by Frank James

It was a full day of damage control for the Obama Administration after Vice President Joe Biden went way off message on television this morning, revealing that he'd tell family members to avoid air travel and other confined spaces because of the swine flu.

My blogging partner Mark Memmott captured some of the early efforts on the administration's part to unring the bell. But attempts later in the day bear mentioning too.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, for example, was given the unpleasant job of asking reporters to believe him and not their lying eyes and ears.

So strained was his answer, he actually elicited laughter from the White House press corps.

Here's one exchange:

Q My other question has to do with remarks that Vice President Biden made this morning on television. Representatives of the travel industry have accused the vice president of coming close to fear-mongering because of his comments. I'm wondering if you wanted to clarify or correct or apologize for the remarks that he made.

MR. GIBBS: Well, I think what the vice president meant to say was the same thing that, again, many members have said in the last few days, and that is, if you feel sick, if you are exhibiting symptoms -- flu-like symptoms -- coughing, sneezing, runny nose -- that you should take precautions, that you should limit your travel. And I think he just -- what he said and what he meant to say.

Q With all due respect, and I sympathize with you trying to explain the vice president's comments, but that's not even remotely close to what he said. He was asked about --

MR. GIBBS: I understand.

Q -- if a member of his family were --

MR. GIBBS: Jake, I understand what he said, and I'm telling you what he meant to say, which was that -- (laughter) -- if somebody is experiencing symptoms -- you heard the president say this last night -- if somebody is feeling sick, if somebody is exhibiting symptoms of being sick, then they should take all necessary precaution. Obviously, if anybody was unduly alarmed for whatever reason, we -- we would apologize for that. And I hope that my remarks and the remarks of people at the CDC and Secretary Napolitano have appropriately cleared up what he meant to say.

Continue reading "Obama Team Spends Day Fixing Biden Flu Gaffe" >

Mexican federal police catch reputed drug lord while trying not to catch flu. Mexican federal police photo

 

By Frank James

NPR's Jason Beaubien e-mailed us a photo taken by the Mexican federal police that twins two of Mexico's greatest epidemics -- swine flu and narco traffficking.

As Beaubien writes in an e-mail, the photo shows:

... The arrest of one of Mexico's most wanted drug lords. He's being escorted by Mexican federal police in storm trooper uniforms and they all have their obligatory surgical masks.

Gregorio Sauceda is allegedly one of the founders of the Gulf Cartel. He was on the list of the most wanted in Mexico and there was a $2 million dollar US reward out for his arrest.

The shot is an amusing confluence of the news down here.

By April Fulton

The BBC posted today a neat list of what every country in the world is doing regarding the potential swine flu pandemic, or the 2009 H1N1, as the officials are calling it.

As noted in a story yesterday on world reaction by NPR's Charles Holmes, steps to preparedness vary wildly.

The BBC list notes that Ghana has banned imports of pork and pork products, Belize has cancelled all major events, and Australia has approved new authority to detain people suspected of carrying the disease. Italy is handing out pamphlets to airport passengers in Rome, and Portugal is stocking up on Tamiflu.

By Frank James

The swine flu may have hit a federal employee who was on President Barack Obama's recent trip to Mexico.

An Energy Department employee is suspected of coming down with the virus and transmitting it to his family.

But White House officials said the situation didn't raise concerns about the president's health. Meanwhile, it sounds like the federal worker has fully recovered.

An excerpt from a Washington Post story:

An Energy Department employee who was part of the security advance team for President Obama's recent trip to Mexico is suspected of having contracted the swine flu virus and transmitting it to his family in Anne Arundel County, the White House said today.

The man is on the staff of Energy Secretary Steven Chu, who traveled with Obama to Mexico on April 16. He is believed to have transmitted the highly contagious virus to his wife, son and nephew, press secretary Robert Gibbs said. The woman and young boys appear to be the three Anne Arundel County residents who, official said yesterday, have tested positive as "probable" victims of the virus.

Neither the president nor Chu experienced any symptoms of the virus, Gibbs said, and White House doctors do not think Obama should be tested.

The security staffer "was asked specifically if he ever came within six feet of the president, and the answer was 'no,' " Gibbs said at a news briefing.

Continue reading "Swine Flu Hits Nation's Capital?" >

By Mark Memmott

Elected officials and health authorities need to deliver "consistent, clear, but honest messages about what is going on" when nations are faced with serious threats such as the swine flu outbreak, a University of Michigan expert on such crises just told All Things Considered co-host Michele Norris.

"People react much better and have much more predictable reactions when they know they're (being) told as much information as is available ... and that they're (being) given sound advice," added Sandro Galea, director of the Center for Global Health at the University of Michigan and a professor of epidemiology at the university's School of Public Health.

Galea also said studies show that after an initial period of confusion during crises, most people quickly adapt and "the confusion typically gives way to rational behavior."

As for Vice President Joe Biden and the comment he made today that he's told his family not to travel on commercial airplanes or to "go anywhere in confined places now," Galea said Biden was guilty of "perhaps underestimating the weight of his words as a public official." That's "problematic," said Galea, because Bidens words were "in direct contrast to what other public officials are saying."

Michele's conversation with Galea is scheduled to be part of today's ATC broadcast. Click here to find a local NPR station.

By Frank James

Many of us non-scientists are asking the question: just how scared should we be of swine flu?

Maybe we should just take our cue from an expert. And if the expert is Ruben Donis, head of molecular virology and vaccines branch at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, then we should be afraid, maybe very afraid.

Donis was recently interviewed with Jon Cohen who blogs for the American Association for the Advancement of Science ScienceInsider blog. Donis said he's concerned because of just how easy it appears this particular virus gets transmitted between humans.

An excerpt:

R.D.: We all pray this remains sensitive to antivirals. We all hope that vaccines will be developed. The virus doesn't grow very well in eggs. We hope the virus will improve [the] ability to grow in eggs so we can produce [a] vaccine very quickly so these secondary and tertiary cases can be controlled. In some countries there's good surveillance, but in others, who knows.

Q: What do you think of this outbreak?

R.D.: This is the first one I've seen firsthand as a virologist. The avian influenza outbreak is not comparable because this is unfolding so quickly. This reminds me of SARS. With avian there's very little transmission. And even with SARS, transmission was far less.

Q: Does this one scare you?

R.D.: I saw figures that do scare you. We've received 300 samples from Mexico, and these cover the span of February, March, and April. And you look at flu A, traditionally it's A/H1 or A/H3 or it's B up until the end of March. There are two or three cases up to [the] last days of March that are swine. Then in April they skyrocket. So all the cases in the D.F. areas, where most samples came from, it really transmits very efficiently.

Continue reading "Swine Flu Worries Top CDC Virologist" >

By Mark Memmott

"The number of states with confirmed cases of swine flu expanded Thursday," NPR's Larry Abramson writes, "with 13 states reporting a total of 114 cases."

As you might imagine, there's no shortage of stories about the disruptions and other developments across the nation. Here's a sampling:

-- The Associated Press says that "there have been schools closed in roughly 100 school systems,and Seattle and Huntsville, Ala., joined the list Thursday as officials awaited word on whether some sick children had the infection.

"Texas authorities suspended high school sports."

