Almost 30,000 Confirmed Cases of Swine Flu

CNN is reporting that we have almost 30,000 confirmed cases of swine flu (H1N1) around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that swine flu can't be stopped and that it's a pandemic. H1N1 has already reached over 70 countries and thing are going to get worse this fall and winter when the regular flu season hits. Will we see a safe and effective vaccine hit the market before this happens?

The swine flu pandemic is the first flu pandemic in the 21st century. Things today are very different compared to the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. Considering the amount of international travel that occurs these days, it's no wonder that swine flu spread so quickly. How will this impact your summer travel plans?

H1N1 Around the World

H1N1 may not be a pandemic, but it has reached the ends of the earth. Take a look at this WHO (World Health Organization) map!

As of today (May 17), 39 countries have officially reported 8480 cases of H1N1 infection. Swine flu has spread very rapidly to many countries. Had the virus been more virulent and lethal, could we have had a pandemic? Could a pandemic still occur this fall/winter during the regular flu season? I hope that H1N1 won't go down in the history books like the Spanish Flu.

Is Swine Flu No Longer a Serious Threat?

CNN has an interesting Q&A formatted article on swine flu. I was captured by the photo of a little Asian girl wearing a cute mask. The swine flu mania seems to have ended, but does this mean that swine flu isn't a serious threat anymore? People seem to easily underestimate how a pandemic could impact the world. The Spanish Flu of 1918 wiped out anywhere from 70 to 100 million people around the world. That was a true pandemic. Although we have effective antiviral therapies, many are questioning whether our supplies are adequate. If swine flu disappears over the summer, it could come back in the fall (during regular flu season) and do some serious damage. We must continue to be vigilant if we are to avoid such an outbreak of H1N1.