More than 100 dead from swine flu outbreak in Mexico / cases rise to 1,614

[seemslikeadream]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25392188-12377,00.html


THE death toll in Mexico from an outbreak of a new type of swine flu has risen to 103 people.

Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said about 400 people were in hospital out of a total of about 1600 suspected cases.

"The most recent reports we have are of 1614 cases, with 103 deaths, and we still have around 400 patients in hospital," he said.

Millions of Mexicans stayed indoors at the weekend or only ventured out wearing surgical masks.

In Mexico City, where the Government stopped public events and shut museums, bars and stadiums closed to try and contain the virus.



http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gfYcVCw5PiKbk5yaX7JaF9NqhPygD97QHTEO1

Suspected swine flu cases in Mexico rise to 1,614
36 minutes ago

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's federal health secretary says the number of suspected swine flu cases in Mexico has risen to 1,614, including 103 deaths.

Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova says authorities are still trying to confirm how many were caused by the deadly new virus strain, which has shown up in as many as seven other countries and has caused the U.S. to declare a health emergency.

Mexican health officials reported 86 deaths earlier Sunday and nearly 1,400 sickened.

Cordova updated the numbers while speaking to Televisa Mexican national television network Sunday night.





Reuters Pictures 3 hours ago
Mexican soldiers wear surgical face masks as they stand on an Army vehicle in Mexico City April 26, 2009. Fears of a global swine flu epidemic grew with 20 cases in the United States and six in Canada, and possible infections also popped up in Europe and New Zealand. All the deaths from the new flu so far have been in Mexico, mostly in and around the capital, one of Latin America's most important centers of business, government, culture and tourism.

[aquart]

1. God be with them.

Curious, what does this do to the drug wars? Do they stop till people are less likely to be contagious?

[seemslikeadream]

2. They're probably just wearing masks when they kill people

Reuters Pictures 7 hours ago
Members of the Mexican Navy wear masks as they stand guard in Mexico City April 26, 2009. Mexican Finance Minister Agustin Carstens said on Sunday the outbreak of swine flu could have a big impact on Mexico's economy, although it was too soon to say how significant the effect might be.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. On a more serious note

the DN-III-E plan is usually enacted by support troops with a few MP companies attached

Support, aka medical and administrative personnel (the latter can carry AR), have little to do with direct combat

Though I suspect counterinsurgency operations are on hold in Mexico City

And yes, they are counterinsurgency operations

[seemslikeadream]

6. Civil Unrest

http://biosurveillance.typepad.com/biosurveillance/2009/04/swine-flu-in-mexico-timeline-of-events.html
Civil Unrest:

The recent surge in organized crime and drug-related violence in Mexico, including homicides, kidnappings, extortion, and theft, has disproportionately impacted Mexican states along the Pacific Coast and U.S.-Mexico border. This factor may confound situational awareness of respiratory disease in Mexico and contribute to problems in epidemiological investigation and response measures. Baja California is one of five states within this region that currently accounts for more than 75 percent of Mexico's drug-related homicides, and has recorded high levels of drug seizures and police corruption cases. Veracruz, a state with high drug cartel activity in the Gulf of Mexico, has recorded little violence, while the state of Oaxaca to the southwest, recently recorded the assassination of a political party leader. Mexico City, in the center of the country, recently arrested a major drug cartel leader, and recorded few homicides this month. The levels of unrest in Hidalgo, San Luis Potosi, and Tlaxcala, however, are very low, and have not reported a single homicide related to organized crime in the past month.

[Stephanie]

4. I'm really looking forward to riding the subway tomorrow...

[MadLabrador]

5. comic

[aquart]

7. You kind of have to look at the public Twitter crap for that.

If you only look at subscribed information you never see that stuff.