disease-control – Page 3 – 4VF News

Avoid ‘confined spaces’ such as planes, Biden says

Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday morning he has advised his family to avoid "confined places" such as aircraft, subways and classrooms because of the swine flu risk. Biden made the remarks on NBC’s “Today Show,” after he was asked what he would tell a family member about traveling to Mexico, where the first cases of the virus — technically known as 2009 H1N1 — were detected. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, is advising people to avoid nonessential travel to Mexico, where the Mexican government suspects 159 deaths have resulted from the infection, most of them in or around Mexico City

Obama wants $1.5 billion for pandemic preps

The White House asked Congress for an additional $1.5 billion for pandemic flu preparations Tuesday as the head of the Republican Party defended its opposition to an earlier request. President Obama requested the money be attached to an $83 billion war-spending bill now before lawmakers, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said

Masks keep you from spreading illness

In Mexico City, the government ran out of surgical masks after handing them out to one of every five residents. Manufacturers and pharmacies in Europe are also reporting a surge in demand for face masks. And a Texas-based surgical mask producer says it’s ramping up to meet demand and expects a shortage of masks.

Regular flu has killed thousands since January

There had been no confirmed deaths in the United States related to swine flu as of Tuesday afternoon. But another virus had killed thousands of people since January and is expected to keep killing hundreds of people every week for the rest of the year

Expert on flu’s spread says new strain here to stay

Predicting the path of a swine flu outbreak is next to impossible, public health officials say. But Dr

What those swine flu terms actually mean

The outbreak of swine flu, which appears to have originated in Mexico, has crossed borders and datelines, spooked the travel industry — and thrown up some unfamiliar and uncertain terminology.

Swine flu case confirmed in Spain

The first case of swine flu in Europe was confirmed Monday in Spain as a top European health official warned against travel to Mexico and the United States. Spanish health minister Trinidad Jimenez said a 23-year-old man who returned from studying in Mexico last Wednesday tested positive for the virus at a hospital in Albacete, southeastern Spain

Swine Flu: 5 Things You Need to Know About the Outbreak

Concern that the world could be on the brink of the first influenza pandemic in more than 40 years escalated Sunday as France, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Spain reported potential new cases in which people had been infected with swine flu and Canada confirmed several new cases. In the U.S., where 20 such infections have been confirmed, federal health officials declared a public-health emergency and are preparing to distribute to state and local agenciesa quarter of the country’s 50 million-dose stockpile of antiviral drugs. Meanwhile, in hard-hit Mexico, where more than 80 people have died from what is believed to be swine flu, the government closed all public schools and canceled hundreds of public events in Mexico City.

Regular flu season precautions advised in current outbreak

As reports of swine flu continue to rise in the United States and around the world, the average American is probably asking, "How should I protect myself?" And the answer is: Do what you’d do in other flu outbreaks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising people to “take the ordinary steps they would take to protect themselves: frequent hand washing, and making sure you cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.” By midday Sunday, there were 20 confirmed cases in the United States

CDC: 8 New York students have swine flu

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed cases of swine flu in eight students at a New York preparatory school, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Sunday.