades.


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Quick Action by Hong Kong Reflects Experience of SARS
By KEITH BRADSHER
Published: May 1, 2009

HONG KONG — Six years after SARS paralyzed this city and killed 299 of its citizens, Hong Kong is not taking chances with swine flu.
Within minutes of the confirmation on Friday evening of Asia’s first swine flu case — a 25-year-old traveler from Mexico — the police had cordoned off the hotel where the young man stayed.
More than 200 guests will be quarantined in the building for a week, just in case they were exposed to the virus.


La acción rápida de Hong Kong refleja experiencia con SARS
Por KEITH BRADSHER
Publicado: 1 de mayo de 2009

HONG KONG - Seis años después de que el SARS paralizara esta ciudad y matara a 299 de sus ciudadanos, Hong Kong no está dando ninguna oportunidad a la influenza porcina.
La tarde del viernes, a unos minutos de que se confirmara el primer caso de influenza porcina en Asia -un turista de 25 años proveniente de México- la policia acordonó el hotel donde el joven se quedó.
Más de 200 huéspedes permanecerán en cuarentena dentro del edificio por una semana, por si acaso estuvieron expuestos al virus.

Permanecen en cuarentena (foto de The New York Times)

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Emergency Rooms Fill With Record Numbers, but Many Aren’t Ill, Just Afraid

By KEVIN SACK
Published: May 1, 2009

Some hospital emergency rooms have seen record-breaking numbers of patients this week as those with coughs, sore throats and fevers — and sometimes no symptoms at all — have sought reassurance that they do not have the deadly H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu.

Llenan salas de emergencia con números record, pero muchos no están enfermos, sólo asustados

Por KEVIN SACK. Publicado: 1 de mayo de 2009

Esta semana, algunas salas de emergencia han reportado una asistencia record de pacientes que presentan tos, garganta irritada y fiebre -y a veces ningún síntoma-, los cuales han ido para asegurarse de que no tienen el mortal virus H1N1, también conocido como influenza porcina.

Continúa: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/02/us/02er.html

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Outbreak in Mexico May Be Smaller Than Feared

By DENISE GRADY and LIZ ROBBINS
Published: May 1, 2009

The swine flu outbreak in Mexico may be considerably smaller than originally feared, test results released there on Friday indicate. Of 908 suspected cases that were tested, only 397 people turned out to have the virus, officially known as influenza A(H1N1), Mexican health officials reported at a news conference. Of those, 16 people have died.

Brote en México puede ser menor de lo que se temía

Por DENISE GRADY y LIZ ROBBINS

El brote de influenza porcina en México puede ser considerablemente menor de lo que originalmente se temía, indicaron resultados hechos públicos el viernes. De los 908 casos sospechosos que fueron examinados, sólo 397 personas tuvieron el virus -oficialmente conocido como Influenza A (H1N1)-, reportaron oficiales de salud de México en conferencia de prensa. De éstos, 16 personas han muerto.

Continúa: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/02/health/02flu.html

sábado, 2 de mayo de 2009

Influenza. Notas publicadas el 30 de abril de 2009 en el portal de The New York Times



Containing Flu Is Not Feasible, Specialists Say
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
“Containment is no longer a feasible option,” Dr. Keiji Fukuda, deputy director general of the World Health Organization, announced Monday night in Geneva after a meeting of the agency’s emergency committee on the spreading swine flu virus. “The world should focus on mitigation. We recommend not closing borders or restricting travel.”


Contener la influenza no es factible, dicen los especialistas
By Donald G. McNeil Jr.

"Contener ya no es una opción factible", anunció el Dr. Keiji Fukuda, director general de la Organización Mundial de la Salud, la noche del lunes, en Génova, después de una reunión de emergencia sobre la expansión del virus de la influenza porcina. "El mundo debería enfocarse en atenuarlo. Recomendamos no cerrar las fronteras o restringuir los viajes"

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How to Prevent a Pandemic
By NATHAN WOLFE

THE swine flu outbreak seems to have emerged without warning. Within a few days of being noticed, the flu had already spread to the point where containment was not possible. Yet the virus behind it had to have existed for some time before it was discovered. Couldn’t we have detected it and acted sooner, before it spread so widely? The answer is likely yes — if we had been paying closer attention to the human-animal interactions that enable new viruses to emerge.

