SWINE FLU FACTS

Swine flu concerns spread
ATLANTA (UPI) -- Health officials worldwide Monday worked to contain what they said appears to be a spreading outbreak of swine flu from Mexico, the presumed epicenter. In Mexico City, one of every five residents wore masks to protect themselves against the virus, CNN reported. As many as 103 deaths in Mexico had been blamed on swine flu, the country's health minister said. However, only 18 of the deaths were confirmed by lab tests to be from swine flu and reported as such to the World Health Organization. The United States stepped up preparations for a possible epidemic after health officials confirmed 20 cases. Canada announced its first cases of the virus Sunday. Although the current cases of U.S. swine flu are mild, the public should prepare for additional cases and possible fatalities, a health official said. "We don't have great information yet," said Dr. Anne Schuchat, interim deputy director for science and public health at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. "There have been no deaths in the United States so far -- I do fear that we will have deaths here." Swine flu is a contagious respiratory disease that affects pigs and is caused by a type-A influenza virus, CNN said. The current strain is a new variation of an H1N1 virus, which is a mix of human and animal versions. When the flu spreads person-to-person, instead of from animals to humans, it can mutate, making it harder to treat or fend because people have no natural immunity. The WHO has called the outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern" and is trying to determine how easily the communicable disease can spread from person to person.
Copyright 2009 by United Press International