-- NPR's Debbie Elliott tells us that city and county school systems in and around Huntsville are closed until at least Monday. According to Debbie, that means more than 51,000 students will be staying home. She writes that "local officials call it a precautionary measure after two kindergarten pupils at a suburban elementary school tested 'probable' for swine flu."

Officials are urging Huntsville area parents not to allow their children to play and gather with other children for now.

-- The Seattle Times says that city school officials there "closed the Madrona K-8 school until next Wednesday after a report that an 11-year-old boy at the school has a probable case of the flu."

-- The Denver Post reports that "two cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Colorado, state health officials said this morning."

It adds that: "The state's chief medical officer, Ned Calonge, said at the press conference that one of the people was an Arapahoe County woman in her 30s who took a cruise to Mexico and then spent some time in San Diego. She is recovering and did not require hospitalization.

"The second is a baggage handler at Denver International Airport, who has been hospitalized at an undisclosed location for three days. Calonge said the man, in his 40s from Douglas County, should be released today."

We'll pass along more stories from across the nation as they develop.

Update at 2:50 p.m. ET: Larry now reports he's been told by the federal Department of Education that at least 300 schools in 11 states have closed. About 170,000 students are not in school.

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

This morning on the way to work I was getting onto the Metro and was handed a copy of the Washington Post's free tabloid paper, the Express. The odd juxtaposition on the front cover was striking.

As you can see, there's a big, vaguely-alarming headline that sounds like the world is about to end right next to a photo of the rear end of a hippopotamus. (Actually, the hippopotamus butt is even bigger news than a potential global pandemic, apparently, given that it takes up more space.)

But I'm one to talk! After covering flu earlier this week, I took a couple days "off" the beat to do a story on birds that boogie.

In other words, while my colleagues on the Science Desk were running around keeping track of stuff like the World Health Organization bumping us up one more alert level, I was sitting here in my cubicle watching a YouTube video of a sulphur-crested cockatoo named Snowball getting down to the Backstreet Boys.

This bird can really dance, and, I swear, that's important to science.

And I'll be back on the swine flu beat tomorrow.

By the way, if you have a Snowball-inspired dance, share it on YouTube and use the tag "NPR Snowball dance" so we can find it.

One more thing. Does Snowball have the Boogie Woogie Flu?

By Mark Memmott

The man who runs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention disagrees with Vice President Joe Biden about whether it's safe or not to fly during this flu outbreak.

"This is what we call in public health a teachable moment," Dr. Richard Besser just told reporters dialed into his daily conference call.

Asked about Biden's comment today that he "wouldn't go anywhere in confined places now," and specifically not a commercial airplane, Besser said that:

"If you have a fever and flu-like symptoms you should not be getting on an airplane. ... (But),
I think flying is safe. Going on the subway is safe. People should go out and live their lives."

by April Fulton

Rarely has Thursday's CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report been so highly anticipated.

CDC's Acting Director Besser says at a briefing going on right now that later today, the report will summarize the latest flu data out of Mexico.

Stay tuned.

By Frank James

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's latest count of confirmed flu U.S. cases has risen to 109, according to Dr. Richard Besser, the agency's acting director in a briefing occurring right now.

At present, there is only one confirmed death in the U.S., a 23-month old Mexican toddler who died Monday evening during a visit to Texas with his family.

Cases have been confirmed in 11 states, with the newest addition being South Carolina where there are two cases, Besser said. The other states are Arizona, California, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Ohio and Texas.

Besser said the median age of victims is 16, with the ages of affected individuals ranging from 22 months to 81 years old.

As Besser has cautioned in previous briefings, the CDC statistics lag behind the actual numbers. For instance, the CDC is based in Atlanta, Georgia but his latest count didn't include a case just confirmed in that state by its public health officials.

Indeed, Besser acknowledged the case in the question and answer session with reporters following his opening statement but directed reporters to Georgia officials for more information on it.

Continue reading "Swine Flu U.S. Count At 109: CDC " >

By Mark Memmott

Health officials continue to stress that anyone suffering from flu symptoms should stay home unless those symptoms become severe. At that point, get to a doctor or hospital.

Here's how Keiji Fukuda, the World Health Organization's flu expert, just put it during his daily conference call with reporters:

"One of the most important steps people who may be ill can take is to stay at home. ... By staying at home they can get rested. ... And it also will reduce the contact they have with other people."

Update at 11:21 a.m. ET: Why did WHO increase its alert to "Phase 5" yesterday (one step below a declaration that a pandemic is underway) from "Phase 4"?

Fukuda says a key reason was evidence that the disease is "really beginning to act like a human virus ... in a way that suggested it was really becoming part of the community -- not just travel related cases."

by April Fulton

Who should cover up ?

istockphoto.com

These blue paper surgical masks are covering many faces in Mexico as people try to protect themselves against catching 2009 H1N1, but not so much in the United States -- yet.

NPR health reporter Allison Aubrey is working on a story today about the role surgical masks may play in keeping swine flu at bay and wants to know: Who is using them and how?

Are your doctors wearing them? Teachers? Sanitation workers?

Drop us a note about what you've seen or heard.

By Mark Memmott

The Obama administration is again turning to the Web to get its message out. This time the subject will be the flu outbreak.

According to an e-mail just sent to reporters by the Department of Health and Human Services, newly sworn-in HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Rich Besser will be taking part in a webcast today at 1 p.m. ET. Their mission:

"To answer questions and provide information directly to the American people regarding the 2009 H1N1 flu."

HHS says it will be webcast here and here.

The departments are soliciting questions. E-mail them to hhsstudio@hhs.gov.

As NPR's Yuki Noguchi reported today on Morning Edition, the federal government is anxious to use social networking to inform the public about the outbreak.

Using the Web is nothing new for the Obama team, of course. Last month, President Barack Obama held an "online town hall" meeting at the White House.

By Mark Memmott

"Within a few days of news of the flu outbreak," NPR's Yuki Noguchi reported today on Morning Edition, "the term 'swine flu' quickly became 10 times more popular on blogs and Twitter than references to the peanut butter-related salmonella problems earlier this year, according to Nielsen Online, which tracks online traffic. It's already three times more popular than references to Britain's instant TV singing sensation, Susan Boyle, whose YouTube clips have been viewed by many tens of millions of viewers."

A Twitter search this morning certainly confirms Yuki's conclusion. There's everything from the comic ...

steveo1485: My dog just sneezed on me. Doesn't he know there is swine flu?!?

... to more traditional news ...

bbchealth: How the UK has stepped up its swine flu plans http://tinyurl.com/chunh4

Flu Shots is always looking for good, reliable sources of information. If you come across ones you particularly like -- on Twitter or elsewhere -- write us a note.

By Mark Memmott

"I would tell members of my family -- and I have -- that I wouldn't go anywhere in confined places now," Vice President Joe Biden said today as he made the rounds of the morning TV news shows. "It's not just going into Mexico. If you're any place in a confined aircraft and one person sneezes, it goes all the way through the aircraft."

According to the AP, Biden appeared on ABC-TV's Good Morning America, CBS-TV's The Early Show" and NBC-TV's The Today Show show.

Biden offered his thoughts about flying on Today. Here's the video. The vice president talks about whether folks should fly about 2:30 into the 6:08 interview.

Update at 12:15 p.m. ET: The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Biden is wrong.