Como prevenir una pandemia.
By NATHAN WOLFE

El brote de influenza porcina parece haber surgido sin ninguna advertencia. A unos cuantos días de haber sido notado, la influenza ya se había expandido hasta el punto en que contenerla fue imposible. Aún asi, el virus detrás de ella tuvo que haber existido antes de ser descubierto. ¿No lo podríamos haber detectado y actuado antes de que se expandiera? La respuesta es sÍ -si hubieramos prestado mayor atención a las interacciones entre humanos-animales que permiten a los nuevos virus surgir.



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Mexican Child Visiting U.S. 1st to Die Here of Swine Flu
By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.
HOUSTON — A 23-month-old boy from Mexico City became the first person to die of swine flu in the United States after being airlifted two weeks ago to a Houston hospital from the border town of Brownsville, where he had been visiting relatives, officials said.
The boy had “several underlying health problems,” state health officials said, declining to give details.


Niño mexicano que visitaba E.U. es el primero en morir aquí debido a la influenza porcina
By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.
HOUSTON- Un niño de 23 meses de nacido procedente de la Ciudad de México se convirtió en la primer persona en morir de influenza porcina en Estados Unidos después de haber sido transportado en helicoptero, hace dos semanas, a un hospital de Houston desde la ciudad fronteriza de Brownsville, donde había estado visitando a unos familiares, dijeron oficiales.
El niño tenía "severos problemas de salud", declararon oficiales de salud del Estado, rehusándose a dar más detalles.

Continúa: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/30/health/30toddler.html


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World Health Organization Raises Swine Flu Alert Level
The global spread of swine flu, a pandemic, is highly likely, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday and raised its alert level to Phase 5, the next-to-highest level in the worldwide warning system.


Organización Mundial de la Salud aumenta el nivel de alerta de la influenza porcina
La expansión mundial de la influenza porcina hacia una pandemia es bastante probable, dijo la Organización Mundial de la Salud el miércoles y subió su nivel de alerta a la fase 5, la anterior al nivel más alto en el sistema de alerta mundial.

Continúa: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/30/health/30flu.html


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The Smile Behind the Mask
By DAVID LIDA
Published: April 30, 2009
Mexico City

ON Monday — before the World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert to its second-highest level — it was easy enough to laugh about the swine flu, however inappropriately. Mexico City has lived through floods, earthquakes, diseases, violence, pollution and crime. Its residents, known as chilangos, are very good at toughing things out, and masters at improvisation.
On the streets of the city’s historic center, nearly everyone wore a surgical mask.



La sonrisa detrás de la máscara
Por Davied Lida
Publicado: 30 de abril de 2009
Ciudad de México

El lunes- después de que la Organización Mundial de la Salud subiera su alerta pandémica a su segundo nivel más alto- era lo suficientemente fácil reirse acerca de la influenza porcina, de cualquier manera de forma inapropiada.
La ciudad de México ha sobrevivido inundaciones, terremotos, enfermedades, violencia, contaminación y al crimen. Sus residentes, conocidos como chilangos, son muy buenos soportando situaciones, y son maestros de la improvisación.
En las calles del Centro Histórico de la ciudad casi todos usaban un tapabocas.


Continúa: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/01/opinion/01Lida.html


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First Flu Death Provides Clues to Mexico Toll
By MARC LACEY and ELISABETH MALKIN
Published: April 30, 2009

Prompt medical attention is crucial to treating swine flu, epidemiologists agree, and that has been where Mexico lags far behind.



Primera muerte por influenza da pistas sobre los fallecimientos en México
Por MARC LACEY y ELISABETH MALKIN
Publicado: 30 de abril de 2009

Los epidemiólogos concuerdan en que la atención médica oportuna es crucial en el tratamiento de la influenza porcina, y ahi ha sido donde México ha procedido de manera muy lenta.


Continúa: http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/subjects/i/influenza/swine_influenza/index.html?offset=30&s=newest


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W.H.O. Gives Virus a Name That’s More Scientific and Less Loaded
By DENISE GRADY
Published: April 30, 2009
On Wednesday, the new disease affecting thousands of people in Mexico and more than 100 in the United States and other countries was called swine influenza. By Thursday, the “S word” had been banned: A sentence in a box at the very top of the home page of the World Health Organization said, “From today, W.H.O. will refer to the new influenza virus as influenza A(H1N1).”



