OMS raises the pandemic alert and recalled the ravages of the 'Spanish flu' of 1918

OMS raises the pandemic alert and recalled the ravages of the 'Spanish flu' of 1918
The organization raises the alert level to phase 4, and warned countries to prepare for the worst
OMS raises the pandemic alert and recalled the ravages of the 'Spanish flu' of 1918
OMS raises the pandemic alert and recalled the ravages of the 'Spanish flu' of 1918. / Efe
High mortality in Mexico
On the high mortality of the virus in Mexico, the spokesman for the OMS has said that experts have not yet found an explanation, and has argued that this infection may be complicated with other existing there and make it more severe.
According to the expert, "perhaps not recognizing the disease. When it has never seen a disease, doctors do not know how to treat it," adding that "those who are at the beginning of an outbreak are most vulnerable."
Influenza epidemics in the twentieth century
In the twentieth century there were three flu pandemics: the Spanish in 1918, the 1957 Asian and Hong Kong in 1968, caused by three types of strains of influenza A viruses: H1N1, H2N2 and H3N2, respectively. The Spanish flu, the most severe and early this century, affecting between 20 and 40% of world population and killed 50 million people.
Furthermore, the flu of 1957-58 killed about two million people, and in 1968-70 led to between 1 and 3 million deaths. Then in 2003, was the avian flu that has left 257 people killed and affected 421 people in 15 countries.
The World Health Organization (OMS) has warned of a pandemic and recalled that the swine flu is a disease globally. Thus, the organization has ensured that "the virus is already widespread geographically and has raised the level of pandemic alert to Phase 4 (out of 6), implying that the virus spreads easily from person to person.
The organization has insisted that the virus detected in humans so far has not presented resistance to two drugs used to treat ", ie, oseltamivir and zanamivir, and has advised the governments that are focused on treating disease with drugs antivirals and not contain the A/H1N1.
The deputy director general of the OMS office, Keiji Fukuda, explained that the evolution of a pandemic outbreak is not inevitable but believes that countries should prepare for the worst. The organization focuses its attention on the needs of developing countries in combating the disease, as history has shown that often the most affected. As noted, although the outbreak resulting in a mild pandemic, the so-called 'Spanish flu' of 1918 that left millions dead, also began smoothly.
Pending the development of cases in the U.S.
OMS has acknowledged that the confirmation of transmission of human influenza virus in swine United States would raise the alert level to critical world (5 out of 6). "It seems, because we are still awaiting the final confirmation from U.S. authorities that there are cases where a school of New York who seem like (product) of a transmission between humans," said spokesman Gregory Hartl. For now we know with certainty that the infection is contagious among people in Mexico, while also investigating whether the cases reported in Canada (six confirmed so far) are a result of infection among humans within a community or were imported.
In addition, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency, which will facilitate coordinated action and more effective in combating the outbreak, has reported his office. Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency with the intention to "support and provide health departments for an effective response." The authorities in Los Angeles, who were investigating two suspicious deaths have dropped which is connected with the swine flu.
On production of a vaccine, the spokesman Gregory Hartl has revealed that four reference laboratories of the Organization are working to reproduce the basic strain of the virus needed to manufacture the vaccine. "It takes time to produce a virus that is used to make eggs and grow," he explained. In any case, has indicated that "the signal (for the production of vaccines against swine flu) will not be before entering the stage 5.