# 3064
Today’s CDC telephone conference has just ended and, as you can see by my sidebar, we have new totals of confirmed human cases in the United States.
The increase in cases is attributed to more test results returned from the New York City Prep School, not additional cases.
However, Dr. Richard Besser, Acting Director of the CDC, indicated that the Swine Flu is acting like any ordinary flu, and that many contacts of those known to be infected are presenting with respiratory infections.
Presumably some of those will be Swine Flu, as well.
The State Department will issue a Travel advisory for Mexico later today, urging people not to go there unless their have urgent business.
The feeling is that the situation in Mexico is `fluid’ and they are doing this out of an abundance of caution.
By the same token, Dr. Besser stated that the EU Health Minister’s call for travel restrictions to the US is `premature’, given the small number of cases here and the mild symptoms reported.
The HHS is releasing roughly 11 million doses of antivirals to the states, or about 25% of the Federal stockpile. They will hold the remainder in reserve until they can determine the severity of this outbreak.
Regardless of what the WHO decides today or tomorrow about Global Pandemic Threat Levels (current at 3), the CDC will take an aggressive and forward leaning stance on this outbreak.
Individuals need to stay informed, practice good `flu hygiene’ (handwashing, staying home if sick, not kissing people in greeting, etc), and consider how they will handle events if they must work from home, or their children’s school is temporarily closed.
There is still much the CDC doesn’t know about this virus, and one of the big things they are trying to determine is why the death toll in Mexico from this virus appears so high.
While the CDC is preparing `seed stocks’ for a possible vaccine, no decision to manufacture one has been made. Current flu vaccines are not expected to be effective against this H1N1 strain.
The next week or so should provide more answers regarding the spread, and severity, of this virus.
Dr. Besser cautioned that, with the end of the Northern Hemisphere’s flu season, we could see a reduction in cases over the summer but that the virus could easily return in the fall.
A transcript and audio recording of the conference will be made available later today on the CDC website.
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