Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Developments on swine flu worldwide

May 19, 12:52 PM EDT
Key developments on swine flu outbreaks, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization and government officials:

-Deaths: Global total of 80 - 72 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 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.

-Health officials say 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.

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

-Japanese government says it will phase out airport quarantine checks after 41 more swine 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.

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