OMS da a virus un nombre que es más científico y menos subjetivo
Por Denise Grady
Publicado: 30 de abril de 2009

El miércoles, la nueva enfermedad que está afectando a miles de personas en México y a más de 100 en Estados Unidos y otros países fue llamada influenza porcina. Para el jueves, la "palabra con S" había sido prohibida: Una oración en un recuadro, en la parte superior del portal de la Organización Mundial de la Salud, decía "A partir de hoy, la OMS se referirá al nuevo virus de la influenza como Influenza A(H1N1)".


Continúa: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/01/health/01name.html


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Opinion
Mexico’s Fast Diagnosis
By JULIO FRENK
Published: April 30, 2009


EVERY year approximately 10,000 Mexicans die from the effects of seasonal flu. Usually they are the elderly and the very young, people whose immune systems are not robust enough to fight off the virus. But this year has been different. The Mexican disease surveillance system, a network of more than 11,000 hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices, picked up a minor but troubling trend in April. Across this nation of 110 million people, a handful of young adults had apparently died from influenza. An immediate investigation led, within a few hectic weeks, to the isolation and full genetic sequencing of the microbe causing the illness. The experts’ worst fear was confirmed: it was a new kind of influenza virus.



El diagnóstico rápido de México
Por JULIO FRENK
Publicado: 30 de abril de 2009
Cada año aproximadamente 10,000 mexicanos mueren por los efectos de la influenza estacional. Usualmente son los más viejos o los más jóvenes, personas cuyo sistema inmune no es lo suficientemente fuerte como para pelear contra el virus. Pero este año ha sido diferente. El sistema de salud mexicano, una red de más de 11,000 hospitales, clínicas y oficinas de doctores, registró una tendencia menor pero más problemática en abril. A lo largo de esta nación de 110 millones de personas, un puñado de adultos jóvenes habían muerto aparentemente de influenza. Una investigación inmediata condujo, en unas cuantas frenéticas semanas, al aislamiento y a la obtención de la secuencia genética completa del microbio causante de la enfermedad. Los peores temores de los expertos fueron confirmados: era un nuevo tipo de virus de la influenza.

jueves, 30 de abril de 2009

Infuenza. Más notas del 29 de abril de 2009

Flu May Have Spread Within New York City
By ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS

The swine flu outbreak in New York may have spread beyond one school in Queens — where victims now are estimated to number in the hundreds — to pockets across the city, including at least two other schools, officials said on Tuesday.
At Public School 177, a school for autistic children in Fresh Meadows, Queens, 12 students had fever or other symptoms that could indicate swine flu. The school, at 56-37 188th Street, which was closed as a precaution, is about half a mile from St. Francis Preparatory School, at 61-00 Francis Lewis Boulevard, where the first cases were detected several days ago. Tests of students there have not been completed.
Continúa: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/29/nyregion/29school.html

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The Naming of Swine Flu, a Curious Matter
By KEITH BRADSHER

HONG KONG — What to call the new strain of flu raising alarms around the world has taken on political, economic and diplomatic overtones.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/29/world/asia/29swine.html

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Influenza. 29 de abril de 2009. From Édgar, 5, Coughs Heard Round the World

