Envoyé par mon BlackBerry Wireless Handheld -----Original Message----- From: "Bryan Bledsoe, DO" <bbled...@earthlink.net>
Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:07:01 To: texasem...@yahoogroups.com<texasem...@yahoogroups.com>; paramedic...@yahoogroups.com<paramedic...@yahoogroups.com> Subject: Mexico, DF News (English) Epidemic rattles nation BY NACHA CATTAN The News Mexican and international health officials were racing Friday to determine the cause and extent of a deadly flu outbreak, expressing concern that the new viral strain could develop into a pandemic. The outbreak of a variant of swine flu led federal officials to close Mexico City-area schools indefinitely - the first such shutdown since the devastating 1985 earthquake. They also shuttered museums, discouraged residents to go out in public and advised citizens against handshakes and customary greeting kisses. At the city's international airport, passengers were questioned to try to prevent anyone with flu symptoms from boarding airplanes. But even as the number of deaths kept rising from the 20 reported earlier this week, authorities refrained from imposing more drastic measures. Evidence that the strains were related to infections in California and Texas did not trigger moves to seal borders or issue travel advisories. And while surgical masks were a common sight on city streets and some businesses closed their doors, life went on more or less as usual in the capital. People filled shopping malls and subway cars, and street life was still buzzing in many areas. Meanwhile, health officials were struggling to understand where the virus came from and how they might contain it. The swine flu has taken a novel path in passing from human to human and has been attacking young people and adults who are usually less vulnerable to such viruses, epidemiologists said. "This is a highly contagious and potentially deadly virus that could take on pandemic properties," Health Secretary José Córdova said at a press conference. Córdova said a Eurasian strain of pig flu was responsible for the outbreak, while international authorities described a genetic combination of pig, bird and human viruses that also hailed from North America. Officials announced and then quickly abandoned a vaccination campaign, saying the medicine is likely not effective against the current strain. Instead, they were stocking up on the flu medicine Oseltamivir, which they say has shown positive results. Córdova said 60 people have died of flu and the new swine flu strain had been confirmed in 20 of those deaths. At least 1,004 people nationwide were sick from the suspected flu, he said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, said it was unsure why the virus was causing so many deaths in Mexico while all seven U.S. patients had recovered. Earlier this week officials had struggled to react to the virus, initially refusing to call it an epidemic. Late Thursday, however, Córdova gave an address confirming the outbreak as an epidemic and announcing that all public and private schools in Mexico City and the State of Mexico would close Friday. Asked by reporters at a press conference why reaction to the virus did not take place sooner, after the first deaths were reported in March, health officials defended their response, saying their timing was indeed swift considering the circumstances. The Pan-American Health Organization, or PAHO, which has offices in Mexico and will send aid here, said Mexico is well-prepared but that it is difficult to detect a unique strain of influenza as even a regular flu can prove deadly. "It's not that things went undetected," said Daniel Epstein, information officer at PAHO. "You just don't always know what the cause is." U.S. and Canadian officials announced an outbreak notice to travelers, but stopped short of telling citizens to avoid Mexico. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
