swine flu | Latest developments

Key developments on swine-flu outbreaks, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization and government officials:

Deaths: Global total of 82 — 74 in Mexico, six in U.S., one in Canada and one in Costa Rica. Officials said victims from Canada, U.S. and Costa Rica also had other medical conditions.

Confirmed cases: WHO says 40 countries have reported more than 9,830 cases, mostly in the U.S. and Mexico.

CDC says 47 U.S. states and District of Columbia have combined 5,469 confirmed and probable cases. Most probable cases are eventually confirmed.

The outbreak has switched from one initially linked to schools or travelers to one with true communitywide spread in much of the country, said CDC’s Dr. Anne Schuchat. Twenty-two states are reporting widespread or regional flu activity, particularly in the Southwest and Midwest

Health officials say a Missouri man with swine flu has died, and testing is under way to determine if the disease caused his death.

WHO says drug manufacturers won’t be able to start making a vaccine until mid-July at the earliest. The virus isn’t growing very fast in laboratories, making it difficult for scientists to get a key vaccine ingredient.

The New York City health department says it’s investigating the death of a 16-month-old boy as a possible case of swine flu.

The Japanese government says it will phase out airport quarantine checks after 41 more swine-flu cases were confirmed in the port city of Kobe and nearby Osaka. A total of 176 cases have been confirmed in Japan, making it the world’s fourth-most infected country.

Source: Associated Press