Swine Flu is making a comeback in Mexico the international media is reporting.  Fears of three years ago when the deadly virus shut down airports amid fears of a global pandemic are still fresh in people’s minds.  the Mexican government is saying there is no cause for alarm as federal and state health officials say the increase in cases in still within the normal range for a typical flu season.

The Mexican Health Ministry has not put the increase numbers on its page nor has it confirmed the increase to the Associated Press despite many inquiries.

The Unite States Centers for Disease Control have said even if there are a notcible increase in cases they are not seeing one in the United States.  There are other strains where the U.S. is noticing an increase but those strains as well as Swine flu are included in the yearly flu shot given across the country.

CDC spokesman Tom Skinner said in an email,

“We are not aware of any unusual changes in the virus in Mexico that would be concerning,”

The Mexican Health Ministry reported 637 cases of confirmed flu cases so far in 2012 along with 10 deaths.  573 of those reported cases were of the Swine Flu (H1N1) and 9 of the 10 deaths were associated with the strain.

On Jan. 15, it reported far lower numbers: 181 confirmed cases for all strains of flu and five deaths for 2012, meaning cases would have increased 250 percent in just one week.

Three years ago the World Health Organization issued a Global Pandemic warning as the cases of swine flu spread throughout the world. there were reports that the strain was killing one out of every fifteen cases.  This would be a higher death rate than the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918-19 which lasted for 2 years and killed between 50 and 100 million people around the world.

Do you think the Swine Flu is something to worry about this year?

Learn more about the Swine Flu by watching this video.

Additional Cases of Swine Flu in Mexico [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The World Health Organization has risen the Pandemic alert level to 5 in response to the recent outbreak and rapid spread of the swine flu in North America and around the world. The WHO urges all countries to immediately activate their Pandemic emergency preparedness plans.

Definition of Pandemic level 5:

The definition of a Pandemic Alert Level 5, from the World Health Organization (WHO) site is:

“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.”

WHO chief, Margaret Chan, says “it really is all of humanity that is under threat in a pandemic.” Chan goes on to say that the swine flu pandemic is evolving extremely fast and that it’s no longer a question of “if” it will become serious, but “how” the current pandemic will affect humanity.

Swine Flu: Pandemic Alert Level 5 Issued by World Health Organization is a post from: The Inquisitr

This just in – officials with the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a press conference today that they have raised the Swine Flu Pandemic Alert level to 4.

Swine Flu Pandemic Alert Level 4

Explanation of the Swine Flu Pandemic Alert Level 4 from the WHO official website:

Phase 4 is characterized by verified human-to-human transmission of an animal or human-animal influenza reassortant virus able to cause “community-level outbreaks.” The ability to cause sustained disease outbreaks in a community marks a significant upwards shift in the risk for a pandemic. Any country that suspects or has verified such an event should urgently consult with WHO so that the situation can be jointly assessed and a decision made by the affected country if implementation of a rapid pandemic containment operation is warranted. Phase 4 indicates a significant increase in risk of a pandemic but does not necessarily mean that a pandemic is a forgone conclusion.

Also, we’re not sure why, but when you visit the page on the WHO official website listed above, look at the URL of the page in your browser’s address bar …/avian_influenza/… is in the URL instead of Swine Influenza.

Swine Flu Update: World Health Org. Issues Phase 4 Pandemic Alert is a post from: The Inquisitr

US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and other officials at a press briefing Sunday said that people should remain calm, and compared the declaration to a Hurricane storm warning.

Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) speaking at the same briefing, said that the CDC was acting aggressively in attempting to control the outbreak, but warned there would be worse news yet to come. “I would expect over time we’re going to see more severe disease in this country,” Dr. Besser said, explaining that additional cases could be found because public health officials are now aggressively searching for those affected by the disease and testing people with symptoms.

So far 20 cases have been confirmed in the United States, but only one person has required hospitalization. The different outcomes in US cases is confounding specialists, given that in Mexico the disease is currently showing a 10% mortality rate.

Video of the briefing as follows. For all the latest, follow our Swine Flu coverage. If you’re concerned, also see: Swine Flu symptoms, and preparing for a Swine Flu Pandemic.

