Public health officials on Tuesday announced five more swine flu-related cases in Santa Clara County.
Two of the cases were identified as probable and three were confirmed to be swine flu or H1N1.
The latest figures bring to 29 the total number of swine flu cases in Santa Clara County, including 14 confirmed and 15 probable, said Marty Fenstersheib, health officer for Santa Clara County.
Fenstersheib warns that people who are sick with fever, sore throat, stuffy nose and or coughing should stay at home for at least seven days after they experience symptoms, and should limit their contact with healthy people to avoid infecting them.
So far, there have been more than 4,150 confirmed cases of swine flu in 29 countries. Two people in the United States have died from the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Why China is acting aggressively on swine flu
Six years ago, the Chinese government drew worldwide opprobrium for keeping SARS a secret while its citizens died or spread the disease abroad.
Nobody could accuse Beijing of a coverup over swine flu. The national TV evening news Monday, when the first confirmed case was reported on the mainland, reported little else, and the authorities broadcast a very public manhunt. Within 24 hours, they had tracked down and quarantined more than 80 percent of the people who had come in contact with the victim between Tokyo and the provincial Chinese city where he was hospitalized.
If all this seems rather like overkill, it illustrates just how determined China is to be above reproach in its reaction to this public-health scare after failing so badly over SARS. It also reflects a particular worry in a country where bird flu is endemic in many regions.
Bird flu has killed more than half the people it has infected, but is hardly transmissible among humans. Swine flu is benign in about 99 percent of cases, according to a study published this week in Science magazine, but it is very contagious.
Officials are afraid of a “reassortment,” a mix of two flu strains, the head of the Beijing office of the World Health Organization, Hans Troedsson, said earlier this year.
The Chinese authorities appear not to be taking any chances, drumming awareness of swine flu into the public consciousness. On the Monday evening news, the top story presented President Hu Jintao urging cadres to “strengthen our leadership and maintain our vigilance … sparing no effort to stem the spread of the epidemic.”
The second story was about the Prime Minister Wen Jiabao presiding over an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss prevention measures. Then viewers were treated to the sight of Li Keqiang, tipped to be the next prime minister, visiting the patient at the center of all the fuss. The fourth story was about the discovery of the patient.
This blanket coverage on state TV comes hard on the heels of draconian quarantine measures that have seen Mexicans confined to hospitals merely because they were Mexicans – regardless of whether they had been anywhere near Mexico in recent weeks.
Nearly 300 hotel guests and staff at Hong Kong’s Metropark Hotel found themselves under lockdown there for seven days last week because the city’s only swine flu patient had stayed at that hotel. All 166 passengers who had been on that man’s flight from Mexico City to Shanghai were tracked down – in 18 different Chinese provinces – and also put under effective house arrest for a week.
Nobody could accuse Beijing of a coverup over swine flu. The national TV evening news Monday, when the first confirmed case was reported on the mainland, reported little else, and the authorities broadcast a very public manhunt. Within 24 hours, they had tracked down and quarantined more than 80 percent of the people who had come in contact with the victim between Tokyo and the provincial Chinese city where he was hospitalized.
If all this seems rather like overkill, it illustrates just how determined China is to be above reproach in its reaction to this public-health scare after failing so badly over SARS. It also reflects a particular worry in a country where bird flu is endemic in many regions.
Bird flu has killed more than half the people it has infected, but is hardly transmissible among humans. Swine flu is benign in about 99 percent of cases, according to a study published this week in Science magazine, but it is very contagious.
Officials are afraid of a “reassortment,” a mix of two flu strains, the head of the Beijing office of the World Health Organization, Hans Troedsson, said earlier this year.
The Chinese authorities appear not to be taking any chances, drumming awareness of swine flu into the public consciousness. On the Monday evening news, the top story presented President Hu Jintao urging cadres to “strengthen our leadership and maintain our vigilance … sparing no effort to stem the spread of the epidemic.”
The second story was about the Prime Minister Wen Jiabao presiding over an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss prevention measures. Then viewers were treated to the sight of Li Keqiang, tipped to be the next prime minister, visiting the patient at the center of all the fuss. The fourth story was about the discovery of the patient.
