Swine Flu - World Counting Down To Pandemic Says Top Virologist Posted: 27 Apr 2009 01:32 AM PDT
A Chinese virologist who helped fight SARS and bird flu warned on Monday of a “We are counting down to a pandemic,” said Guan Yi, a professor at the University of Hong Kong who helped trace the outbreak of SARS in 2003 to the civet cat. “I think the spread of this virus in humans cannot possibly be contained within a short time … there are already cases in almost every region. The picture is Guan, who has been studying and tracking the spread of the H5N1 bird flu virus ever since it was discovered in people in Hong Kong in 1997, said there would be dense and health infrastructure is still insufficient.” The virus, which carries swine, avian and human DNA and the designation H1N1, has already killed up to 103 people in Mexico, infected 20 in the United States There are many questions surrounding this virus, such as why it appears milder in the United States and deadlier in Mexico. “It may seem weaker for now in the United States, but we do not know if it will get more virulent when it goes to another place as it mutates constantly,” said Guan.
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Mexico Swine Flu Death Toll Rises To 103 Posted: 27 Apr 2009 12:59 AM PDT
The probable death toll from a swine flu epidemic in Mexico has reached 103 people, Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova announced. The minister said on national television that the number of those hospitalized due to the epidemic stood at about 400. The previous probable death toll, announced Saturday, stood at 81 confirmed and suspected swine flu fatalities. Meanwhile, the number of cases under observation has reached 1,614, up from 1,324, according to the minister.
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Kidnap Victim Left In Car With Bomb Belt - UK Posted: 27 Apr 2009 12:19 AM PDT
Police are hunting a kidnap gang who tied up and apparently tortured an Asian man before dumping him in a car in a busy city centre, surrounded by a belt of canisters which they claimed were a bomb. A huge alert in Birmingham disrupted one of the country’s busiest railway stations and led to the evacuation of factories and workshops while army A police helicopter hovered overhead as officers sealed off the area, closing an The restrictions were eased after the man, who had been reported to be foaming at the mouth by a witness before the 500-metre cordon was imposed, was taken Speaking at the scene in Saltley, the head of the inquiry, Chief Superintendent Tom Coughlan, said the victim had told officers that he was forced into the He said: “This incident has now become a criminal investigation. We are seeking to establish the actual nature of the device that was placed in the car.” The canisters, the size of beer cans, were designed to hold camping gas. They have been taken for examination by the army team. Coughlan said they would be any defusing or controlled explosions.
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300 Suicide Bombers On Way To Islamabad - Baitullah Mehsud Posted: 26 Apr 2009 11:59 PM PDT
300 suicide bombers are on their way to Islamabad, Pakistan and plan to attack the capital and certain local officials of foreign embassies there, Interior Ministry sources said. The suicide bombers also plan to attack Rawalpindi and Lahore and are being led by five top Taliban commanders who are close aides of Baitullah Mehsud, The commanders have left North Waziristan for Islamabad and would supervise the terrorist operations planned by Baitullah Mehsud in these cities, the sources added. Pakistan’s Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah confirmed the report, saying that security measures had been adopted to thwart such threats. The law the secretary said.
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Swine Flu - U.S. Declares Public Health Emergency Posted: 26 Apr 2009 01:54 PM PDT
The United States has activated an emergency plan to combat swine flu as the Obama administration announced measures Sunday to contain the sometimes deadly virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified the strain of swine flu and is prepared to distribute a quarter of the U.S. stockpile of 50 million doses of anti-viral medications in places around the country where swine flu has been located or may be expected to spread, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a briefing at the White House. Travel advisories have not been issued by the State Department, Napolitano said, nor is the United States going to screen passengers on flights arriving from Mexico. She said funds have been freed up in case a larger response is needed. Hand-washing, mask-wearing and other measures will help prevent the spread, Napolitano said explaining how the public can help slow potential contaminations. “If you are sick, stay home,” Napolitano said. “Take all of those reasonable measures that will help us mitigate and contain” the illness. People who are ill should not go on airplanes, to school or other places, added Dr. Richard Besser, the acting head of the CDC. Besser said the United States is working with the World Health Organization, Canada and Mexico as well as other organizations to reduce the spread of the virus, which appears to have originated in Mexico and has resulted in up to 81 deaths there.
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