On July 28, 2005, Reuters re****ted that the number of people infected
by swine flu has jumped by 14 to 131. The World Health Organization
said it was watching the development closely.
Read more details in
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/PEK9397.htm
An outline:
* Streptococcus suis, known in layman's terms as swine
flu, is endemic in swine in most pig-rearing countries
in the world but human infections are rare.
* Although China's state media has said no human-to-human
infections have been found in Sichuan, the death toll
is considered unusually high.
* Victims were infected with the bacteria from
slaughtering, handling or eating infected pigs.
* The unusually high mortality rate and re****ts that many
of the victims died within 24 hours of showing symptoms
have led some experts to wonder if it is indeed swine
flu at all.
* "There is always a danger but this situation seems to
be very localised," said WHO spokesman Robert Dietz in
the Philippines.
* Chongqing Evening News re****ted a person digging out
buried pig carc***** and sold them at a market in
another town. Killing sick pigs to sell in markets or
eat at home was common and farmers in affected areas had
never been warned against the practice. A patient said,
"We've been doing this for years and no government
official has ever come to talk to us about it."
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