US Declares Public Health Emergency over Swine Flu is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ten New Zealand students who had recently returned from a trip to Mexico have been confirmed as carrying Swine Flu, bringing the total number of countries with outbreaks to three (the other two being the United States and Mexico.)

There have been reports of suspected cases across Europe, including France, Spain and Israel. In Spain, three people have been tested for Swine Flu and isolated until results are available. French health authorities have found two suspected cases of swine flu in travelers returning from Mexico and others are expected to follow, a top health official told local media Sunday.

In Israel, one man recently returned from Mexico is believed to have the virus. Israeli authorities are taking no chances with the outbreak, and have issued a general warning to the entire country that asks Israelis keep as clean as possible, to avoid crowded areas, and to immediately seek medical advice should they have any flu-like symptoms.

An earlier report of infected airline staff in the United Kingdom was cleared after tests for the virus came back negative.

For all the latest, follow our Swine Flu coverage. If you’re concerned, also see: Swine Flu symptoms, and preparing for a Swine Flu Pandemic.

Swine Flu cases confirmed in New Zealand, suspected cases in Israel, France & Spain is a post from: The Inquisitr

As reports coming out of Mexico suggest that the Swine Flu outbreak is getting worse, the world waits in fear that we could be on the edge of a new global flu pandemic.

As of early Sunday morning US time (April 26), the CDC has issued a flu outbreak notice, and the World Health Organization has issued an alert that the outbreak could develop into a pandemic. It should be noted that while widespread panic is starting to be reported in Mexico, that the only other cases reported so far are in the United States and possibly New Zealand. If this does develop into a pandemic, we could be days, or even longer away from knowing. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t things you can do now if you are concerned.

Risks

The biggest thing to keep in mind is that should a pandemic break out, you’re at more risk from indirect issues than direct ones. While there have been deaths in Mexico, many of those infected in the United States have not needed hospital stays; yes, you could die without medical assistance, but the chances in developed countries are far lower. The bigger risk (in most scenarios) comes from a shut down or unavailability of services that could result from a widespread outbreak.

Already in Mexico, public spaces and schools have been shut, and there has been a rush on supermarkets, resulting in food shortages. Hospitals have become overwhelmed, both from those infected, and those who think they might be, bringing healthcare in Mexico to its knees. If you think it can’t happen in your neighborhood, there’s already been a panic in one town in New York state that has had an outbreak, with the local hospital swamped.

You might not die of swine flu, but if you become sick or injured during a pandemic, you simply might not be able to get help you need.

Being prepared

Experts suggest that there are things you can do to minimize your risks during a pandemic outbreak.

• Have two weeks supply of food and water available: include foods that don’t require heating in the event utilities fail. Water is important is the event that the water supply is interrupted or no longer safe
• Stock up on medicines: include basics such as cold and flu medications, pain killers, vitamins, anti-diarrhea medication, bandages, and other basic first aid supplies
• have a ready supply of surgical masks if you have to leave the house during the pandemic
• lots of soap: everyone from the CDC through the alphabet to the WHO recommends a strict cleanliness regime to prevent the spread of germs. Regularly washing your hands to reduce your chances of catching it

Don’t panic

Depending on where you live, one important piece of advice is to stay calm if there is an outbreak in your local area. If you’ve prepared for the worst, you should be safe in your home until the worst of it passes. If you haven’t, remain calm and go about getting the things you need to protect yourself.

Swine Flu Pandemic: how you can be prepared is a post from: The Inquisitr

The World Health Organization (WHO) has put the world on alert and is urging countries globally to boost up their surveillance of flu-like symptoms and pneumonia. The swine flu has pandemic potential because so little is known about the disease or it’s prevention and it is spreading rapidly.

From Geneva on Saturday, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said:

“It has pandemic potential because it is infecting people. However, we cannot say on the basis of currently available laboratory, epidemiological and clinical evidence whether or not it will indeed cause a pandemic.”

New possible outbreaks are being investigated in Kansas (2 cases confirmed) in the U.S. and the situation in Mexico is worsening to the point where the Mexican government has empowered the health department to isolate patients and actively inspect homes of those afflicted with the disease.

New York – The immediate relatives of students at the Queens School possibly affected by the swine flu have also reported flu-like symptoms.

WHO Warns Swine Flu Outbreak Could become Worldwide Pandemic is a post from: The Inquisitr