This blanket coverage on state TV comes hard on the heels of draconian quarantine measures that have seen Mexicans confined to hospitals merely because they were Mexicans – regardless of whether they had been anywhere near Mexico in recent weeks.
Nearly 300 hotel guests and staff at Hong Kong’s Metropark Hotel found themselves under lockdown there for seven days last week because the city’s only swine flu patient had stayed at that hotel. All 166 passengers who had been on that man’s flight from Mexico City to Shanghai were tracked down – in 18 different Chinese provinces – and also put under effective house arrest for a week.
Swine Flu Drug for Pregnant Women
Pregnant women who get swine flu are at such high risk of complications like pneumonia, dehydration and premature labor that they should be treated at once with the antiviral drug Tamiflu — even though it is not normally recommended in pregnancy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday.
Because a positive test for the new H1N1 flu can take days, the agency said, Tamiflu should be given to any pregnant patient with flu symptoms and a history of likely contact with someone else with swine flu.
“If I’m thinking influenza — the classic symptoms, febrile, aching all over, came on all of a sudden — and this flu is in the community, and I’d otherwise give the patient Tamiflu if she wasn’t pregnant, we’re saying, ‘Don’t delay because she’s pregnant,’ ” said Dr. Denise Jamieson, a C.D.C. medical officer. “At that point, the benefit of giving Tamiflu outweighs the risk.”
Tamiflu is not normally recommended for use by pregnant women because the effects on the unborn child are unknown, according to its maker, Roche.
Dr. Jamieson, an obstetrician, said most medicines had insufficient safety data for pregnancy “because you don’t do clinical trials in pregnant women.” But she added, “Tamiflu and Relenza are fairly safe in pregnancy.”
Tamiflu and Relenza are in the same class of drugs. But Tamiflu is a pill and liquid, while Relenza is a powder that must be inhaled, so it is prescribed much less often.
The C.D.C. and the World Health Organization said case histories in Mexico and the United States suggested that pregnancy was emerging as a risk factor rivaling asthma, diabetes, immunosuppression and cardiovascular disease.
One of the three deaths in the United States involved a pregnant Texas woman who was on no medication other than prenatal vitamins, the disease centers said. The agency knows of 20 confirmed or probable swine flu infections in pregnant Americans, and “a few have had severe complications,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, the interim deputy director for public health.
American doctors are often reluctant to prescribe flu drugs for pregnant women unless they develop severe symptoms like pneumonia. Pregnant women are often reluctant to take medication. A pregnant woman is at higher risk from flu because hormonal changes depress the immune system to protect the fetus.
Details about the death of the pregnant woman in Texas emerged Friday in the disease centers’ weekly morbidity and mortality report. Dr. Jamieson said the woman had mild asthma and psoriasis, but was relatively healthy. The woman has been widely identified as Judy Trunnell, 33.
Mrs. Trunnell was eight months pregnant when she entered the hospital with pneumonia on April 19, five days after flu symptoms began and she had been found flu-positive in a doctor’s office test. Her baby was delivered by Caesarean section and is healthy. She developed acute respiratory distress on April 21 and needed mechanical ventilation. She did not get Tamiflu until April 28. She died May 4.
It is becoming clear that the epidemic in the United States will mirror the epidemic in Mexico, and similar rates of severe illness should be expected. The outbreak across Europe is still spreading slowly because the Europeans aggressively treat every suspected mild case with Tamiflu, health officials said.
The United States now has more than 3,000 confirmed cases — two-thirds in people younger than 18 — but only 116 hospitalizations. But officials note that hospitalizations take slightly longer to appear in statistics and deaths take much longer.
Because a positive test for the new H1N1 flu can take days, the agency said, Tamiflu should be given to any pregnant patient with flu symptoms and a history of likely contact with someone else with swine flu.
“If I’m thinking influenza — the classic symptoms, febrile, aching all over, came on all of a sudden — and this flu is in the community, and I’d otherwise give the patient Tamiflu if she wasn’t pregnant, we’re saying, ‘Don’t delay because she’s pregnant,’ ” said Dr. Denise Jamieson, a C.D.C. medical officer. “At that point, the benefit of giving Tamiflu outweighs the risk.”
