While stressing that most A(H1N1) cases so far have been mild, World Health Organization director-general Margaret Chan warned that the new influenza strain colloquially referred to as "swine flu" is "unstoppable". Chan issued the warning during her opening remarks of the two-day global A(H1N1) summit that started Thursday in Cancun, Mexico.

Here's a link to Chan's speech which I got from the WHO News Twitter account.

In her speech, Chan stressed the importance of transparent reporting and collaboration.

Mexico was the first country to experience a widespread outbreak. Mexico bore the brunt of these consequences at a time when the new virus had not yet been identified and nothing was known about the disease it causes.

Mexico gave the world an early warning, and it also gave the world a model of rapid and transparent reporting, aggressive control measures, and generous sharing of data and samples.

Canada and the United States supported the early control measures in Mexico, and then followed this model of transparent reporting and generous collaboration as their own outbreaks began to spread.

WHO and the international community have much to thank these three countries for setting a precedent that, up to now, nearly every country has followed.

Meanwhile, in the US, the White House has announced that it will hold a H1N1 Flu Preparedness Summit next week.

In another development, scientists have come out with a report on why the H1N1 virus seems "less efficient" than normal flu viruses in attacking people.

Here's an excerpt from the Associated Press story.

"While the virus is able to bind human receptors, it clearly appears to be restricted," Ram Sasisekharan, lead author of the report, said in a statement.

But flu viruses are known to mutate rapidly, the research team noted, so this one must be watched closely in case it changes to become easier to spread.

Even if it doesn't mutate, it's causing plenty of illness here and abroad already--and vaccine makers are working "at full speed" to develop shots for use in the fall if the Government deems it enough of a threat, Dr Anthony Fauci, infectious disease director of the National Institutes of Health, said Thursday.

For more information on swine flu, you may go to the Multimedia section of the WHO site for audio, video and transcripts of their H1N1 press briefings.

You may also check out this WHO interactive timeline of H1N1 cases--this requires the Flash player.

Want to know more about the symptoms of (A)H1N1? Here's a video from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.



And here's a CDC video explaining how to prevent getting and spreading A(H1N1).



Click here for more CDC videos tackling A(H1N1).

Remember: Let's not panic, but let's not get complacent, either.

 

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