(CNN) -- The United States government declared a public health emergency Sunday as the number of identified cases of swine flu in the nation rose to 20. The declaration is part of a "standard operating procedure" that will make available additional government resources to combat the virus, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said at the White House. Additional cases of swine flu are expected to be reported in the coming days, added Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

No one has died in the U.S. from swine flu, officials said Sunday. In New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said eight students at St. Francis Prepatory School in Queens have tested positive for swine flu. More than 100 students at the school were absent with flu-like symptoms last week, he said. State public health officials in Ohio confirmed one case of swine flu on Sunday. There have been seven confirmed cases in California, two in Kansas, and two in Texas, Besser said. The World Health Organization advised all countries to be on the lookout for "unusual" outbreaks of flu, after an emergency meeting Saturday as the seriousness of the outbreak became clear.

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Rumours are that there are also cases in France. Will it become pandemic?

http://www.turkishclass.com/user/account/forumTitle_40677  my post this morning

We  suspect it is already global

Is this the next influenza pandemic?
It is too early to say whether the cases in Mexico and the US will lead to a larger outbreak or could represent the appearance of potential pandemic strain of influenza virus.
There is currently insufficient evidence to understand the extent to which cases in Mexico and the US are firmly linked or to make a complete assessment of the health implications of this new virus.
The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) is the decision maker in terms of declaring an influenza pandemic and elevating the global stages of pandemic alert. Experts from around the world are working in close collaboration with WHO to help determine what risk this situation poses to global public health.

It´s been on the news here all day long here in CA.  It seems people in Mexico City are being advised to wear face masks.....niqab anyone....  ?

BBC News on Swine Flu.   Here is an interesting map of the outbreak.  You can click on the spots and it will give you detailed information about the cases found.  It has already become international, so it seems.

Two people are being monitored in Scotland who have just returned back from Mexico with flu like symptoms. 

 You know what worries me the most about this thing is the paranoia coming out of it.  If you or anyone coughs or sneezes, everyone will now be alarmed.  Any sniffle, we are off to the hospital to get checked out.  It´s going to be even harder on Hispanic immigrants now.  A new cause for racisism.  I have even heard it being called the Mexican flu.  It can devestate Latin businesses.

Even church services have been called off in Mexico!  Now that is radical!

Interesting speculation on where swine flu came from.  It´s a long article, but worth it.

Swine Flu Outbreak -- Nature Biting Back at Industrial Animal Production?

For years, leading scientists around the world have worried that large-scale, indoor swine "factories" would become breeding grounds for new pathogens that could more easily infect humans and then spread out rapidly in the general population - threatening to become a global pandemic.

We know that hog workers in Europe and North America are far more likely than others to be infected with potentially lethal pathogens such as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), drug-resistant E. coli and Salmonella, and of course, swine influenza. Many scientists also believe that people who work inside CAFOs are more at risk of contracting and spreading these and other "zoonotic" diseases than those working in smaller-scale operations, with outdoor pens or pasture and far lower animal density.

But until now, hog workers with swine flu have rarely gone on to infect other people, save for close family members. And that is why this new strain of swine influenza virus is so vexing - and alarming. It seems to spread quite easily through casual human contact.

This new strain making headlines and killing people contains genetic components of human flu virus, avian flu virus and - for the first time ever - two types of swine flu virus: American and Eurasian. "Such a combination of components (genes) was not found so far, neither among humans nor among pigs (as far as we know)," CDC spokesman Tom Skinner said in an email.

Apparently my friend´s got Swine Flu, I think he´s just telling porkies, though

He said the only known cure for Swine Flu has been found to be the liberal application of oinkment

 Is he wallowing in self pity?   I heard apple sauce is a good cure  and ohhhhh what is that I can hear crackling??

Advice on how to avoid Swine Flu

Get plenty of exercise because exercise helps build your immune system. Walk for at least hour a day, go for a swim, take the stairs instead of the lift.

Wash your hands often. If you can’t wash them, keep a bottle of antibacterial
stuff around. Wear a mask when out in public places and avoid going out in public as much as possible while the swine flu is spreading. Get lots of fresh air. Open windows whenever possible. Get plenty of rest. Try to eliminate as much stress from your life as you can.

How this can be done in real life!

You can take the doctor’s office approach. Think about it, when you go
for a shot, what do they do first? Clean your arm with alcohol.. Why? Because
alcohol kills germs. So…… I put on my mask, walk to the liquor store (exercise), I put lime in my Corona (fruit), celery in my Bloody Mary (veggies), drink on the bar patio (fresh air), get drunk, tell jokes, and laugh (eliminate stress) and then pass out (rest). The way I see it, if you keep your alcohol levels up flu germs can’t get you!!!!

 Based on this I am safe!