Tamiflu is not normally recommended for use by pregnant women because the effects on the unborn child are unknown, according to its maker, Roche.
Dr. Jamieson, an obstetrician, said most medicines had insufficient safety data for pregnancy “because you don’t do clinical trials in pregnant women.” But she added, “Tamiflu and Relenza are fairly safe in pregnancy.”
Tamiflu and Relenza are in the same class of drugs. But Tamiflu is a pill and liquid, while Relenza is a powder that must be inhaled, so it is prescribed much less often.
The C.D.C. and the World Health Organization said case histories in Mexico and the United States suggested that pregnancy was emerging as a risk factor rivaling asthma, diabetes, immunosuppression and cardiovascular disease.
One of the three deaths in the United States involved a pregnant Texas woman who was on no medication other than prenatal vitamins, the disease centers said. The agency knows of 20 confirmed or probable swine flu infections in pregnant Americans, and “a few have had severe complications,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, the interim deputy director for public health.
American doctors are often reluctant to prescribe flu drugs for pregnant women unless they develop severe symptoms like pneumonia. Pregnant women are often reluctant to take medication. A pregnant woman is at higher risk from flu because hormonal changes depress the immune system to protect the fetus.
Details about the death of the pregnant woman in Texas emerged Friday in the disease centers’ weekly morbidity and mortality report. Dr. Jamieson said the woman had mild asthma and psoriasis, but was relatively healthy. The woman has been widely identified as Judy Trunnell, 33.
Mrs. Trunnell was eight months pregnant when she entered the hospital with pneumonia on April 19, five days after flu symptoms began and she had been found flu-positive in a doctor’s office test. Her baby was delivered by Caesarean section and is healthy. She developed acute respiratory distress on April 21 and needed mechanical ventilation. She did not get Tamiflu until April 28. She died May 4.
It is becoming clear that the epidemic in the United States will mirror the epidemic in Mexico, and similar rates of severe illness should be expected. The outbreak across Europe is still spreading slowly because the Europeans aggressively treat every suspected mild case with Tamiflu, health officials said.
The United States now has more than 3,000 confirmed cases — two-thirds in people younger than 18 — but only 116 hospitalizations. But officials note that hospitalizations take slightly longer to appear in statistics and deaths take much longer.
Many Swine Flu Cases Have No Fever
Many people suffering from swine influenza, even those who are severely ill, do not have fever, an odd feature of the new virus that could increase the difficulty of controlling the epidemic, said a leading American infectious-disease expert who examined cases in Mexico last week.
Fever is a hallmark of influenza, often rising abruptly to 104 degrees at the onset of illness. Because many infectious-disease experts consider fever the most important sign of the disease, the presence of fever is a critical part of screening patients.
But about a third of the patients at two hospitals in Mexico City where the American expert, Dr. Richard P. Wenzel, consulted for four days last week had no fever when screened, he said.
“It surprised me and my Mexican colleagues, because the textbooks say that in an influenza outbreak the predictive value of fever and cough is 90 percent,” Dr. Wenzel said by telephone from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, where he is chairman of the department of internal medicine.
While many people with severe cases went on to develop fever after they were admitted, about half of the milder cases did not; nearly all patients had coughing and malaise, Dr. Wenzel said.
Also, about 12 percent of patients at the two Mexican hospitals had severe diarrhea in addition to respiratory symptoms like coughing and breathing difficulty, said Dr. Wenzel, who is also a former president of the International Society for Infectious Diseases. He said many such patients had six bowel movements a day for three days.
Dr. Wenzel said he had urged his Mexican colleagues to test the stools for the presence of the swine virus, named A(H1N1). “If the A(H1N1) virus goes from person to person and there is virus in the stool, infection control will be much more difficult,” particularly if it spreads in poor countries, he said.
The doctor said he had also urged his Mexican colleagues to perform tests to determine whether some people without symptoms still carried the virus.
He also said he had examined patients and data at the invitation of Dr. Samuel Ponce de León, who directs Mexico’s national vaccination program.
