Swine Flu Info Blog

5 comments:

Krista said...

It is a big deal. It's been reported that these children didn't have pre-existing health conditions, and it's unusual for healthy children to die from flu.
There was also a pediatric death in Nebraska about a week ago and four other kids there who are currently sick with flu.
There were nine kids in Birmingham who had severe cases of flu about a month ago. I don't know if any died because the papers were strangely silent.
The CDC reports that there have been 13 pediatric deaths from flu this season.
The number they talk about for annual deaths from flu is 36,000. That is mostly elderly, very young, and people who have underlying health conditions.
An epidemic is an illness that is widespread over one community or region.
A pandemic is an illness that is widespread over a wider area - usually we think of continents or much of the world.
The pandemic that has been in the news for the last year or two isn't our usual seasonal flu but a new flu virus which is now very widespread in birds and has effected approximately 264 people.
Scientists are saying that it is likely it will mutate so that it can pass easily from one person to another. At that point, we will have a pandemic of what is now called avian flu.
I've forgotten, did Seattle close schools? That can really cut down on the transmission from one child to another - as long as parents keep the children home and do not let them meet up at the malls, etc.

September 4, 2009 at 5:37 AM

starligh said...

Pandemic means a disease has spread throughout some particular region.
1.(of a disease) prevalent throughout an entire country, continent, or the whole world; epidemic over a large area.
So we see from the definition from dictionary.com, it might not even be a disease, it could be an atomic war. AND it does not have to do with birds.
The critical factor to consider is: has the disease become prevalent throughout an entire area of fairly wide reach. At least a country and possibly a larger region.
Unfortunately, 3 children dying in Seattle is a sad occurrence but not a pandemic.
Bird or Avian Flu has the potential to become pandemic if it prevails over one country or the entire world as did SARS many years ago.

September 4, 2009 at 5:39 AM

KingGeor said...

To answer your question:
1. It must involve BIRDS in some far away country.
2. It must be reported by CNN
3. There must be another item that needs "hiding" in the news, such as a presidential goof, gaffe, or lie.
Otherwise, a pandemic, epidemic, or other outbreak is normally reported by the CDC

September 4, 2009 at 6:20 AM

Bob said...

It kills many and it spread to other foreign countries.

September 4, 2009 at 7:16 AM

blah said...

Every year 20,000 to 100,000 people die of the flu. For a great surveillance site on the web, check out www.CDC.gov.
So, a few kids dying (tragic though it is) is expected in the yearly course of things.
As for the terminology used- Epidemic is when there are more than the usual amounts of a certain disease seen in a given area. So let's say that every December 100 people get disease X... Next December if 200 people get disease X, it's an epidemic. If disease X spreads world-wide, it's a Pandemic.

September 4, 2009 at 7:36 AM