US braces for worsening swine flu outbreak

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US officials Monday urged Americans to stay calm but warned there will likely be more cases of swine flu, and possibly deaths, after Mexico announced the virus had claimed more than 140 lives.
President Barack Obama, who said he is closely monitoring the situation, called the outbreak a cause for concern, but said it should not provoke alarm.
He said health officials are closely monitoring the emerging cases of the potentially fatal disease.
The rapid spread of swine flu around the world, and the lethality with which it has struck in Mexico, prompted US officials on Sunday to declare a national health emergency.
But in his remarks delivered at a gathering of the National Academy of Sciences, Obama said that the declaration was made out of an abundance of caution.
The Department of Health and Human Services has declared a Public Health Emergency as a precautionary tool to ensure that we have the resources we need at our disposal to respond quickly and effectively, the president said.
He added: Im getting regular updates on the situation from the responsible agencies, and the Department of Health and Human Services as well as the Centres for Disease Control will be offering regular updates to the American people so that they know what steps are being taken and what steps they may need to take.
Even so, the top US disease official, said he could not rule out the disease quickly taking a much more serious turn in the United States.
From what we understand in Mexico, I think people need to be ready for the idea that we could see more severe cases in this country and possibly deaths, Richard Besser, acting head of the US Centres for Disease Control, told ABC television.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation said Monday it has not made any recommendations against travel during the swine flu outbreak.
WHO did not recommend any travel restrictions, we need to be very clear on that, said Gregory Hartl, the organisations spokesman in Geneva, underlining the incomplete picture surrounding the outbreak in Mexico.
Hartls remarks came after EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou urged people to avoid non-essential travel to flu-affected areas, provoking a sharp retort in the United States.
The top disease control official in the United States Richard Besser said: At this point, I would not put out a travel restriction or recommendation against coming to the United States. The WHO said some 40 cases have been reported in the United States, while in Mexico authorities were casting their net widely in tracking down cases with similar symptoms such as pneumonia and respiratory trouble.
The US Centres for Disease Control has already begun using the virus to produce virus strains and growing the virus strain in eggs, the first stage in vaccine production, Hartl said.
In addition, he noted that some pharmaceutical companies are preparing to produce vaccine against this strain of H1N1.
We certainly know that the work has begun to produce vaccines, he said, adding that going by current methods, manufacturers would need at least half a year to get a vaccine onto pharmacy shelves.
Meanwhile, The US Defence Department said on Monday it was closely following the outbreak of swine flu but had no immediate plans to release anti-viral drugs from its stockpiles.
The US military is monitoring the situation closely, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters.
Asked if the military would begin distributing anti-viral medicine such as Tamiflu and Relenza from its stockpiles, Whitman said: I know of no plans to do so that at this point.
Meanwhile, Australia will introduce airport checks for swine flu and has alerted hospital emergency wards and doctors to be on the lookout for the virus, officials said Monday.
Australian authorities cleared 16 people of carrying the virus that is believed to have killed 103 people in Mexico and were awaiting test results on five later Monday.
Meanwhile, the European Union has called an emergency meeting for Thursday to evaluate the threat posed by the swine flu outbreak emanating from Mexico, the blocs presidency said Monday.
The Czech EU Presidency will convene an extraordinary council of EU health ministers to evaluate the possible threat posed by the swine influenza outbreak and to coordinate European efforts, a statement said.
The extraordinary health council will take place as soon as possible, in all probability on Thursday, April 30 afternoon.
Meanwhile, two people admitted to a Scottish hospital after travelling to Mexico have been confirmed as the first cases of swine flu in Britain, Scottish Health Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Monday.
I can confirm that tests have demonstrated conclusively that the two Scottish cases of swine flu are positive, she said, adding that the two confirmed patients were recovering well.
Seven other people who came into contact with them, among 22 tested, have developed mild symptoms of the flu, she said.