Dr. Wenzel said that an unusual feature of the Mexican epidemic, which complicates the understanding of it, was that “in recent months five different influenza viruses have been circulating in Mexico simultaneously.”
Pneumonia rates at one of the hospitals Dr. Wenzel visited, the National Institute for Respiratory Diseases, reached 120 per week recently compared with 20 per week during the past two years, suggesting a possible relation to the swine flu.
The pneumonias that the flu patients developed did not resemble the staphylococcal lung infections that were believed to be a common complication in the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic, Dr. Wenzel said.
He said the two Mexican hospitals were well prepared for an outbreak of respiratory disease. Mexican doctors activated a program to allay anxiety among staff members, offering the staff information, a hot line, psychological support and medical examinations.
“This aspect of epidemic response is not well appreciated in the United States in my estimation, yet is critical for success,” Dr. Wenzel said. “We haven’t put nearly enough into managing fear among health workers.”
Fever is a hallmark of influenza, often rising abruptly to 104 degrees at the onset of illness. Because many infectious-disease experts consider fever the most important sign of the disease, the presence of fever is a critical part of screening patients.
But about a third of the patients at two hospitals in Mexico City where the American expert, Dr. Richard P. Wenzel, consulted for four days last week had no fever when screened, he said.
“It surprised me and my Mexican colleagues, because the textbooks say that in an influenza outbreak the predictive value of fever and cough is 90 percent,” Dr. Wenzel said by telephone from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, where he is chairman of the department of internal medicine.
While many people with severe cases went on to develop fever after they were admitted, about half of the milder cases did not; nearly all patients had coughing and malaise, Dr. Wenzel said.
Also, about 12 percent of patients at the two Mexican hospitals had severe diarrhea in addition to respiratory symptoms like coughing and breathing difficulty, said Dr. Wenzel, who is also a former president of the International Society for Infectious Diseases. He said many such patients had six bowel movements a day for three days.
Dr. Wenzel said he had urged his Mexican colleagues to test the stools for the presence of the swine virus, named A(H1N1). “If the A(H1N1) virus goes from person to person and there is virus in the stool, infection control will be much more difficult,” particularly if it spreads in poor countries, he said.
The doctor said he had also urged his Mexican colleagues to perform tests to determine whether some people without symptoms still carried the virus.
He also said he had examined patients and data at the invitation of Dr. Samuel Ponce de León, who directs Mexico’s national vaccination program.
Dr. Wenzel said that an unusual feature of the Mexican epidemic, which complicates the understanding of it, was that “in recent months five different influenza viruses have been circulating in Mexico simultaneously.”
Pneumonia rates at one of the hospitals Dr. Wenzel visited, the National Institute for Respiratory Diseases, reached 120 per week recently compared with 20 per week during the past two years, suggesting a possible relation to the swine flu.
The pneumonias that the flu patients developed did not resemble the staphylococcal lung infections that were believed to be a common complication in the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic, Dr. Wenzel said.
He said the two Mexican hospitals were well prepared for an outbreak of respiratory disease. Mexican doctors activated a program to allay anxiety among staff members, offering the staff information, a hot line, psychological support and medical examinations.
“This aspect of epidemic response is not well appreciated in the United States in my estimation, yet is critical for success,” Dr. Wenzel said. “We haven’t put nearly enough into managing fear among health workers.”
Global Swine Flu Cases Top 5,200
The World Health Organization says the number of swine influenza A-H1N1 cases now tops 5,200 in 30 countries, while two additional countries reported their first cases Tuesday.
Finland and Thailand on Tuesday each confirmed two cases of swine flu. Authorities in both countries say each of the patients had recently traveled to Mexico, the epicenter of the outbreak.
In addition, Cuba confirmed its first case Monday. In an essay published online, former Cuban President Fidel Castro accused Mexico of waiting to notify the public about the outbreak until after U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Mexico last month.
Mexico has announced two more deaths from the virus, bringing its total fatalities to 58. Mexico's health minister, Jose Angel Cordova, said the outbreak in Mexico continues to decline.
Tens of thousands of Mexican primary school children returned to freshly-scrubbed classrooms Monday after a nationwide shutdown aimed at containing the virus.
