Flu Pandemic Coming ?

This is not good news, especially for those of us here in Texas and the other border states. A particularly nasty strain of swine flu (actually a mixture of swine, human and avian flu viruses) designated H1N1 has struck Mexico. At least 1000 people have become ill, and 60 have died from the new flu strain.

Most flu strains are most dangerous to the elderly and to children, but this strain is different. It seems to be targeting young adults (like the 1918 Spanish flu which also targeted young adults and wound up killing millions worldwide).

The Mexican officials are taking the outbreak very seriously. According to the BBC,

"Schools, museums and libraries have been closed across the capital region and people are being urged to avoid shaking hands or sharing crockery.

All public events have been suspended, an official said. Two previously sold-out soccer matches were played in empty stadiums to avoid potentially spreading the virus.

The Roman Catholic Church in Mexico has recommended measures to avoid further contagion at Mass this Sunday.

Priests have been told to place communion wafers in the hands of worshippers rather than in their mouths and to suggest to the congregation that kissing or shaking hands be avoided during the service."

The new flu strain has already jumped the border. Two cases have been discovered in Texas and six in California. The World Health Organization says it doesn't know the full risk of the new flu strain, but says it has the potential to become a worldwide pandemic.

Anne Schuchat of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said, "With infections in many different communities as we're seeing, we don't think that containment is feasible. We are not at a point where we can keep this virus in one place... Now that we are looking more widely, I really expect us to find more."

Normally we consider the flu season to be in the Fall and early Winter, but this new swine flu doesn't seem to care about the rules. We'd better keep our eye on this one.