Update at 11:45 a.m. ET. The Air Transport Association of America chief calls Biden's comments "extremely disappointing":

"Vice President Biden's comment that people should avoid air travel in response to the H1N1 flu outbreak was extremely disappointing," ATA President and CEO James May says in a statement e-mailed to reporters. "The airlines have been working daily with government agencies, none of whom suggest people avoid air travel, unless they are not feeling well. The fact is that the air onboard a commercial aircraft is cleaner than that in most public buildings."

Update at 11:25 a.m. ET. NPR's Yuki Noguchi writes that:

The Obama administration has not issued a general advisory about air travel or public transportation. The travel industry was quick to respond today after hearing what Biden had to say.

In a statement, the U.S Travel Association did not mention Biden specifically, but denounced "recent comments" by "elected officials" as "inflammatory."

Roger Dow, president and chief executive of the Travel Association added that:

"According to President Obama, swine flu is a cause for concern, but not panic. President Obama's measured and responsible comments are appropriate and should provide useful guidance to other elected officials."

Update at 9:05 a.m. ET. This statement was just sent to reporters by Biden spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander:

"On the Today Show this morning the vice president was asked what he would tell a family member who was considering air travel to Mexico this week. The advice he is giving family members is the same advice the administration is giving to all Americans: that they should avoid unnecessary air travel to and from Mexico. If they are sick, they should avoid airplanes and other confined public spaces, such as subways. This is the advice the vice president has given family members who are traveling by commercial airline this week. As the president said just last night, every American should take the same steps you would take to prevent any other flu: keep your hands washed; cover your mouth when you cough; stay home from work if you're sick; and keep your children home from school if they're sick."

By Mark Memmott

Good morning. We'll start the day with a quick look at some of the latest news:

-- The Associated Press -- Health Officials Fear Large Number Of Deaths: "World health officials are very worried about the potential for massive numbers of deaths worldwide from the mutated virus, even though the epidemic so far has claimed only a confirmed eight lives in Mexico and one in the United States. Roughly 170 deaths are suspected of having been caused by the virus in Mexico. Switzerland on Thursday became the latest country to report a swine flu infection -- a 19-year-old student who health officials said was mistakenly released from a hospital and then hastily readmitted. European Union health ministers planned emergency talks in Luxembourg to coordinate national efforts in preventing the spread of swine flu in Europe."

-- NBC News -- Mexico Shuts Down Most Of Government And Economy: "Mexico's government is suspending all nonessential activity of the federal government and private business as the number of confirmed swine flu cases jumped."

-- The New York Times -- "Containing Flu Is Not Feasible, Specialists Say": "Experts on the global movement of flu say ... the world ... must bow to the inevitable: closing borders would not only fail to stop the virus, but would also cause economic collapse and possibly add to the death rate."

(Related: On the morning TV news shows today, Vice President Joe Biden repeated the administration's view that it would be a mistake to close U.S. borders.)

-- NPR.org -- "Flu Prompts A World Of Different Reactions": "Political leaders and public health authorities around the globe are grappling with a fundamental question as new swine flu cases are reported daily: how to address the problem but not exacerbate it."

-- The Seattle Times -- "Six Probable Swine Flu Cases Identified in Washington": "Six probable cases of swine flu have been identified in Washington State -- three in Seattle, two in Snohomish County and one in Spokane County, public health officials announced at a news conference Wednesday evening in Seattle."

-- USA TODAY -- "States, Hospitals Roll Out Emergency Plans": "Health departments and hospitals are shifting into emergency mode as clusters of swine flu develop across the USA, and some are activating pandemic plans for the first time."

-- The Wall Street Journal -- Mexican Officials Don't Think Farm Was Source: "Mexico's top government epidemiologist said Wednesday that it is "highly improbable" that a farm in the Mexican state of Veracruz operated by Smithfield Foods Inc. is responsible for the nation's swine-flu outbreak. Miguel Angel Lezana, the government's chief epidemiologist, said in an interview that pigs at the farm are from North America, while the genetic material in the virus is from Europe and Asia."

By Mark Memmott

When he opens his news conference at 8 p.m. ET, President Barack Obama will tell Americans that the federal government is "continuing to closely monitor the emerging cases of the H1N1 flu virus throughout the United States."

And, according to excerpts released this evening by the White House, the president will also say that "this is obviously a very serious situation, and every American should know that their entire government is taking the utmost precautions and preparations."

We expect the members of the White House press corps will have some questions about the outbreak. Once the news conference gets going, we'll use the Cover It Live box below to follow what the president has to say about the situation.

Click the "play" button in the box and our updates should flow in automatically. Along the way, we also may pose some questions. Feel free to cast your ballots.

Update at 9:03 p.m. ET: The news conference is over, but if you hit the "play" button you'll be able to scroll through and see what was said.

By Frank James

With the World Health Organization raising its pandemic influenza alert level to phase 5, it's worth taking a look at what that means exactly.

The alert levels start at phase 1, in which there are no reported cases of flu virus being transmitted from animals to humans and escalate to phase 6 which defines a pandemic during which the virus has achieved widespread human-to-human transmission and has spread to at least two regions of the globe.

Here's how the WHO explains the phases in between the bottom and top of the range.

In Phase 2 an animal influenza virus circulating among domesticated or wild animals is known to have caused infection in humans, and is therefore considered a potential pandemic threat.

In Phase 3, an animal or human-animal influenza reassortant virus has caused sporadic cases or small clusters of disease in people, but has not resulted in human-to-human transmission sufficient to sustain community-level outbreaks. Limited human-to-human transmission may occur under some circumstances, for example, when there is close contact between an infected person and an unprotected caregiver. However, limited transmission under such restricted circumstances does not indicate that the virus has gained the level of transmissibility among humans necessary to cause a pandemic.

Continue reading "WHO Flu Alert Levels Explained" >

By Yuki Noguchi and Katia Dunn

In opening remarks at the US Chamber of Commerce's aviation summit in Washington, Secretary Ray LaHood said the international flu outbreak could stress an airline industry already reeling from a decline in traveler demand.

"We know this will be tough on commercial aviation, economically," LaHood said. "But the administration is not going to panic. We plan to listen to all the experts and take prudent measures to protect the health and safety of the traveling public."

His comments came as the World Health Organization raised its pandemic flu alert to level 5, the second highest level. A level 5 alert means there is a "substantial pandemic risk."

An elevated alert level could mean the WHO would issue travel advisories, as it did during the 2003 outbreak of SARS, warning against non-essential travel to affected areas, and possibly border closures. During the SARS outbreak, such advisories prompted a dramatic drop in travel.

LaHood said this afternoon he would not restrict travel to Mexico, and declined to comment on the WHO's plan to raise the alert level. In an email, David Castelveter, a spokesman for the Air Transport Association of America trade group, said a higher flu alert would not change the industry's plans.

by Julie Rovner

It's nice in an impending pandemic to know that your health insurance company is looking out for your welfare. If you're adequately covered, that is.

That's pretty much the message from health insurance giant CIGNA, which today put out a press release proclaiming that it's "ready to offer swine flu assistance to customers worldwide."

But if you read the entire release, it says further down that "medically necessary services for the diagnosis and treatment of swine flu will be covered in accordance with the terms of customers' applicable benefit plans."

