More swine flu cases worry health officials

We told you earlier this week about two cases of an unusual form of swine flu diagnosed in children from California. Now it looks like those two were just the beginning of a larger problem that may already be in two states and throughout Mexico.

Though it's not possible to get swine flu from eating pork products, and this variation doesn't seem to have started with contact with pigs, we thought we'd still share the latest on what's likely to be the biggest health story in the news for the foreseeable future.

Cases in U.S. up to seven

Homeland Security secretary Janet Nopalitano declared a public health emergency on Sunday (there is no secretary of Health and Human Services yet, who would normally be in charge of such an outbreak, and Obama was golfing) and current reports say that at least 20 Americans have been sickened by the flu.

Those cases have been found in California, Texas, Ohio and Kansas, as well as a cluster among high school students in New York, some of whom had visited Mexico for Spring Break.

People visiting the United States from other countries will be asked about their illness history but will not be barred from the country just for having come from Mexico (or other countries with the flu if it spreads). The nation's stockpile of the antiviral drug Tamiflu, which has so far been an effective treatment, has also been released.

None of the patients is known to have had direct contact with pigs before getting sick, which is what makes these cases so unusual. Getting the illness directly from a pig is a lot more common.

Also, the genetic combination of flu strains — including North American swine and avian influenza and human and swine influenza strains from Asia and Europe — is one that hasn't been seen before. And while the strain is resistant to some antiviral medications, others did work to treat it, officials say.

Another outbreak in Mexico

Meanwhile in Mexico, the situation is more dire, with an estimated 61 deaths and more than 800 thought to have been infected

Schools in Mexico City have been closed and public events canceled until further notice, and people are advised to avoid physical contact with other people or share glasses, dishes or cutlery for fear of spreading the flu. The World Health Organization fears that with cases in Mexico and parts of the United States the illness will spread and possibly mutate into a more deadly strain, but for now the agency is collecting information before it decides whether to increase the potential threat level of the outbreak.

And in Asia, where folks are used to health dangers like SARS and bird flu, countries have quickly ramped up anti-contamination efforts including testing at docks and airports and health screens for visitors.

(By Sarah E. White for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News)

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More swine flu cases worry health officials