The swine flu has also killed three people in the United States, one person in Costa Rica and one in Canada.
Other swine flu cases have been confirmed in Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, France, Ireland, Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Austria, Israel, Japan, South Korea, China, Australia and New Zealand.
The World Health Organization has released a report warning that although a flu virus may be considered mild, it can change over time as it spreads around the globe.
Finland and Thailand on Tuesday each confirmed two cases of swine flu. Authorities in both countries say each of the patients had recently traveled to Mexico, the epicenter of the outbreak.
In addition, Cuba confirmed its first case Monday. In an essay published online, former Cuban President Fidel Castro accused Mexico of waiting to notify the public about the outbreak until after U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Mexico last month.
Mexico has announced two more deaths from the virus, bringing its total fatalities to 58. Mexico's health minister, Jose Angel Cordova, said the outbreak in Mexico continues to decline.
Tens of thousands of Mexican primary school children returned to freshly-scrubbed classrooms Monday after a nationwide shutdown aimed at containing the virus.
The swine flu has also killed three people in the United States, one person in Costa Rica and one in Canada.
Other swine flu cases have been confirmed in Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, France, Ireland, Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Austria, Israel, Japan, South Korea, China, Australia and New Zealand.
The World Health Organization has released a report warning that although a flu virus may be considered mild, it can change over time as it spreads around the globe.
Asia Day Ahead: U.S. Stocks Fall; Swine Flu May Be Human Error
Most U.S. stocks fell for a second day as share sales at Ford Motor Co., U.S. Bancorp and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. heightened concern that earnings will be diluted by capital-raising efforts. The World Health Organization is investigating an Australian researcher’s claim that the swine flu virus circling the globe may have been created as a result of human error.
TOP STORIES/MOST READ ON BLOOMBERG
Home Prices in U.S. Drop Most on Record in Quarter
Home prices in the U.S. dropped the most on record in the first quarter from a year earlier, led by California and Florida, as banks sold foreclosed properties.
Aston Martin Owner Is First to Default on Gulf Sukuk
Investment Dar Co., the owner of half of Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd., missed a payment on $100 million of debt, becoming the first Persian Gulf company to default on Islamic bonds.
Swine Flu May Be Human Error, Scientist Says; WHO Probes Claim
The World Health Organization is investigating an Australian researcher’s claim that the swine flu virus circling the globe may have been created as a result of human error.
Greenspan Sees ‘Seeds of a Bottoming’ in U.S. Housing
Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said that the U.S. housing market may be on the verge of recovery and that it’s “very easy to see” financial markets continuing to improve.
MAIN ECONOMIC RELEASES TODAY NZ Central Bank Chief Bollard Speaks at 9 a.m. Wellington Time Japan Current Account Surplus Seen Narrowing on Export Slump Japan Bank Lending Figures for April Released by Central Bank China Industrial Production Growth Seen Accelerating to 8.6% China Retail Sales Seen Rising 14.5% in April From Year Earlier Australian Consumer Sentiment Index Released Japan Corporate Bankruptcies May Rise in April From Year Ago South Korea’s April Unemployment Rate Is Released Japan Merchant Confidence May Rise for Fourth Month in April
MAIN ANALYST UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES *MITSUI OSK CUT TO ‘NEUTRAL’ FROM ‘BUY’ AT NOMURA *WOORI FINANCE RAISED TO ‘HOLD’ AT BNP PARIBAS *NIKON RAISED TO ‘OVERWEIGHT’ AT JPMORGAN *SECOM CUT TO ‘HOLD’ FROM ‘BUY’ AT KBC *SINO-FOREST RAISED TO ‘OUTPERFORM’ AT RBC *DAIICHI SANKYO CUT TO ‘NEUTRAL’ AT CREDIT SUISSE *SUMITOMO OSAKA CEMENT CUT TO ‘NEUTRAL’ AT CREDIT SUISSE *CTRIP RAISED TO ‘NEUTRAL’ FROM ‘SELL’ AT GOLDMAN SACHS
ASIAN MARKETS
The Nikkei 225 futures contract due in June fell 25 points to 9,290. The Hang Seng Index futures for May gained 378 to 17,188. The S&P/ASX 200 Index futures contract due in June rose 20 to 3,889 at 6:59 a.m. in Sydney.