CIGNA covers a lot of us here at NPR. We'll have to check to see if we have a swine flu rider or not...

from WHO website

 

By Frank James

Dr. Margaret Chan, the World Health Organization's director-general, just minutes ago announced that the organization has raised its pandemic influenza threat alert to phase 5 from phase 4, indicating its determination that a flu pandemic is now imminent.

Here are excerpts from her statement:

"Based on assessment on all available information and following several expert consultations I have decided to raise the current level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 4 to phase 5.

Influenza epidemic must be taken seriously because of capacity to spread rapidly to every country in the world.

On the positive side the world is better prepared for an influenza pandemic than at anytime in history. Preparedness measures undertaken because of the spread of H5N1 avian influenza were an investment and we are now benefiting from this investment. For the first time in history we can track the evolution of a pandemic in real time...

Let me remind you. New diseases by definition are poorly understood. Influenza viruses are notorious for their rapid mutation and unpredictable behavior... WHO and public health authorities in affected countries will not have all the answers immediately. But we will get them...

Continue reading "Swine Flu Alert Boosted To Near Pandemic" >

By Frank James

Homeland Security Department Secretary Janet Napolitano told reporters this afternoon that 49 people were detained at the U.S.-Mexico border by the Customs and Border Patrol agents for suspicion of carrying swine flu and that all but eight were released after testing came back negative.

"My understanding is no one was detained more than a couple of hours," she told reporters at the briefing.

She also said the infection has now been reported in ten states (that's up from the nine the CDC reported earlier today): Arizona, Texas, California, New York, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, Kansas and Massachusetts.

By April Fulton

What is the World Health Organization's alert level 5?

WHO's website says: "Phase 5 is characterized by human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region. While most countries will not be affected at this stage, the declaration of Phase 5 is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short."

By April Fulton

NPR's Joanne Silberner has learned from a source in a direct position to know that WHO will raise the pandemic alert level to 5 up from 4 tonight at 4 p.m. ET tonight.

By Mark Memmott

There is a chance that the ability of the swine flu virus to cause severe infections has diminished in recent days and weeks, Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just told All Things Considered host Robert Siegel.

That could partly explain why the virus has caused more deaths and stricken more people in Mexico than it has elsewhere, he said.

But, Besser added, "unfortunately I think there will be additional deaths" -- including, possibly, in the U.S.

The interview with Besser is scheduled for today's ATC broadcast. Go here to find your local NPR station.

By Julie McCarthy

ISLAMABAD -- It's not like Pakistan doesn't have enough problems; now the Health Ministry is taking on swine flu.

The views expressed were not surprising in this Muslim country where pork is considered "haram" (a sin)

Ministry officials said there is no immediate threat to Pakistan largely because there is no "pig rearing industry" or "domesticated pigs" here.

"Although no country bordering Pakistan has reported any infection from the swine flu virus, precautionary measures have been taken by the Ministry of Health," a statement reads.

The only threat is from passengers arriving from overseas who may be carriers of the swine flu, the statement continued.

All airports have been asked to screen passengers entering Pakistan. It seems pretty feckless, however.

Continue reading "Pakistan Takes On Swine Flu, Sort Of" >

By Mark Memmott

The official word from the White House on how worried to be at this point:

Reporter: "Is there still a situation of concern, as opposed to alarm?"

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs: "I think so. I mean, I think the way -- I would phrase it the way the president did: It's a very serious situation and one that requires serious precautions. I think that's what he outlined today. I think that continues to be his concern and he continues to ask questions of those that are involved in this to ensure that we're taking every step and precaution that's possible to ensure safety."

(From the official transcript of Gibbs' "gaggle" with reporters aboard Air Force One this morning as the president flew to St. Louis.)

By Richard Knox

It's not only the desire to avoid offending Muslims and Jews that is driving the US government's concerted effort to avoid the term "swine flu" for what is bedeviling us.

The pig farmers are perhaps an equally important constituency.

Here's what US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said yesterday on CNN: "This isn't swine flu, it's H1N1 virus. That's very important, because markets...are very sensitive. They react to positive news. They also react to negative news. The livelihoods of a lot of people are at stake here."

The problem with calling this "H1N1" is that that's the general moniker of one of the seasonal flu viruses circulating this year (and in other years). This new virus is a different kind of H1N1.

Scientists say there's no question where this virus came from -- it was a pig virus. That's what its genes tell them. "This was originally a new swine influenza virus," Dr. Keiji Fukuda of the World Health Organization said today (4/29). "But it is now behaving more or less like a human influenza virus, with transmission going from person to person."

So what should we call it now? The brand-new Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sibelius, is calling it "the 2009 H1N1 flu virus."

Good luck to her in getting that on everybody's lips. My bet is that we'll be calling it "swine flu" for the rest of eternity.

(This item was changed since it was first posted to correct the identity of the federal official questioned by Sen. John McCain.)

By Frank James

Sen. John McCain, among other senators, pressed Adm. Anne Schuchat MD, interim deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control, and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano today on a recurrent question during the current swine flu crisis: What would cause the U.S. to close the U.S.-Mexico border? Essentially nothing at present would, Schuchat and Napolitano indicated.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano testifying on Capitol Hill. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Here's the exchange between the Arizona Republican and Schuchat during a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing today:

MCCAIN: What conditions would prevail that would say that we need to close the border between the United States and Mexico, if any?

SCHUCHAT: I don't think there are any.

MCCAIN: You don't think there are any. I thank you...

Schuchat was seconded by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano who indicated in a response to Sen. Susan Collins of Maine that the Obama Administration had effectively ruled out border closings.

NAPOLITANO: But again, the decision to actually close the entire border, which is what has been raised -- and since we have flu in Canada, I would anticipate that the same argument would be made there -- so closing both borders with all of the huge impacts that that would have, in light of the fact that the scientists and the epidemiologists say would have virtually no impact on the amount of disease in our country. When you balance those things, particularly in light, as you say, of the difficulty of knowing whether any individual has the disease, and we make that whole package of decisions, you understand why closing the border is not an adequate answer to this epidemic.

by April Fulton

Egypt is about to get a whole lot more garbage piling up in the streets.

NPR's Peter Kenyon will report later today on the Egyptian government's order to slaughter the country's entire pig population, despite the fact that the country has no known swine flu (H1N1) cases.

This means 300,000 - 400,000 pigs will be killed -- pigs that provide a valuable public service by recycling the public's food scrap waste.

Continue reading "Note from Cairo: Pig Slaughter and Garbage" >

By Mark Memmott

British news media, such as The Independent, are already making the connection to Typhoid Mary.

The story:

Maria Adela Gutierrez, a 39-year-old census taker in Oaxaca, Mexico, died of the H1NI/swine flu on April 13. As The Independent says, her job put Gutierrez in contact "with at least 300 unsuspecting members of the public when the disease was at its most virulent."

But did Gutierrez spread the disease?

The Los Angeles Times reports that "Martin Vazquez Villanueva, the regional health secretary in Oaxaca, denied local news reports that said she had infected 20 people, as well as her husband and children."

But according to The Independent, after Gutierrez became ill "state health authorities began to track down every person she'd had recent contact with and conduct check-ups.

