Swine Flu Pandemic with No Vaccine

A hybrid swine flu virus, aka influenza, containing DNA from three different mutated viruses began sweeping through Mexico killing 68 people, and sickening at least 1,000, and the virus has been identified in sick people in New York, Texas, California, and Kansas.

The World Health Organization said the outbreak has become a "public health emergency of international concern" and asked countries around the world to step up reporting and surveillance of the disease and implement a coordinated response to contain it.

The biggest problem at this time is the fact there is no vaccine available yet. The good news is that antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu have been effective in treating the illness.

WHO officials fear this swine flu virus could cause an influenza pandemic, which means it could spears across the North and South American continent, or even internationally.

One of the worst pandemics caused by the Spanish Flu of 1918 – 1919 reached world wide, and killed an estimated 50 to 100 million people.

If you feel like you have flu symptoms see a doctor. Many of the people who die in pandemics are young healthy people.

Flu, aka influenza, symptoms:

• Fever (usually high)
• Headache
• Tiredness (can be extreme)
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Body aches
• Diarrhea and vomiting (more common among children than adults)

There is more pandemic flu information here.