North American Swine Influenza – International Update
April 29, 2009
As everyone has heard in the news, a new North American strain of Swine Influenza has appeared and there have been confirmed cases in the United States, Mexico, Israel, Spain, United Kingdom and New Zealand with reported cases in several other countries. While there have been a number of deaths related to this disease it is good to keep the current situation in context.
According to the Center for Disease Control over 13,000 people in the U.S. have died of related complications since this January as the result of known flu strains. “Regular” flu strains are responsible for approximately 36,000 deaths a year in the U.S. alone. So while we need to remain vigilant and cautious about how this new flu virus spreads we should keep in mind that known flu strains present similar risks.
We should take this opportunity to remember that there are some very basic steps we can take to prevent contracting or the spread of this and other diseases. Below there are several links that provide information regarding best practices and other information about this new strain of influenza.
We have made arrangements for our students who were studying in Mexico this semester to return home. This decision was made when the Mexican government, in a move to prevent the spread of the disease, decided to close all university campuses. Arrangements have been made for students to complete their coursework here in the U.S. and receive credits for the courses they successfully complete. All the students were healthy and had been practicing the appropriate precautions in order to prevent contracting the disease. Had we been able to assure the safe and successful completion of their term in Mexico, we would have allowed them to remain in Puebla.
We also know many of you are concerned about being or traveling abroad during this period of heightened awareness. We want to assure you that the Center for Global Education is constantly monitoring the situation and will be providing updates as relevant information becomes available. Should you have any questions about being abroad we invite you to contact us and we will be happy to speak with you about your travel plans. Students currently studying abroad, or planning to in the summer ‘09 or fall ’09 should remain in contact with the Center for Global Education for information updates.
The Center for Global Education can be reached by phone at 508-286-4950 or e-mail at globaled@wheatonma.edu.
Helpful links for more information about the North American strain of Swine influenza:
http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/index.htm
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html
http://apahelpcenter.org/articles/article.php?id=194