"That discreet search ... turned up more than 300 people, including many members of the public whom she'd interviewed as she knocked on doors in late March and early April. Local sources told Veratect, the US disease-tracking company which sounded the alarm, that between 33 and 61 of those interviewees 'exhibited symptoms' of a flu-like illness, though none have died."

By Yuki Noguchi

JP Morgan aviation analyst Jamie Baker said this morning the airline industry had been through a great deal in the last year. Demand for airline travel---even his own---is off.

But unless things get much worse---with the swine flu (now also called the 2009 H1N1 flu virus) becoming a full-blown outbreak---the airline industry should remain unaffected by the outbreak.

Appearing on a panel with US Airways chair and chief executive Doug Parker at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce aviation summit in Washington, Baker said:

"Swine flu---to the extent that it ends up being contained largely to Mexico---doesn't present a significant industry crisis...The problem we're going to have is if this develops into a broader global pandemic similar to SARS."

But barring that or huge spikes in oil prices, Baker said, the airline industry could be on track to have a record year in 2010.

Continue reading "Swine Flu's Airline Impact Should Be Small Unless... " >

by April Fulton

From President Obama on down, U.S. government officials are uniformly calling the swine flu by the uncatchy, but technically proper, H1N1.

It doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, or off the keyboard like swine flu.

Reasons for the shifting name are probably due to the fact that Muslims and Jews do not eat pork and consider it unclean, adding insult to injury for anyone afflicted with swine flu, although as of yesterday, the World Health Organization said they had no plans to change the name.

A high-level CDC official told NPR's Brenda Wilson today that if someone is diagnosed with swine flu in a country dominated by one of these religions, it implies a link with something they are not comfortable with. People in public health circles also have concerns about calling a disease by the name of a country, such as Mexico, which is the one most associated with the outbreak.

NPR's Brian Naylor reports today that DHS Secretary Napolitano and Rear Admiral Anne Schuchat, Interim Deputy Director for CDC, insisted on calling it H1N1 at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing today.

And newly-confirmed HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius issued a statement today, announcing a briefing she would hold to update everyone on the flu, using the H1N1 moniker.

Trend alert: We are seeing a transition the scientific name for the virus.

By Frank James

Dr. Richard Besser, acting director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, just provided the CDC's update of the number of U.S. cases of swine flu infected individuals. The CDC count is up to 91 individuals in 10 states, doubling yesterday's five states.

But these statistics must be taken with some caution, which even Besser admits. "These numbers are almost out of date by the time I say them given the activities going on around the country to look for cases and to investigate them," Besser said.

The CDC is apparently only updating its numbers once a day, then publishing them on its website at 11 am ET. Seems glacially slow in the Twitter age but it's apparently good enough for government work.

Here's the CDC breakdown:

NY. 51

Tex. 16

Cal. 14

Mass. 2

Mich. 2

Az. 1

Nev. 1

Ind. 1

Kansas 2

Ohio 1

By Mark Memmott

Dr. Keiji Fukuda, the leading flu expert at the World Health Organization, is this hour holding what has become his daily news conference Geneva. We'll pass along highlights as they happen. Be sure to hit your "refresh" button to see our latest updates:

Update at 11:38 a.m. ET: The news conference just ended. Toward the end, Fukuda is asked if it is important at this time to find out where the flu originated.

"It would be interesting," he says, "(but) at this point we have higher priorities." It is "critical" at this point, he adds, "to answer the most urgent issues of how this is evolving, where it's going ... and what steps might be taken to protect people."

(See our earlier post about one young boy who's been referred to as a possible "patient zero".)

Update at 11:32 a.m. ET. What would spur WHO to change this to a "Phase 5" outbreak (one level below "pandemc") from its current "Phase 4" rating?

"What we are also looking for is whether we are seeing transmission of this virus out into the community itself," Fukuda says. "We want to look carefully for that ... before we really move to Phase 5."

11:25 a.m. ET. WHO's numbers don't match up exactly with what individual countries are reporting, but for what they're worth here are Fukuda's latest:

Canada: 13 cases; no deaths. U.S.: 64 cases; 1 death. Mexico: 26 cases; 7 deaths. Israel: 2 cases; no deaths. Spain: 4 cases; no deaths. United Kingdom: 2 cases; no deaths. New Zealand: 3 cases; no deaths.

Totals: 114 cases; 8 deaths

11:14 a.m. ET: Fukuda says the situation is "moving closer to 'Phase 5,' " but is not there yet.

Right now, WHO considers the situation to at "Phase 4." What is "Phase 5"? Here is WHO's definition:

Phase 5 is characterized by human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region. While most countries will not be affected at this stage, the declaration of Phase 5 is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short.

Phase 6 is a pandemic, according to WHO's definitions.

11:13 a.m. ET: "Where are we, what's going on and where might we be going?" Fukuda asks. "It's clear that the virus is spreading and we don't see any evidence of it slowing down at this point."

11:12 a.m. ET: The latest tests, Fukuda says, confirm that the flu begin as a swine virus -- but that it is now moving from person-to-person.

11:10 a.m. ET: Fukuda begins with some updates on the numbers. The major changes since yesterday include seven new cases in Canada (bringing the total there to 13), and the first death in the U.S.

by April Fulton

*UPDATE* The CDC re-posted the guidance mentioned below shortly after this post. The only change appeared to be adding the new name of the flu, H1N1.

The Centers for Disease Control just issued an interim guidance to help airline crews identify passengers who may have swine influenza and is recommending that any passengers observed with two or more symptoms be sent to a CDC Quarantine Station.

But not five minutes later, pulled the notice off their website. An agency spokeswoman speculated that they were probably making changes to the notice, but provided no more detail.

When the notice was up, it said crews are required to observe and report passengers who are feeling feverish or have a temperature greater than 100 degrees F, a sore throat, a cough, stuffy or runny nose.

"Any passengers observed to have or who report having two or more of these symptoms should be reported immediately to the CDC Quarantine Station of jurisdiction where the plane is expected to land," the advisory says.

CDC has 20 Quarantine Stations around the country near ports of entry and has the legal authority to detain anyone who may have cholera, diphtheria, infectious TB (tuberculosis), plague, smallpox, yellow fever, and viral hemorrhagic fevers, SARS, or new types of flu that may cause a pandemic.

CDC can deny ill persons with these diseases entry to the United States or have them admitted to a hospital or confined to home.

Stay tuned for more details.

By Mark Memmott

A five-year-old boy from a small village in Mexico is generating headlines across the news media universe about whether he might be "patient zero" -- that is, the first person to have gotten this swine flu.

But as readers of the stories will quickly see, the caveats come quickly.

-- "Edgar Hernandez, officials say, tested positive for swine flu in early April," CBS News' Early Show reports. "But, it's unclear if Hernandez is indeed the first case of the new flu spreading around the world."

-- Edgar Hernandez is a playful five-year-old with spiky black hair and a Cheshire cat grin," says The Wall Street Journal. "He also happens to be the earliest known victim -- so far -- of the swine flu that is spreading across Mexico, the U.S., and beyond. ...

"Mexican officials hope Edgar's case can help piece together the epidemic's early days. But so far, his case is raising more questions. While other villagers also got bad colds at roughly the same time as Edgar, he appears to be the only one in the area who contracted the deadly swine flu. Adding to the mystery, no one else in the family got swine flu, though Edgar sleeps in the same bed with his three-year-old baby brother and his parents."