Most U.S. Stocks Decline as Share Sales Raise Dilution Concern
Most U.S. stocks fell for a second day as share sales at Ford Motor Co., U.S. Bancorp and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. heightened concern that earnings will be diluted by capital- raising efforts.
Treasuries Little Changed as Stocks Fluctuate, Fed Buys Debt
Treasury notes were little changed as stocks fluctuated and the Federal Reserve bought U.S. debt for the second time this week.
Dollar Slides Beyond $1.37 Versus Euro on Pared Safety Demand
The dollar slid beyond $1.37 against the euro for the first time since March as evidence the worst of the global economic slump may be over pared demand for safety.
European Stocks Fall for Second Day; ThyssenKrupp, EADS Decline
European stocks declined for a second day as some investors speculated further gains in equities are not justified by the outlook for economic growth and corporate earnings.
European Bonds Decline as Netherlands and Finland Issue Debt
European bonds dropped after the Netherlands and Finland sold 4 billion euros ($5.5 billion) of debt and a government report showed German inflation accelerated more than forecast in April.
Gold, Silver Rise as Dollar’s Drop Boosts Appeal of Commodities
Gold and silver prices rose for the first time in three sessions in New York as speculation that the economy may resume growing soon and the dollar’s decline boosted the appeal of the precious metals as hedges against inflation.
Crude Oil Rises to a 6-Month High as Chinese Imports Surge
Oil rose to a six-month high after China, the world’s second-biggest energy-consuming country, increased crude imports by 14 percent in April.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM NEWSPAPERS
South Korean President May Meet With Japan Leader, Nikkei Says
President Lee Myung Bak of South Korea may visit Japan in late June and meet with Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, Nikkei English News reported without specifying how it obtained the information.
TOP STORIES/MOST READ ON BLOOMBERG
Home Prices in U.S. Drop Most on Record in Quarter
Home prices in the U.S. dropped the most on record in the first quarter from a year earlier, led by California and Florida, as banks sold foreclosed properties.
Aston Martin Owner Is First to Default on Gulf Sukuk
Investment Dar Co., the owner of half of Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd., missed a payment on $100 million of debt, becoming the first Persian Gulf company to default on Islamic bonds.
Swine Flu May Be Human Error, Scientist Says; WHO Probes Claim
The World Health Organization is investigating an Australian researcher’s claim that the swine flu virus circling the globe may have been created as a result of human error.
Greenspan Sees ‘Seeds of a Bottoming’ in U.S. Housing
Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said that the U.S. housing market may be on the verge of recovery and that it’s “very easy to see” financial markets continuing to improve.
MAIN ECONOMIC RELEASES TODAY NZ Central Bank Chief Bollard Speaks at 9 a.m. Wellington Time Japan Current Account Surplus Seen Narrowing on Export Slump Japan Bank Lending Figures for April Released by Central Bank China Industrial Production Growth Seen Accelerating to 8.6% China Retail Sales Seen Rising 14.5% in April From Year Earlier Australian Consumer Sentiment Index Released Japan Corporate Bankruptcies May Rise in April From Year Ago South Korea’s April Unemployment Rate Is Released Japan Merchant Confidence May Rise for Fourth Month in April
MAIN ANALYST UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES *MITSUI OSK CUT TO ‘NEUTRAL’ FROM ‘BUY’ AT NOMURA *WOORI FINANCE RAISED TO ‘HOLD’ AT BNP PARIBAS *NIKON RAISED TO ‘OVERWEIGHT’ AT JPMORGAN *SECOM CUT TO ‘HOLD’ FROM ‘BUY’ AT KBC *SINO-FOREST RAISED TO ‘OUTPERFORM’ AT RBC *DAIICHI SANKYO CUT TO ‘NEUTRAL’ AT CREDIT SUISSE *SUMITOMO OSAKA CEMENT CUT TO ‘NEUTRAL’ AT CREDIT SUISSE *CTRIP RAISED TO ‘NEUTRAL’ FROM ‘SELL’ AT GOLDMAN SACHS
ASIAN MARKETS
The Nikkei 225 futures contract due in June fell 25 points to 9,290. The Hang Seng Index futures for May gained 378 to 17,188. The S&P/ASX 200 Index futures contract due in June rose 20 to 3,889 at 6:59 a.m. in Sydney.
