Swine Flu in Tucson, Arizona?
I don’t know about you guys, but we are taking the matter quite seriously. Many medical scientists and researchers are saying that a flu pandemic is overdue.
Here is the current map of 2009 Swine Flu outbreak:
View H1N1 Swine Flu in a larger map
Influenza A Evolution (History):
1874 — (H3N8)
1890 — (H2N2) …………………….Pandemic
1902 — (H3N2)
1918 — (H1N1)……………………..”Spanish” Pandemic
1933 — (H1N1)……………………..First strains isolated
1947 — (H1N1)……………………..Variation detected
1957 — (H2N2)……………………..”Asian” Flu pandemic
1968 — (H3N2)……………………..”Hong Kong” Flu pandemic
1976 — (H1N1)……………………..”Swine” Flu, non-epidemic
1977 — (H1N1) + (H3N2)………….”Russian” Flu epidemic
2003 — (H3N2)……………………..”Fujian” Flu outbreak
In 1918-1919 “Spanish” influenza pandemic affected about 30 percent (500 million people or so) of the total world population, leaving 50 million (and arguably as much as 100 million) dead. There were 3 waves, with first being the mildest.
Asian flu pandemic struck in two waves, in the autumn of 1957 and then in early 1958, with very high rates of illness and an increase in fatalities. One million people were killed worldwide, but only 70,000 people died in the U.S., thanks to the vaccines.
Hong Kong Flu 1968 pandemic was milder than that of 1957, and spread more slowly than previous pandemics. Between 1 million and 4 million people are estimated to have died worldwide, and around 34,000 people were killed in the U.S.
2009 Swine Flu outbreak has started in March and is widely compared to the 1918 pandemic. Virus type, time of the year, average mortality age – there are a lot of similarities. In a month, the flu virus spread enormously fast around Mexico, US and other countries due to a lot of travel activity, especially during the spring break season.
As such, just to be on the safe side, we are keeping kids at home since Monday. I have cut my participation in any meetings and didn’t even go to the “Villas at Sabino Canyon” Condominiums Auction.
Unfortunately, today the news broke out that Maricopa County, Arizona, US now has 1 confirmed case of Swine Flu and 20 suspected cases (24 total cases). One of the Phoenix schools has been closed. Meanwhile, Tucson is so close to Mexico, California and Phoenix, that it is probably just a matter of days, if not hours, until we hear about Swine Flu case in Tucson, AZ.
I hope I’d be wrong on that.
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Comments on Swine Flu in Tucson, Arizona?
My question to you is why are the borders still open ,knowing that the swine flu is coming out of Mexico.
Maybe for once our government should look to our better interests, instead of other country and making them happy
and making money. Close the borders and if anyone even thinks they’ve been exposed get to the hospital and get it taken care of. This did not come out of the U.S. Mexico needs to be cut off. Before we loose our own citizens
get ill and die. Thank you.
I agree with Deborah, we should close the borders to prevent any cross border travelers from bringing back the disease to american soil. We need to look to our own interests of health protection.
thanks
Why not close the borders with California, too? Shut down I-10 and I-40.
im diabetic and am more likely to get virus due to my immune system. my question is how long before they realize how much in danger they are putting us in? this came from mexico so unfortunately something has to be done at the borders….. fast!!!!!!!
well good luck preventing mosquitoes from crossing the border…. since they too can transmit the disease.
Very ignorant!!!!!!!
DEAR DEBOAR AND PETE ,
:| !
UMM.. SORRY BUT THE FLU DID NOT START
IN MEXICO.. THE FLU IS MORE DISPERSED IN MEXICO..
THIS FLU IS EVERYWHERE AND STOP BLAMING MEXICO,
WHY DONT YOU STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT CLOSING THE BORDER..
AND MAYBE TRY AND HELP PEOPLE WHO NEED IT RIGHT NOW
y should we close the border the flu is all ready out its just not in mexico so shutting down the border is not going to do anything.
o.m.g.
If it is not one thing it’s another my hart goes out to those who’ve lost loved ones because of this .just hug your love ones extra tight tonight and remember god will help all of us get through this one way or another and my prayers are with you and remember there is hope.
closeing the border is not going to help so you need to leave mexico alone they already have a lot to deal with !!!
In my personal opinion, there is no point to blame anyone for the outbreak of the Swine Flu. It absolutely doesn’t matter where it came from, but it definitely matters what we are going to do now.
I suggest we concentrate on our personal actions that would help us to stop unnecessary spreading of the virus. For example, I applaud Green Fields Country Day School in Tucson which has canceled events planned for the weekend as a precautionary measure.
If other schools would use common sense and adjust their activities until the danger passes, it will make a huge difference. The same applies to all Tucson families – cut down on all the activities that involve many people, until the outbreak is over.
It also might be a good idea to buy a few surgical masks, wash hands more frequently and follow travel advisory.
If 2009 Swine Flu (pandemic ?) follows the trail of 1918 “Spanish” influenza pandemic, we probably will see very limited number of deaths in the Spring, but might get attacked by the Swine Flu killer mutant later in the Fall.
It is important to be mentally ready to accept the situation and act together in the best interests of humanity.
All of you saying closing the border and that it did not start in mexico are wrong they should close the border that’s where it started and people coming in is the reason the U.S.A. got H1N1, and it DID start in mexico. A 8 year old boy who lived on a pig farm was the 1st person with a reported case of H1N1 sadly he died but people know that it started in mexico and that it would be a very smart to close the border then take care of all the people with H1N1
Brizzeth – As I understand it, this particular strain is in fact believed to have originated in Mexico. It had to originate somewhere. It’s not an indictment against the country, so no one should be offended by such a comment. It’s turning out that it doesn’t seem to be much if any more dangerous than the flus that go around all the time. My questions, though, is that I heard of the death of a 7-year-old in Tucson, suspected to be from swine flu. I heard it on Tucson news, and I know one other person who saw the same. Yet I can’t find any further mention, and no one else seems to know anything about it. Did they determine it wasn’t the flu? Is it hushed to prevent panic? What’s up? And don’t tell me I heard wrong, because I absolutely heard the story correctly. They had a picture of the boy – he looked quite overweight and I thought that may have contributed to his difficulty in breathing before his death, as reported.