-- "Although authorities have not determined that swine flu started in La Gloria, a village of about 2,500 people in the state of Veracruz, Edgar, who got sick in late March, is the earliest confirmed case of the virus in Mexico," reports The Washington Post. "He was just one of several hundred people from La Gloria and surrounding areas that fell ill around that time in an unexplained outbreak that left two children dead and prompted authorities to fumigate the entire village."

Why does it matter if young Edgar was "patient zero" or something close to that? Here's how the Los Angeles Times answers that question:

The boy at the center of efforts to trace this new, deadly flu strain could barely keep still. A parade of visitors, many of them journalists, on Tuesday stopped by the small concrete home where Edgar Hernandez lives with his mother and 3-year-old brother.

Edgar, who is 5, (not 4 as government officials previously reported) is the earliest known victim of the disease in Mexico. How he contracted it could be a key clue in figuring out the virus' path.

By April Fulton

Whenever there's a crisis involving the federal government, Congress commands the officials to come up to Capitol Hill as quickly as possible rather than allowing these people to actually do their jobs.

These hearings rarely make news because the officials are fearful of speaking frankly and they don't have all the facts yet to form answers to many questions. And yet, we all run.

How many times have we heard, during one crisis or another, "Senator, I'll have to get back to you on that," and "We are working on that and we'll provide you with a written answer as soon as possible?" Too many to count.

Bird flu, salmonella infection, banking crisis, Hurricane Katrina, and now swine flu, or H1N1, as the Administration is trying to convince us to call it. The Congressional habit is to haul top officials up immediately.

Continue reading "Congress to Flu Leaders: Drop Everything, Report to the Hill" >

By Mark Memmott

The first Austrian confirmed to have the flu is a 28-year-old woman in Vienna, NPR's Eric Westervelt reports. He tells us that the Austrian Health Ministry says the woman flew back to Europe from Guatemala earlier this week -- and that her trip took her through Mexico City. She is said to be recovering, Eric adds.

He also reports that Austrian authorities are investigating two other potential cases.

By Frank James

How soon can a vaccine be created to protect against swine flu? Perhaps September, according to an expert heard on NPR's All Things Considered and Morning Edition programs this morning and yesterday.

Dr. Bruce Gellin, director of the Health and Human Services Department's National Vaccine Program Office, told ATC host Robert Siegel, that the lab which first identified the new strain of swine flu virus now spreading globally is creating a "reference strain" of the virus, copies of which can then be shipped to vaccine makers in May.

That will allow the vaccine makers to start growing the vaccine in eggs and eventually ramp up to manufacture hundreds of millions of doses, with the vaccine being delivered in September, just in time for healthcare providers to start inoculating people for the next flu season which typically starts in October.

Here's an excerpt of Siegel and Gellin's discussion:

SIEGEL: How far are we from having a vaccine that could inoculate people against the swine flu?

Dr. GELLIN: Well, we've already started the process and it'll take some time. What's going on right now is that when the laboratory that identified this new strain of influenza virus recognized that it was something that hadn't been seen before, they do what they usually do and begin developing it into a -- what's called a reference strain. Essentially one of the seeds that then is used to go on and make a fully manufactured virus. That process is going on now. We expect manufacturers to receive it probably by late May.

Continue reading "Swine Flu Vaccine Possible By September" >

By Mark Memmott

Good morning. As we reported earlier, among the major breaking news today is word that a 23-month-old infant in Texas is the first death in the U.S. attributed to the swine flu outbreak.

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- Chicago Tribune -- "A suspected case of the flu has closed one local elementary school."

-- The New York Times -- It could take months to develop a vaccine.

-- The Wall Street Journal -- The CEO at vaccine manufacturer Sanofi-Aventis SA says his company could have the first doses ready about 15 weeks after it gets word from the World Health Organization about what type it wants.

-- All Things Considered -- Mexican clinics have been "overwhelmed by suspected flu cases."

-- USA TODAY -- "Internet users have ramped up their searching, chatting and blogging of up-to-the-minute news on the symptoms and spread of swine flu since its sudden appearance this month."

-- NBC News -- Germany is eighth nation to confirm a case of the flu. NPR's Eric Westervelt reports that officials say there are at least three cases in the country.

By Mark Memmott

The Commander in Chief has some orders for all Americans -- starting with telling them to keep their hands clean.

At a White House event marking the decision by Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter to leave the Republican Party and join the Democrats, President Barack Obama just used his time at the podium to speak about the flu outbreak.

Along with pledging that the federal government will "do whatever is necessary" to protect the public, Obama reinforced some of the advice that medical professionals have been giving.

"Keep your hands washed," he said. Stay at home if you feel sick. And "keep your children home" if they fall ill with flu-like symptoms (but get them to the doctor if those symptoms become severe).

Update at 8:25 a.m. ET: The president also said that schools where any pupils are suspected to have the flu should "strongly" consider closing. That's exactly what has happened today in Obama's hometown, Chicago, where a North Side elementary school has closed for at least two days because a student may have the disease.

Update at 12:40 p.m. ET. Courtesy of the Associated Press, here's some video of the president from this morning's event:

By Mark Memmott

Breaking news: The Associated Press and CNN are reporting that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says swine flu has caused the death of a 23-month-old child in Texas. This would be the first reported fatality in the U.S.

We'll pass along more as the story develops.

Update at 9:30 a.m. ET. More confirmation:

The infant was brought from Mexico to Brownsville, and then on to Houston, for medical treatment, NPR's Richard Harris has confirmed. He gets that word from Porifirio Villarreal, public information officer at the Houston Health Department.

Update at 8:55 a.m. ET. The Houston Chronicle says it has been told by a city health official that the child died in that city. It writes that:

A 23-month-old Mexican toddler transported from Brownsville has died in Houston from the swine flu virus as authorities in the United States and around the world struggled to contain a growing global health menace that has also swept Germany onto the roster of afflicted nations. ...

City of Houston Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman Kathy Barton told the Chronicle this morning that the toddler was from Mexico, had become ill in Brownsville and was transported to Houston for treatment. The child died Monday in a Houston hospital that Barton declined to identify.

Update at 8:09 a.m. ET: Reuters, citing an unnamed "U.S. government source," says it has been told that the infant had recently been in Mexico.

Update at 7:45 a.m. ET. The Dallas Morning News writes that:

In North Texas, Dallas County health officials on Tuesday said three new probable cases were being investigated and Tarrant County officials were investigating another five new probable cases amid increasing global anxiety over a health menace that authorities around the world are struggling to contain.

Update at 7:35 a.m. ET: On CBS News' The Early Show, Reuters reports, CDC acting director Richard Besser said that:

"Unfortunately this morning I do have to confirm that we have the first death of a child from H1N1 flu virus. And this is in Texas, a 23-month-old child."

Update at 7:20 a.m. ET: CBS News reports it has confirmed the news with Richard Besser, the CDC's acting director.

By Frank James

You don't need to visit an airport to see a copy of the Travelers Alert the U.S. government is distributing at ports of entry. "Flu Shots" saves you the trouble.

Travelers Health Alert Notice 4 26 09

By Frank James

The Obama Administration would greatly appreciate it if we all stopped calling the influenza virus currently the subject of so many recent screaming headlines the "swine flu."