By MARC LACEY
LA GLORIA, Mexico — Édgar Hernández can rattle off the fierce flu symptoms he suffered a few weeks back, like a boy far beyond his five years: His head was hot. He coughed until his belly and his throat were sore. He did not want to eat, which was strange for him, someone who gobbles up everything he can.
“I was very bad,” he said Tuesday, with his worried parents looking on.
“I feel good now,” he said later, flashing a smile.
The government has identified Édgar as the first person in Mexico to have become infected with a virulent strain of swine flu, a notoriety that could raise questions about how Mexican officials reacted — or failed to react — to the early stages of what might become a global epidemic.
Édgar was one of hundreds of people in La Gloria who came down with flulike symptoms in an outbreak that federal officials say began March 9.
Local residents accuse public health officials of discounting the outbreak at the time, reassuring them that it was nothing grave.
Federal officials said they did respond quickly, though they acknowledged that they took the matter more seriously after the virus infected people in another part of the country, which was at least a week after Édgar developed symptoms.
Among the many unknowns about the flu that struck Édgar are whether it could have set off more alarms early on, and whether it could have been contained if it had.
La Gloria may not, in the end, be found to be the source of anything. The village has many immigrants in the United States. Mexican epidemiologists say one theory is that someone who had been in the United States brought the virus back to the community.
Before Édgar fell ill, another person in San Diego may have been affected, said Dr. Miguel Ángel Lezana, Mexico’s chief government epidemiologist.
Even now, Édgar’s mother, María del Carmen Hernández, said she received conflicting accounts of the exact illness that kept her son in bed for three days. No one has explained what she should be doing to keep him and the rest of the family healthy, she said, signs that Mexico’s response effort may be spotty, especially in rural areas.
“Some people are saying my boy is to blame for everyone else in the country getting sick,” said Mrs. Hernández, 34, a blank stare on her face as she recounted the family’s ordeal. “I don’t believe that. I don’t know what to think.”
There was a modest increase on Tuesday in new cases of swine flu reported around the world.
In the United States, the number of confirmed cases rose to 64, from Monday’s count of 50, according to a news briefing by Dr. Richard E. Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The total includes 45 cases in New York State. There have been no deaths from the disease in the United States, but five people have been hospitalized for treatment.
Mexico remains the hardest hit. Late Tuesday, the Health Ministry put the number of suspected cases at 2,498, and the suspected number of deaths at 159.
In La Gloria, a town that has a major pig farming industry, two children died of the flu in March and early April, though the authorities said they had yet to determine whether it was the same strain that infected Édgar and spread widely to other locales. That and other questions have left residents here unnerved and confused.
Each knock on the door brings a surprise to the Hernándezes: fumigators who sprayed her home but did not tell her for what; scientists who asked to take a swab of Édgar’s throat; even the governor of Veracruz, who arrived by helicopter on Monday with an entourage in tow and left Édgar with a soccer ball and a baseball cap.
On Monday, the local physician who treated Mrs. Hernández told her that her son had influenza, but that it was not the swine flu virus, she said. But a few hours before, Gov. Fidel Herrera Beltrán walked right into her home to check on Édgar. He had said publicly over the weekend that Édgar had tested positive for swine flu, and Health Secretary José Ángel Córdova had confirmed on Monday that a boy from La Gloria, whom he refused to identify, had tested positive and then recovered.
“Shouldn’t they tell the mother first?” Mrs. Hernández asked as her younger son, Jonathan, 3, let out a cough of his own.
In fact, it was not Édgar’s case that tipped off heaThe situation changed dramatically,” Dr. Lezana said.
A crisis meeting was called at the office of President Felipe Calderón. By that evening, officials announced the closing of schools in and around the capital, where the bulk of the cases were seen. Now, as the cases continue to come in, all of Mexico’s schools are closed.
“My impression — as an external observer, and that’s what I am now — is that the response has been quite competent,” said Dr. Julio Frenk, a former Mexican health minister who is now dean of Harvard’s School of Public Health. “Not perfect,” he continued, “but quite competent.”
Mexico has acted swiftly since the new flu strain was confirmed.
But officials acknowledge that the country lacks enough health workers to do as much outreach as they would like, and that the country has been unable to even test for the new strain of virus.
It was only this week that two laboratories, one in Mexico City and one in Veracruz, obtained the reagents to do their own checks on the new virus, rather than having to rely solely on epidemiologists in the United States and Canada.
“We never had this kind of epidemic in the world,” Mr. Córdova, the health secretary, responded testily to reporters this week when questioned about the handling of the crisis.
Epidemiologists are likely to have many leads to follow in determining how and where the flu originated.
La Gloria was not alone in experiencing a fierce outbreak in recent weeks. Public health officials in other parts of Mexico said they had noticed an unusual spike in cases in the beginning of April, when the normal flu season would usually be ending.
More than a month before the government confirmed the outbreak of swine flu, Verónica Ramos already knew something was amiss in La Gloria, where she is a teacher at the elementary school.
First, she said, a fourth-grade girl became sick; then more than half of that class had symptoms. The girl’s sister came down with fever, a cough and aches. Soon, one-third of the school’s 300 students were ill.
“Children get sick, I know that,” Ms. Ramos said. “And they infect each other. But it’s not common for so many to get sick so fast.”

