CDC: US begins border monitoring for swine flu .....

By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard, Ap Medical Writer – 23 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Amid surging worries about a global pandemic, the United States launched border screening for swine flu exposure Monday and a top federal health official said people should brace for more severe cases, "and possibly deaths."

Richard Besser, acting head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, revealed that American authorities were undertaking "passive screening" at its borders and reiterated the Obama administration's call for people to remain calm. Besser said that U.S. officials at border checkpoints were "asking people about fever and illness, looking for people who are ill."

"The U.S. declared a national health emergency Sunday in the midst of uncertainty about whether a mounting sick count really meant ongoing infections — or just that health officials had missed something simmering for weeks or months."


... More article info with in link.

I've never had that and I've never known any one that's had that, I'm pretty sure. ((((Knock on wood))))

I'm actually very cnocerned about this. I think there are 8 confirmed cases here in the city. They even had to close down a school for a few days. Scary stuff!

Your remembering it right. A lot did die from the vaccine. I should say, more than should have been, but to me any is a too high of number. I remember there being talk of shortages and people lining up to get it. I'm not one to go get flu shots.

They've updated the acrticle in that link I posted, but I was going to mention one of the pics that was shown of all these people wearing face masks. If it were to get to that point here I think it would have to be really bad.

Three confirmed cases in the UK!

Maybe it's just me but I always think that the media puts a hysterical slant on these things?

What is Swine Flu? How Does an Animal Disease Spread to a Human Host?

Have you been watching the news at all recently? If so, you’ve probably heard the term “Swine Flu” bouncing around a lot. While most people come down with the normal human flu at some point, it’s not really a danger to anyone but the very young and the very old. Why is this flu different and what does it have to do with pigs?
Essentially, influenza (aka, “The Flu”) is a viral infection that attacks our population in a yearly cycle. Fortunately, the human immune system is there to recognize and neutralize the effects of the virus. Each year, the virus mutates just slightly and most of the population is once again susceptible to the disease. This is why a new vaccine must be created regularly to reflect the most recent influenza mutants out in the environment. Under normal circumstances, this is all you need to know about the flu (aside from how to avoid infection and take care of yourself if you do come down with it).
Recently, some changes in the status quo have raised alarm bells at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). There have been reports of “swine flu” in Mexico and several other countries whose citizens regularly visit Mexico, including the United States. Since this is a general information article and not a “minute by minute” report, refer to major news outlets for more accurate information regarding confirmed cases. As of this moment, though, it looks like over 80 deaths in Mexico are the result of contact with swine flu and there have been confirmed cases of the new pathogen in New York, Ohio, Kansas, California, and possibly other states.
Putting the news figures aside for a moment, let me explain exactly what swine flu is. The influenza virus has a number of components, but the most variable parts of the virus are the spines found around its exterior. These are proteins called “peplomers” and there are two major kinds. The HA (hemagglutinin) peplomer is responsible for binding the virus to host cells and the NA (neuraminidase) peplomer allows the virus to break its bonds to the host cell once it is ready to move on. When you hear about the H1N1 virus or the H3N2 virus, the viruses are being referred to and classified by their external receptors. This is a bit of a simplification, but knowing the chemical nature of the peplomers isn’t crucial to understanding their function.
The peplomers are a double edged sword. They allow the viral particles access to the machinery of the cell (this is how viruses replicate themselves), but they also allow the immune system to recognize and target the virus. When the human flu virus mutates its external proteins, the body’s defenses still recognize them and eventually mount a response (the period of sickness occurs while the body is developing that response). If this failed to happen, you would eventually succumb to the virus and die.
The virus didn’t originate in humans, though. Birds, pigs, and even horses have their own versions of influenza. Remember the “bird flu” or “avian flu” scare a while ago? Scientists feared the influenza common in birds had “jumped the species barrier” and begun infecting humans. This is called a “zoonotic” disease - a disease that moves from animals to people. Now, the same worries have arisen about swine flu. Why does this matter? Won’t our immune system just deal with the new influenza virus the same way it has always done with the seasonal one?
Unfortunately the answer is a weak “maybe.” While your immune system might not immediately stop a new human influenza infection, it DOES recognize that new mutant and begin building a response. Avian and swine peplomers, on the other hand, are not easily recognized by the human system because our evolution did not include pressure from those particular viruses. As humans have come into close contact with the animals that carry these viruses, the animal influenza has been able to mutate enough to cross the species bridge and infect humans as well. In the past this would not have been a global problem. An infected village might just die out in isolation. Things are different now: a traveler can become infected in one region and fly thousands of miles to another, long before they experience symptoms.
So what’s the take away message from all of this? Can we do anything about this? Well as individuals it’s wise to go through the same sanitary practices as we might during flu season. Also, traveling to places which have reported cases probably isn’t a great idea. Governments and regulatory bodies like the CDC and the WHO are in an “all hands on deck” kind of status right now. As the outbreaks continue (they are expected to grow for at least the time being), these groups will be tracking any reported cases and trying to treat those infected.
As a young microbiologist, I’d say that for the moment we shouldn’t worry too much. There are people who have spent their whole lives preparing for just these kinds of events and they’re currently working very hard to provide the public with the best information and advice. Hopefully you now have a better understanding of the science behind influenza and zoonotic diseases. I’ve put some links at the bottom of this posting for further reading.


Track the Swine Flu Outbreaks on Google Maps


10 Things You Should Know about Swine Flu

That's crazy!!
I think there are 6 in Canada but none in my Province.

Pandemic game LOL

The cases in Texas are about 15 miles from my house.

I considered calling in today with "strange flu-like symptoms", but really I was just tired and I decided it was less funny than I thought.

My boss is out with the flu.

It's pretty scary. I do wonder though why there have been so many deaths from it in Mexico, but the people who catch it in the US recover.

I've read a lot of medical thriller books about pandemics and doomsday viruses (i.e., Hot Zone, Cobra Event, Year Zero, etc - good stuff!), it's quite scary.

Seriously. Physical problems like viruses are enemies you can't outrun.

Would people be so afraid if they called it the Piggly Wiggly Bug?

Great,
I live like 10 minutes away from the border,
The border agents have raised security, and Im warning my husband not to go to tijuana for now.

There are 20 cases in san diego.

Im going to wash my hands like crazy now.

Its terrible to hear about so many getting sick from this virus.

I'm definitely going to start taking Lysine daily. This is really scary!

If it gets worse, its time to bust out our gas masks and put them to actual use instead of asthetics. lol.

They are asking people to not go to Mexico if it is just for leisure, but I think people should just avoid getting on planes because it doesn't matter if you are going to Mexico or the UK--if someone on the plane has the flu, you will most likely get it.

Yeah, if you had to go for business....I would clearly avoid there.

^^ Nicely put.

I'm very tired of people talking about the swine flu everywhere I go. Most seem to be overreacting and the media is making it such a hype. Really. I'm going to start worrying once I see people start to drop over and die, on the spot. Other than that, it's time for people to lay back and stop overreacting.

Oh My!

We should call it Zombie Flu then... since the "government" no longers wishes that "we" call it swine flu, but H1N1

Ah, and the little one that had died in the US from the flu was actually here from Mexico to visit relatives. Four days after ariving he supposiedly came down with the flu, although I think it was possible he might have already had it without symptoms before getting here. He also was said to have had other health related problems. It doesn't make it anyless important or sad though. I just happened to read about that yesterday.