Most U.S. Stocks Decline as Share Sales Raise Dilution Concern
Most U.S. stocks fell for a second day as share sales at Ford Motor Co., U.S. Bancorp and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. heightened concern that earnings will be diluted by capital- raising efforts.
Treasuries Little Changed as Stocks Fluctuate, Fed Buys Debt
Treasury notes were little changed as stocks fluctuated and the Federal Reserve bought U.S. debt for the second time this week.
Dollar Slides Beyond $1.37 Versus Euro on Pared Safety Demand
The dollar slid beyond $1.37 against the euro for the first time since March as evidence the worst of the global economic slump may be over pared demand for safety.
European Stocks Fall for Second Day; ThyssenKrupp, EADS Decline
European stocks declined for a second day as some investors speculated further gains in equities are not justified by the outlook for economic growth and corporate earnings.
European Bonds Decline as Netherlands and Finland Issue Debt
European bonds dropped after the Netherlands and Finland sold 4 billion euros ($5.5 billion) of debt and a government report showed German inflation accelerated more than forecast in April.
Gold, Silver Rise as Dollar’s Drop Boosts Appeal of Commodities
Gold and silver prices rose for the first time in three sessions in New York as speculation that the economy may resume growing soon and the dollar’s decline boosted the appeal of the precious metals as hedges against inflation.
Crude Oil Rises to a 6-Month High as Chinese Imports Surge
Oil rose to a six-month high after China, the world’s second-biggest energy-consuming country, increased crude imports by 14 percent in April.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM NEWSPAPERS
South Korean President May Meet With Japan Leader, Nikkei Says
President Lee Myung Bak of South Korea may visit Japan in late June and meet with Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, Nikkei English News reported without specifying how it obtained the information.
Swine Flu Is as Severe as Pandemic Virus in 1957, Study Shows
The swine flu strain that has sickened people in 30 countries rivals the severity of the 1957 “Asian flu” pandemic that killed 2 million people, scientists said.
About four of 1,000 people infected with the new H1N1 strain in Mexico by late April died, according to a study published yesterday in the journal Science that was led by Neil Ferguson of the Imperial College London. Seasonal flu epidemics cause 250,000 to 500,000 deaths each year, the World Health Organization has said.
Scientists are trying to determine whether swine flu will mutate and become more deadly as it spreads to the Southern Hemisphere and back. The virus is more contagious than seasonal flu, the Geneva-based WHO said yesterday. A “moderate” pandemic like the 1957 Asian flu could kill 14.2 million people and shave 2 percent from the global economy in the first year, the World Bank said in October.
“While substantial uncertainty remains, clinical severity appears less than that seen in 1918 but comparable with that seen in 1957,” the Science study authors wrote.
Flu pandemics occur when a strain of the disease to which few people have immunity evolves and begins spreading. Pandemics usually occur two to three times a century, scientists have said. A worldwide outbreak as severe as the 1918 Spanish flu might cause 180 million to 260 million deaths, the World Bank said, citing a 2005 study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The last pandemic hit in 1968, and health officials have been anticipating another since the H5N1 strain began spreading widely in birds in 2003.
World Spread
Swine flu has been confirmed in 4,694 people, according to the WHO, the health agency of the United Nations. Sixty-one people have died, including 56 in Mexico, three in the U.S., and one each in Canada and Costa Rica, health officials said. The U.S. confirmed 2,618 cases in 44 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Each person infected with swine flu in Mexico in April gave it to 1.4 more people on average, the study said. While that’s in the lower range of transmission speed for a pandemic virus, it’s quicker than most seasonal flus, the authors said.
An estimated 23,000 people in Mexico were infected by late April, the researchers said. That number was based on case reports and assumptions about the speed of spread, and may have been as high as 32,000 and as low as 6,000, according to the study.