Influenza. Notas publicadas el 29 de abril de 2009 en el portal de The New York Times.

Pentagon Confirms Marine Is Ill With Swine Flu
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: April 29, 2009
Filed at 4:14 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Pentagon said Wednesday a Marine based in Southern California has been confirmed to be ill with swine flu and is under quarantine, along with about 30 other Marines.
A Marine spokesman at the Pentagon, Maj. David Nevers, said the sick Marine was doing well and his condition continued to improve. Nevers said approximately 30 other Marines who had been in contact with the sick Marine at the Twentynine Palms base will be held in quarantine for five days as well as to see whether they show symptoms.
Continúa: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/04/29/health/AP-US-Marines-Swine-Flu.html

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Mexico City Shuts Down Taco Stands Amid Swine Flu
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: April 29, 2009
Filed at 11:49 p.m. ET
MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Tacos filled with pork, sizzling gorditas, juicy carnitas covered with salsa and gobbled down at sidewalk carts while pedestrians brush past -- this is Mexico's version of a fast-food joint, but it is now in peril because of the swine flu epidemic.
With Mexico City authorities urging residents to dine at home to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, vendors at the tens of thousands of taco carts that line the streets of this overcrowded capital have seen business plunge. It hasn't helped that many people mistakenly believe you can contract the flu by eating pork.
Continúa: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/04/29/world/AP-LT-Swine-Flu-Taco-Terror.html

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World Takes Drastic Steps to Contain Swine Flu
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: April 29, 2009
Filed at 11:54 p.m. ET
From Egypt's order that all 300,000 pigs in the country be slaughtered to travel bans and putting the kibosh on kissing, the world is taking drastic -- and some say debatable -- measures to combat swine flu.
Egypt ordered the pig slaughter even though there hasn't been a single case of swine flu there and no evidence that pigs have spread the disease. Britain, with only five cases, is trying to buy 32 million masks. And in the United States, President Barack Obama said more of the country's 132,000 schools may have to be shuttered.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/04/29/world/AP-EU-Swine-Flu-Drastic-Measures.html?pagewanted=1

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WHO Says Swine Flu Pandemic Is Imminent
MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Global health authorities warned Wednesday that swine flu was threatening to bloom into a pandemic, and the virus spread farther in Europe even as the outbreak appeared to stabilize at its epicenter. A toddler who succumbed in Texas became the first death outside Mexico.
Mexico, taking a drastic step as confirmed swine flu cases doubled to 99, including eight dead, announced it would temporarily suspend all nonessential activity of the federal government and private business from May 1-5. Essential services like transport, supermarkets, trash collection and hospitals will remain open.
Continúa: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/04/29/world/AP-MED-Swine-Flu.html
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Obama Vows Great 'Vigilance' as Swine Flu Spreads
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: April 29, 2009
Filed at 11:21 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama pledged ''great vigilance'' in confronting the swine flu outbreak Wednesday night as it spread coast to coast across the U.S. The outbreak hit 11 states and closed schools amid confirmation of the first U.S. death -- a Mexican toddler who visited Texas with his family -- and the confinement of dozens of Marines after one came down with the disease in California.
Some 100 schools were closed, and more might need to be shut down temporarily, Obama said, declaring, ''This is obviously a very serious situation.'' The total confirmed cases in the U.S. rose to nearly 100, with many more suspected.
Continúa: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/04/29/us/politics/AP-MED-Swine-Flu-US.html

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School Nurse’s Response to Flu Wins Applause
By ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS
Published: April 28, 2009
Too often school nurses are all but forgotten in the education wars over test scores, standardization and vouchers. Across the country, from Atlanta to New York City, amid budget cuts and economic turmoil, advocates say, the jobs of school nurses are increasingly at risk.
Now nurses are crowing over the role of one of their own, Mary Pappas, in uncovering the first swine flu cluster in New York State. Through her quick thinking, she might have lifted the status and perhaps even saved the jobs of thousands of nurses.
Continúa: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/29/nyregion/29nurse.html

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Influenza. Notas publicadas el 28 de abril de 2009 en el portal de The New York Times