Obama Administration officials would far prefer that we call the virus by the much less catchy scientific designation "H1N1." Indeed, the administration's new task force formed to coordinate the federal response will be called the "H1N1 Task Force."

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, said at a press conference this afternoon, that "We have asked and there has been a response to change the name of this."

We here NPR's Flu Shots blog aren't sure who was asked and agreed to rebrand the virus but we'll try to find out and get back to you our readers on that.

Vilsack, a former governor of Iowa, the nation's hog capital, said:

"This really isn't swine flu. It's H1N1 virus. That's very, very important. And it is significant. Because there are a lot of hard working families whose livelihood depends on us conveying this message sense of safety. And it's not just simply pork production. It's also grain farmers because markets are very sensitive. They react to positive news and they also react to negative news. The livelihoods of a lot of people are at stake here. We want to reinforce the fact that we're doing everything we possibly can to make sure that our hog industry is sound and safe and to make sure consumers in this country and around the world know that American products are safe."

Continue reading "Call 'Swine Flu' H1N1 Instead: Ag Sec'y " >

By Frank James

An infection named swine flu clearly puts hogs on the spot, making them look like the primary cause of the infection in humans that's now emerging around the world.

But Sen. Tom Harkin, an Iowa Democrat from the nation's largest hog-producing state, wants it known that as far as he's concerned, pigs are getting a bum rap.

Towards the end of this afternoon's Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing Harkin, the subcommittee's chair, asked John Clifford, an U.S. Agriculture Department official a few leading questions: No signs of the virus have been found in any U.S. pig, is that right? Harkin asked. Nor in any pig in Mexico, right? asked Harkin.

That's right, said Clifford. Here's their exchange:

HARKIN: "That's why I'm really sorry that this seemed to take on the connotation of swine flu. I don't know how that happened. It's just somebody started talking about it. I open up the newspaper this morning and there's a picture of pigs and hogs as though all of them are infected with this.

Continue reading "Swine Flu Gives Pigs Bum Rap: Sen. Harkin" >

By Mark Memmott

If the swine flu outbreak seems to end in coming weeks, that doesn't mean all is well, NPR science correspondent Richard Knox writes:

Beware the Ides of September ... or maybe November.

That's the ominous warning today from Dr. Keiji Fukuda, the World Health Organization's top flu expert. (His official title is acting assistant director-general for Health Security and Environment.)

During what has become Fukuda's daily "virtual press conference" from Geneva, I asked him what he would think if cases of swine flu fall off over the next couple of weeks as travel to Mexico dries up and travelers stop exporting the virus to all parts of the world. Would that mean the virus can't sustain human-to-human-to-human transmission very well?

No such luck, Dr. Fukuda responded.

"I don't think we will be able to conclude that in the next few weeks, no matter what happens," he said.

It's the nature of flu viruses, Fukuda added, to have peaks of activity in cool weather and go underground in the summer.

"So when we see ... a new virus which clearly is able to transmit among people," Fukuda said, "I think it would be very hard for us to know, even if the activity goes down and it becomes very quiet over the next few weeks ... whether the virus has disappeared until several months have gone by at least."

That's the reason why so much is being made out of the relatively small number of swine flu cases popping up all over the world. If the swine flu virus runs true to form and hides out over the next few months, it might use its vacation time to develop mutations that make it more dangerous for humans. Then, like the horror movie icon Freddie Krueger, it could come baaaack. Maybe around Halloween.

That's what happened in 1918. Author John M. Barry notes that the first wave, which began in March, "was extremely mild." But by autumn, the world was gripped by the worst pandemic ever.

By Mark Memmott

In its first such request since the flu outbreak began, the White House has asked Congress for $1.5 billion to fund efforts to keep the disease from spreading in the U.S..

Spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters earlier that President Barack Obama has sent a letter requesting the funds.

Among the intended uses for the money: Building drug stockpiles and monitoring suspected cases.

by April Fulton

While it's an important tool to prevent the spread of swine flu and other germs, frequent handwashing that includes hot water and lathering up for 20 seconds can be dull, says NPR's Allison Aubrey.

After preschool, singing "Twinkle,Twinkle, Little Star" to get you through it gets pretty old, too.

So we asked Allison to solicit from the newsroom some songs grownups could sing to make that 20 seconds go faster in the course of her reporting today, and she was innundated with suggestions ranging from classic opera to rap.

Here you can vote on some of our favorites:

Continue reading "Singing While You Scrub" >

By Mark Memmott

From Dakar, Senegal, NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton tells us about how two African nations are responding to the flu outbreak, even though neither has any known cases:

Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony, has closer links to Brazil than Mexico. But the coastal southern African nation has placed its entry ports on high alert for swine flu. The country's national radio network reports that Health Minister Ivo Garrido says his nation is on full alert for any possible outbreak.

It was not immediately clear how many officials Mozambique had dispatched to its borders.

In neighboring South Africa, the main opposition Democratic Alliance party is criticizing what it sees as an inadequate response by the ruling government. South Africa's reaction had been muted -- the Health Ministry has put some general information and Wiki links on its website.

South Africans have been advised not to panic. Health Ministry spokesperson Fidel Hadebe issued a statement saying: "To date there are no cases of swine influenza reported in South Africa."

By Frank James

Lourdes Garcia-Navarro, NPR's Jerusalem bureau chief, reports by e-mail the confirmation of two swine flu cases in Israel. She writes:

"This just in here. After the second confirmed case here, the PM is convening an emergency meeting tonight, highly unusual ahead of Independence Day tomorrow. A joint meeting with Palestinians and Jordanians on Thursday."

The PM is Benjamin Netanyahu, of course, and as she suggests, Independence Day is one of Israel's most important holidays. So the official reaction in Israel has the feel of what one might expect in a major crisis.

by April Fulton

Grandma -- or at least Sesame Street -- always said, wash your hands.

NPR's Allison Aubrey says they're right. Frequent handwashing is one of the best ways to protect against acquiring germs -- the swine kind or other.

She's working on a story for Morning Edition tomorrow on how to get grownups to remember to scrub at least 20 seconds, through song.

Stay tuned for a poll so you can vote on your favorite musical reminder, but enjoy this Sesame Street clip on hygiene meanwhile.

by Frank James

Why is the swine flu proving more deadly to Mexican victims of the virus than those in the U.S?

Right now, the experts don't know the answer. But they're working on it.

Dr. Keiji Fukuda, the World Health Organization's assistant director general, outlined at a just completed teleconference how scientists are working to understand what's made the virus relatively more dangerous, to this point, in Mexico than elsewhere. (The Associated Press is reporting that more than 150 people have died in Mexico while no deaths have been reported elsewhere.)

Fukuda said:

"In terms of trying to figure out the severity of illness there are a number of different things which are useful to do. One of them is to understand the overall pattern of infections and disease by looking at the epidemeology. So for example, to look at all the people who've gotten infected, to see what ages they are, to see whether deaths and serious illnesses appear to be clustered in one group of people or another or in different age groups. So this is one kind of basic analysis.

"Another kind of study is to look at the clinical cases themselves and to see is there anything about the background of these people which suggests why they may have had a more severe outcome than other people.

