Hybrid flu kills Mexican child in US
First U.S. swine flu death confirmed
Story Highlights
2-year-old child in Texas is first fatality from swine flu in United States
World Health Organization says at least 105 cases confirmed worldwide
More than 159 deaths in Mexico are thought to have been caused by swine flu
(CNN) -- A 2-year-old child became the first swine flu fatality in the United States, while more European countries announced confirmed cases of the disease on Wednesday.
"Flu is a very serious infection and each virus is unique, and so it's hard to know what we're going to be seeing," Besser said. "But given what we've seen in Mexico we have expected that we would see more severe infections and we would see deaths."
Germany and Austria became the latest European countries to report swine flu, while the number of cases increased in Britain and Spain.[...]
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The first hybrid-flu related death in the US was a 2 year old Mexican child that traveled to Houston for treatment. So far, no US citizens have died. This is not a US death, but a death IN the US by a child that would have died in Mexico if she hadn't been taken to the US. The media is selling doom again by sensationalizing this child's death. No doubt CNN and other media were giddy to learn of a US body count starting. Again, it is a MEXICAN DEATH, not a US one.
Bans on US pork by China and Russia serve three purposes: they placate the fears by their population that don't understand the transmission vectors (note 1), it causes people to buy locally which supports their economy, and it harms the US. That is a win-win situation for them. The US can say nothing as it makes us look like greedy industrialists with no concern for the health of others. The WHO is the only legitimized organization that can say anything about this stupid disease-related embargo.
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note 1: I was listening to talk radio (Hugh Hewitt) on the commute home last night and one caller had decided to stop buying Mexican produce since he believed it was a way to catch the flu. Hugh was unable to convince the caller otherwise. Grand ignorance and a panic fueled by media that capitalizes on the ignorance of its audience leads to people making stupid decisions. No mention of the threat of salmonella! This is the "Swine Flu" and people are dying!
FYI: "About 36,000 Americans die on average per year from the complications of flu." That is in the USA, alone. Globally, the number is much higher. Also, that is SEASONAL flu. I fail to see the need for panic here other than it makes for "good press".
EDIT: fixed CDC link
Story Highlights
2-year-old child in Texas is first fatality from swine flu in United States
World Health Organization says at least 105 cases confirmed worldwide
More than 159 deaths in Mexico are thought to have been caused by swine flu
(CNN) -- A 2-year-old child became the first swine flu fatality in the United States, while more European countries announced confirmed cases of the disease on Wednesday.
"Flu is a very serious infection and each virus is unique, and so it's hard to know what we're going to be seeing," Besser said. "But given what we've seen in Mexico we have expected that we would see more severe infections and we would see deaths."
Germany and Austria became the latest European countries to report swine flu, while the number of cases increased in Britain and Spain.[...]
---
The first hybrid-flu related death in the US was a 2 year old Mexican child that traveled to Houston for treatment. So far, no US citizens have died. This is not a US death, but a death IN the US by a child that would have died in Mexico if she hadn't been taken to the US. The media is selling doom again by sensationalizing this child's death. No doubt CNN and other media were giddy to learn of a US body count starting. Again, it is a MEXICAN DEATH, not a US one.
Bans on US pork by China and Russia serve three purposes: they placate the fears by their population that don't understand the transmission vectors (note 1), it causes people to buy locally which supports their economy, and it harms the US. That is a win-win situation for them. The US can say nothing as it makes us look like greedy industrialists with no concern for the health of others. The WHO is the only legitimized organization that can say anything about this stupid disease-related embargo.
---
note 1: I was listening to talk radio (Hugh Hewitt) on the commute home last night and one caller had decided to stop buying Mexican produce since he believed it was a way to catch the flu. Hugh was unable to convince the caller otherwise. Grand ignorance and a panic fueled by media that capitalizes on the ignorance of its audience leads to people making stupid decisions. No mention of the threat of salmonella! This is the "Swine Flu" and people are dying!
FYI: "About 36,000 Americans die on average per year from the complications of flu." That is in the USA, alone. Globally, the number is much higher. Also, that is SEASONAL flu. I fail to see the need for panic here other than it makes for "good press".
EDIT: fixed CDC link