From Travel Restrictions to Face Masks, Experts Address Readers’ Questions
By PAM BELLUCK
Published: April 27, 2009

The New York Times asked readers to submit questions about swine flu. Here is a selection of some of the questions, along with answers based on interviews with experts.
Q. Why is the mortality rate so high in Mexico? Is it due to the nature of the virus, the health care system in Mexico, or something else?
Q. Is it possible that the reason United States cases are milder is that Mexico is on a second wave of infection (similar to the 1918 flu, where the initial round was mild and the second round was the killer), while the United States is only in the first round of the infection?
A. Infectious disease experts so far know too little about this swine flu strain to be able to say why it appears to have more seriously affected people in Mexico than in the United States. “As far as I can tell, there is not a good explanation for it yet,” said Dr. Layne. One of the biggest unknowns is how many people in total have been infected in Mexico.
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W.H.O. Issues Higher Alert on Swine Flu, With Advice
While confirmed cases of swine flu increased only slightly on Monday, the World Health Organization voted to raise its global pandemic flu alert level, but at the same time it recommended that borders not be closed nor travel bans imposed.
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Investors Buy Up Shares of Flu Drug Makers
By DAVID JOLLY
Published: April 27, 2009
PARIS — Shares of GlaxoSmithKline and Roche, makers of prescription flu treatments, rose Monday amid expectations that the swine flu scare would lift demand for their products.
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Teenagers From Queens in Swine Flu Spotlight
By ANNE BARNARD
Published: April 27, 2009
It was the spring break trip they had dreamed of all year: white-sand beaches, a quarter-mile-long swimming pool, young people from all over the world.
Esti Lamonaca and her friends spent five months planning a trip to Mexico to celebrate their senior year of high school. They chose the Oasis Cancun, better known for college partying than high school vacations (“The center of spring break action,” raves one student travel Web site). Ms. Lamonaca persuaded her parents to let her go if she paid her own way — so she worked every day after school to save up about $1,200.
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Sound the Alarm? A Swine Flu Bind
By LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN, M.D.
Published: April 27, 2009
For all that scientists have learned about influenza since the catastrophic pandemic of 1917-19, one thing has not changed: the predictably unpredictable nature of the viruses that cause it.
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Opinion- Globalism Goes Viral
By DAVID BROOKS
Published: April 27, 2009
In these post-cold war days, we don’t face a single concentrated threat. We face a series of decentralized, transnational threats: jihadi terrorism, a global financial crisis, global warming, energy scarcity, nuclear proliferation and, as we’re reminded today, possible health pandemics like swine flu.
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Opinion-Where Will the Swine Flu Go Next?
By JOHN M. BARRY
Published: April 27, 2009
New Orleans
AS the swine flu threatens to become the next pandemic, the biggest questions are whether its transmission from human to human will be sustained and, if so, how virulent it might become. But even if this virus were to peter out soon, there is a strong possibility it would only go underground, quietly continuing to infect some people while becoming better adapted to humans, and then explode around the world.
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Flu New Threat to Global Finance
The financial crisis in the United States has reverberated around the world. Now the country faces a new challenge to its economic health — fallout from the swine flu crisis. It’s not yet clear, but the repercussions for the global economy could be severe.
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Stocks Drop Amid Swine Flu Concerns
By JACK HEALY
Published: April 27, 2009
As fears grew about a deadly outbreak of swine flu, investors on Monday performed the financial equivalent of washing their hands and donning surgical masks. They bought heavily into drug stocks, spurned the Mexican peso and shied away from pork producers[...]
But declines in the United States turned into a rout in Mexico, the center of the outbreak, where 149 people have died and more than 1,300 have probably been infected. The Mexican Bolsa stock index dropped more than 3 percent, the peso fell 4 percent against the dollar, and shares of Mexican food companies, retailers and transportation companies dropped sharply.
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Obama Seeks to Ease Fears on Swine Flu
By ROBERT PEAR and GARDINER HARRIS
Published: April 27, 2009
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration dispatched high-level officials from several agencies Monday to allay concerns about swine flu and to demonstrate that it was fully prepared to confront the outbreak even as the president said there was “not a cause for alarm.”
Janet Napolitano, the secretary of homeland security, and Dr. Richard E. Besser, the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the administration was prepared to respond to any further spread of the swine flu virus.