Continue reading "Swine Flu's Puzzling Deadly Impact On Mexicans" >

By Mark Memmott

"The same things that make these diseases a threat ... are also things which allow us to control them," Keiji Fukuda, acting assistant director-general of the World Health Organization, just told reporters in Geneva.

Fukuda was talking about the way diseases such as the swine flu can spread quickly in an increasingly globalized world, and making the point that "with the SARS epidemic, we saw that when the world was able to put its resources together ... it was really able to contain an outbreak."

NPR's Joe Neel, who was monitoring the news conference, passes along some other notes on what Fukuda had to say:

-- It is "too early to speculate" about where the virus originated.

-- Though some in Israel have objected on religious grounds to calling the disease "swine flu," there are no plans to change its name.

The Reuters news agency, by the way, is leading its report on Fukuda's news conference with this:

The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the evolution of the swine flu outbreak into a pandemic was not inevitable but countries should prepare for the worst.

By Mark Memmott

NPR's April Fulton reports that not only is the new administration getting some praise for its response to the flu outbreak -- so are the past actions of the Bush team:

Dr. Richard Besser, the acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a long-time agency leader on emergency preparedness, along with newly confirmed Department of Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano, were "pitch perfect" as they explained the state-of-play in recent days, bioterrorism expert Eric Toner of the University of Pittsburgh tells NPR's Julie Rovner on Morning Edition.

"They explained very complicated issues in a very understandable way. They were calm, they were reassuring, but not overly so. They stressed the serious nature of the outbreak, but without scaring people," Toner adds.

But the new administration shouldn't get all the credit.

Anthony Fauci, who has overseen the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for the last two decades and change, has told friends and reporters that the Bush administration deserves a lot of credit for getting a federal system in place to deal with a pandemic.

By Mark Memmott

Officials in the United Kingdom have confirmed two cases of swine flu in Scotland.

And according to The Herald (of Glasgow), the unlucky couple caught the illness while they were on what was supposed to be a joyous trip:

The father of a Scottish woman who contracted swine flu on her honeymoon said today that she was "doing OK".

 

Newlyweds Dawn and Iain Askham are being treated for the virus in hospital after returning from Mexico.

 

The couple, from Polmont, near Falkirk, fell ill at the weekend, days after getting back from their honeymoon in Cancun. ... Mrs. Askham's father, Brian Colston, said his daughter's condition was improving, when he spoke at the door of his home in Falkirk today.

By Mark Memmott

As you would expect, there are many places to go on the Web for information about the swine flu outbreak. We'll pass along valuable links as we find them. Among those already on our radar screen:

-- NPR.org's "basic information about swine flu" and "tips for preventing swine flu."

-- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "general information" webpage, its "swine flu and you" webpage and its "key facts" webpage.

-- The World Health Organization's explanation of its "pandemic alert" phases. Also: WHO's FAQ's about the outbreak. Among WHO's tips:

To protect yourself, practice general preventive measures for influenza:

Avoid close contact with people who appear unwell and who have fever and cough.

Wash your hands with soap and water frequently and thoroughly.

Practice good health habits including adequate sleep, eating nutritious food, and keeping physically active.

By Mark Memmott

Officials in North Carolina say there are "a handful of suspected cases" of swine flu in the state, the Charlotte Observer reports. According to the newspaper, "all involved people who traveled to Mexico. They have been isolated in their homes, and none have needed hospitalization. Confirmation tests won't be available until later this week.'

The Observer also writes that:

In South Carolina, health officials said it's "fairly likely" that suspected cases of swine flu among Newberry high school students who recently traveled to Mexico will be confirmed by test results. ...

Newberry Academy, about 95 miles southwest of Charlotte, was closed Monday because of fears that young people on the trip had become infected. Two students went to the hospital, but were not admitted. One of the chaperones has had some flu-like symptoms, as have two other students who were not on the trip.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning. As Flu Shots launches, here's a quick look at some of the latest news and headlines:

-- NPR.org -- Number of cases in U.S. stands at 50: "The number of confirmed swine flu cases in the United States has increased from 20 to 50, according to numbers released by state health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Twenty of the additional U.S. cases are from further testing related to a known outbreak in a prep school in the New York City borough of Queens. Some students at the school made a spring break trip to Mexico and may have become infected with the virus there."

-- The Associated Press -- New Zealand and Israel confirm cases: "New Zealand's health minister and an Israeli hospital are reporting the first confirmed cases of swine flu to hit the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific regions. New Zealand Health Minister Tony Ryall reports 11 cases. Those infected are members of group of students and teachers who returned recently from a trip to Mexico, where the virus is suspected in more than 150 deaths. The other case is in Netanya, an Israeli city north of Tel Aviv. Laniado Hospital's medical director says Health Ministry laboratory tests confirm swine flu in a 26-year-old patient who recently returned from Mexico."

-- NBC-TV's Today show -- Napolitano says U.S. is preparing as if a pandemic is possible: It "makes sense" for the U.S. to use passive surveillance at airports and other points of entry as officials try to keep the swine flu from spreading, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said this morning on NBC. Napolitano, the Associated Press writes, also said the Obama administration wouldn't wait for a World Health Organization declaration of a pandemic to deliver a pandemic-like response. "We anticipate that there will be confirmed cases in more states as we go through the coming days," she also acknowledged. And, referring to WHO's decision to raise its pandemic alert status to Level 4 of a 6-step process, Napolitano said that "we're prepared as if there were a pandemic. We're not waiting" for the world organization to make such a declaration.

-- Reuters -- Markets slump: "Global (financial) markets tumbled for a second day on Tuesday on fears the outbreak could snuff out fragile signs of economic recovery." (Follow the numbers.)

-- Morning Edition -- Outbreak highlights HHS vacancies: "In the midst of what international health officials fear could be the start of a flu pandemic, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is still without most of its top political leaders." Michael Leavitt, President Bush's last HHS secretary, says the fact that outgoing Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius still hasn't been confirmed by the Senate (a vote is expected today) is a serious problem. But White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says the federal response "is in no way hindered or hampered by not having a permanent secretary at HHS right now. ... There are professional staff over there as we speak, helping to coordinate this."

-- The New York Times -- Borders being tightened: "Countries around the world began tightening their border and immigration controls today as the number of confirmed cases of swine flu continued to rise. The number of deaths believed attributable to swine flu climbed to as many as 152 -- all of them in Mexico -- as news agencies reported the number of confirmed cases of infection in the United States stood at 50 after further testing at a New York City school."

-- USA TODAY -- Travel industry may get hammered: "For an ailing global travel industry, swine flu couldn't have erupted at a worse time. 'It has the potential to paralyze travel,' says Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, which represents all segments of the U.S. travel and tourism industry. 'Certainly if it gets out of hand,' it will be catastrophic."

-- CNN.com -- Is Twitter "propagating fear"? "The swine flu outbreak is spawning debate about how people get information during health emergencies -- especially at a time when news sources are becoming less centralized. Some observers say Twitter -- a micro-blogging site where users post 140-character messages -- has become a hotbed of unnecessary hype and misinformation about the outbreak. ... 'This is a good example of why (Twitter is) headed in that wrong direction, because it's just propagating fear amongst people as opposed to seeking actual solutions or key information,' said Brennon Slattery, a contributing writer for PC World.

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