Published: Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Swine flu: What you need to know
Not pandemic yet
The World Health Organization set its alert level at Phase 5, which it calls "a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent." Phase 6 would mean a pandemic has arrived. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday that the WHO had no current plan to raise the alert level.
What is swine flu?
Swine flu -- or H1N1, as the government prefers to call this current strain -- is a general term for influenza viruses adapted to pigs, causing a respiratory disease in the animals. Swine flu can pass from human to human.
Sometime in the last few years, a bird flu strain infected pigs. It mixed with two kinds of flu that are endemic in swine and a fourth kind that originally came from people. The resulting concoction spread among pigs, then started infecting humans.
Area school closures
Health officials in Snohomish and King County have decided that a single case of swine flu will no longer be enough to automatically trigger a school closing. Schools will be closed if there is evidence that the illness is spreading rapidly at a school, affecting large numbers of students or staff, said Dr. Gary Goldbaum, health officer for the Snohomish Health District.
Around here
There are 45 probable cases of swine flu in Washington, including 14 in Snohomish County and 27 in King County, according to the state Department of Health. No cases have been confirmed, but most of the illnesses are reported to be mild.
Confirmed in U.S.
Confirmed swine flu cases in the U.S. are about 380 in 36 states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said about a third of confirmed U.S. cases are people who had been to Mexico and likely picked up the infection there.
Worldwide
1,316 confirmed cases, more than half in Mexico.
Deaths
26 confirmed in Mexico and one confirmed in the U.S., a toddler from Mexico who died in Texas.
Mexico eases restrictions
Mexico to allow most businesses to reopen Wednesday, universities to reopen Thursday. Mexico City cafes, museums and libraries to reopen this week; schools nationwide to reopen next week after inspections are completed.
Mexico-China tiff
The Mexican government chartered a plane to bring its citizens home from China after 70 Mexican nationals traveling in China were quarantined there. China sent its own plane to retrieve Chinese nationals stranded in Mexico. Mexico also criticized Argentina, Peru and Cuba for banning flights.
CDC online
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov/swineflu
From Herald staff and news services
The World Health Organization set its alert level at Phase 5, which it calls "a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent." Phase 6 would mean a pandemic has arrived. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday that the WHO had no current plan to raise the alert level.
What is swine flu?
Swine flu -- or H1N1, as the government prefers to call this current strain -- is a general term for influenza viruses adapted to pigs, causing a respiratory disease in the animals. Swine flu can pass from human to human.
Sometime in the last few years, a bird flu strain infected pigs. It mixed with two kinds of flu that are endemic in swine and a fourth kind that originally came from people. The resulting concoction spread among pigs, then started infecting humans.
Area school closures
Health officials in Snohomish and King County have decided that a single case of swine flu will no longer be enough to automatically trigger a school closing. Schools will be closed if there is evidence that the illness is spreading rapidly at a school, affecting large numbers of students or staff, said Dr. Gary Goldbaum, health officer for the Snohomish Health District.
Around here
There are 45 probable cases of swine flu in Washington, including 14 in Snohomish County and 27 in King County, according to the state Department of Health. No cases have been confirmed, but most of the illnesses are reported to be mild.
Confirmed in U.S.
Confirmed swine flu cases in the U.S. are about 380 in 36 states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said about a third of confirmed U.S. cases are people who had been to Mexico and likely picked up the infection there.
Worldwide
1,316 confirmed cases, more than half in Mexico.
Deaths
26 confirmed in Mexico and one confirmed in the U.S., a toddler from Mexico who died in Texas.
Mexico eases restrictions
Mexico to allow most businesses to reopen Wednesday, universities to reopen Thursday. Mexico City cafes, museums and libraries to reopen this week; schools nationwide to reopen next week after inspections are completed.
Mexico-China tiff
The Mexican government chartered a plane to bring its citizens home from China after 70 Mexican nationals traveling in China were quarantined there. China sent its own plane to retrieve Chinese nationals stranded in Mexico. Mexico also criticized Argentina, Peru and Cuba for banning flights.
CDC online
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov/swineflu
From Herald staff and news services
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