Swine Flu Update: H1N1 Virus Spreads to 46 Countries

by cyn.khoo | May 26, 2009 at 12:36 pm

1262 views | 26 Recommendations | 11 comments

Swine flu (H1N1) has spread to 46 countries with nearly 13,000 cases, reports the World Health Organization (WHO).

The organization says 46 countries have now reported a total of 12,515 cases and 91 deaths.

About half of all cases are in the United States.

The most recent swine flu victims were found in Iceland, Honduras, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.

Honduras, Iceland and Kuwait meanwhile reported infections to the WHO for the first time, with Honduras and Iceland posting a case each and Kuwait reporting 18 cases in US soldiers who have since left the country.

UAE Health Minister, Hanif Hassan, told the official WAM news agency on Sunday that a man who had recently returned from Canada was tested positive for the new strain of H1N1.

The Czech Republic also uncovered its first case of swine flu, in Prague.

[S]temming from a New York infection, the Czech Republic registered its first swine flu case involving an adult male from Prague who recently came back from the northeastern US metropolis.

On Tuesday, the Kingdom of Bahrain confirmed its first case of swine flu, while a 10th victim was found in Hong Kong and the flu toll in South Korea rose to 27. China now has had 11 cases, and a second flu victim appeared in Greece.

The Gulf kingdom of Bahrain reported its first confirmed case of A(H1N1) swine flu Tuesday, the second state in the Gulf region hit with the disease.
"The first case is a young Bahraini man of 21 who has returned from studying in New York," health ministry spokesman Adel Abdullah told AFP.

[...]

Other new cases surfaced Tuesday in Asia with South Korea now having 27 people infected and Hong Kong reporting its 10th victim.

In China authorities confirmed two more cases of the swine flu in a 19-year-old man in the eastern Zhejiang province and in a 30-year-old Shanghai man, bringing the total number in the world's most populous nation to 11.

Australia nearly doubled its number of confirmed cases last night, from 20 to 44, after passengers were let off the Pacific Dawn cruise ship despite others on the ship having already been quarantined and tested for swine flu.

HEALTH authorities were bracing last night for a feared runaway spread of swine flu infection, after the national tally of confirmed cases yesterday doubled to 44 in defiance of attempts to contain the disease.

Fourteen people from the Pacific Dawn have since tested positive. These include a five-year-old boy who flew from Sydney to Melbourne on a Jetstar flight on Monday afternoon, and five people who returned to Queensland on a Virgin Blue flight.

Victorian authorities are now busily tracking 36 Victorians from the ship who either had flu-like symptoms, or was in contact with someone who had symptoms.

[T]he number of positive tests climbed to at least 24 in Victoria, and above 50 nationally.

The United Kingdom's largest swine flu outbreak yet, at 50 cases, appeared from a Birmingham primary school in the West Midlands, bringing the UK total to 184 cases.

Forty-four new cases of the disease, linked to Welford School in Handsworth, have been confirmed by the Health Protection Agency.
The agency said that of the total, 45 were children and five were adults, including at least one teacher. The number of cases is expected to rise.

In South America, Ecuador had 24 cases of swine flu as of Monday, and Peru had 27.

Latin America saw most of the new swine flu cases on Monday, as Ecuador's infected tally rose to 24 over the weekend after officials reported 10 on Friday, and Peru raised its confirmed swine flu cases by two to 27.

Mexico has reported 4,458 swine flu victims to date.

Mexico's confirmed infections tally of 4,458 on Monday soared from 4,094 before the weekend, according to official statistics.

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Barry Artiste

at 18:06 on May 26th, 2009

From one who got the swine flu, it was the most horrid 3 weeks I had to endure, I was opening the sluices at both ends. I have never been so sick.

Amy Judd

at 18:28 on May 26th, 2009

You had swine flu!?

cyn.khoo

at 23:51 on May 26th, 2009

Haha Amy, the media/world does have a pretty short attention span...

Does the virus really target children, Domenic, more so than other viruses?

You're welcome, Paschen--happy to!

Ditto Amy's question!

Amy Judd

at 14:35 on May 26th, 2009

I can't believe it has been that many - it has pretty much dropped off the radar!

Domenic Greco (not verified)

at 16:55 on May 26th, 2009

Dropped off the radar??...not in my suburb! Two secondary schools including the one my son attends have been shut down. The first case found had not travelled and not been in contact with anyone who has. What an evil virus which spreads its talons so wide, so easily, and attacks children.

Paschen

at 17:30 on May 26th, 2009

Thank you for the update on H1N1.

zuj (not verified)

at 08:30 on June 11th, 2009

Philippines got 92 cases on that A(H1N1) virus and the Department Of Health announced PANDEMIC ALERT.

Two TOP UNIVERSITIES in that COUNTRY was hitted by the virus.
I think there were 5 students that were confirmed to have that virus. Because of that COLLEGe schools and Universities suspended the start of the classes on June 15. For the students to have their SELF-QUARANTINE.

After that VIRUS, what?
This virus isnt very dangerous. But It kills!

Babel-Fish

at 18:29 on June 11th, 2009

Level 6 alert? well its being treated like a tropical storm here. With all and sundry standing up on a political platform. Yep we of course do not have normal flue here so its something new, lol

I have got flue add me to the list, lol I am going to die laughing, where as poor old Barry sounds like he has a bad bout of diarrhea that certainly not flue and the Philippines issue a storm warning. lol

Look the virus is a weak one they always are when they cross species barriers. However with the first epidemic it is death threatening. If the out break here in the Philippines is a fresh one then the level of local alert should be high. But if we are seeing the H1N1 secondary weak strain then there is really no need for panic.

Then we have the extra panic that the virus is only effecting the kids, this maybe because the area authorities only checked the kids and not the parents. lol

Oh don't you just love WHO and the stupid media.

Sorry Barry to see the comedy, "sneeze, splutter cough"

digirose

at 12:43 on June 16th, 2009

Didn't we have a 'bird flu' scare not so long ago...everyone walking about in masks. It was quickly contained, like this one will be. Why panic the whole world, colouring the story even more with the word PANDEMIC?

sarahinchina (not verified)

at 01:43 on June 21st, 2009

i live in wenling, zhejiang province, prc. there is more than one case in this area of this flu. there are likely a lot more cases of h1n1 in china than the gov knows about and/or are willing to admit so it isn't getting press in the international scene. i think it's amusing how many steps the local govts are taking to keep out foreigners (must not enter the city for 7 days after arriving in china), yet their own nationals have this disease, and other medical issues that would horrify america and the west.