GENEVA (Prensa Latina) The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned on Sunday that the number of AH1N1 flu virus cases is still growing with 787 cases confirmed in 17 nations. Mexico is still the most affected with 506 cases reported and 19 death, followed by the United States with 160 cases and one death (a 23-old-month baby of Mexican origin).
Spain has reported 20 confirmed cases, Britain has 16 cases and Germany eight.
WHO also confirmed the virus has reached a swine herd in Alberta, Canada, which was likely infected by a farm worker who returned from Mexico.
WHO is not yet recommending travel restrictions or border closing, although it has advised people with flu symptoms to avoid travelling.
It also pointed out there is no risk of infection from eating pork meat.
Meanwhile the scientific community is investigating the origin of the new virus with human and avian DNA strains and two types of swines (Euro-Asian and American), although those animals have shown no sign of being infected.
Experts are also trying to determine who was the first human that became infected, since there have been speculations over a Mexican child, but such hypothesis has been denied in the United States.
Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO director of the Initiative for Vaccine Researchn, said the virus detected in Mexico, United States and Europe is the same in 99 percent of its genome.
‘We can say it´s the same virus. We do not have any satisfactory explanation of why the symptoms are more serious in Mexico than in other countries,’ she emphasized.
We are just waiting for the new researches and creation of a vaccine planned for four or six month while WHO recommended to increase health measures.
Wash your hands frequently, do not touch your eyes, mouth and nose and if sneezing cover your mouth and nose with disposable handkerchief are some of the measures.
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