More Contagious
In seasonal flu, each person who comes in contact with someone who’s sick has a 5 percent to 15 percent probability of illness, according to a statement on the WHO’s Web site. In swine flu, the probability increases to 22 percent to 33 percent, WHO said.
Swine flu has been “overwhelmingly mild outside Mexico,” the WHO statement said. The reason for that variation “is still not fully understood,” it said.
Swine flu is making more young people seriously ill, compared with seasonal flu, and “is of particular concern” because it’s causing more significant medical effects in people with other health conditions, the WHO said.
About four of 1,000 people infected with the new H1N1 strain in Mexico by late April died, according to a study published yesterday in the journal Science that was led by Neil Ferguson of the Imperial College London. Seasonal flu epidemics cause 250,000 to 500,000 deaths each year, the World Health Organization has said.
Scientists are trying to determine whether swine flu will mutate and become more deadly as it spreads to the Southern Hemisphere and back. The virus is more contagious than seasonal flu, the Geneva-based WHO said yesterday. A “moderate” pandemic like the 1957 Asian flu could kill 14.2 million people and shave 2 percent from the global economy in the first year, the World Bank said in October.
“While substantial uncertainty remains, clinical severity appears less than that seen in 1918 but comparable with that seen in 1957,” the Science study authors wrote.
Flu pandemics occur when a strain of the disease to which few people have immunity evolves and begins spreading. Pandemics usually occur two to three times a century, scientists have said. A worldwide outbreak as severe as the 1918 Spanish flu might cause 180 million to 260 million deaths, the World Bank said, citing a 2005 study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The last pandemic hit in 1968, and health officials have been anticipating another since the H5N1 strain began spreading widely in birds in 2003.
World Spread
Swine flu has been confirmed in 4,694 people, according to the WHO, the health agency of the United Nations. Sixty-one people have died, including 56 in Mexico, three in the U.S., and one each in Canada and Costa Rica, health officials said. The U.S. confirmed 2,618 cases in 44 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Each person infected with swine flu in Mexico in April gave it to 1.4 more people on average, the study said. While that’s in the lower range of transmission speed for a pandemic virus, it’s quicker than most seasonal flus, the authors said.
An estimated 23,000 people in Mexico were infected by late April, the researchers said. That number was based on case reports and assumptions about the speed of spread, and may have been as high as 32,000 and as low as 6,000, according to the study.
More Contagious
In seasonal flu, each person who comes in contact with someone who’s sick has a 5 percent to 15 percent probability of illness, according to a statement on the WHO’s Web site. In swine flu, the probability increases to 22 percent to 33 percent, WHO said.
Swine flu has been “overwhelmingly mild outside Mexico,” the WHO statement said. The reason for that variation “is still not fully understood,” it said.
Swine flu is making more young people seriously ill, compared with seasonal flu, and “is of particular concern” because it’s causing more significant medical effects in people with other health conditions, the WHO said.
More Mexican Schools Re-Open: Swine Flu Death Toll Rises
Tens of thousands of Mexican primary school children have returned to freshly-scrubbed classrooms following a nationwide shutdown prompted by the H1NI swine flu virus that has now left 56 Mexicans dead.
The move came Monday, four days after Mexican universities and high schools restarted, but in at least six states, schools for younger children remained closed due to further fears about the flu.
Mexico is attempting to restore a sense of normalcy following the outbreak. Mexico has been the epicenter of the illness, which is expected to cost the economy at least $2.2 billion.
The World Health Organization says Mexico is one of 30 countries that have reported cases of the virus. In addition to the fatalities in Mexico, the United States has reported three deaths, while Canada and Costa Rica each have reported one fatality.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are more than 2,600 confirmed cases in 44 U.S. states.
Cuba reported its first case of the illness Monday. Official media reported the patient is a student from Mexico.
The Chinese Health Ministry says a 30-year-old Chinese national, who traveled to China from the U.S., is the mainland's first case of the swine flu.
Officials say the man is quarantined in Chengdu, after flying to China from the United States, where he is a student.
In other news, Mexico says it will not participate in a Shanghai trade fair because of what it calls China's unacceptable policies regarding swine flu.
Mexico says China has unfairly quarantined Mexican travelers and canceled direct flights from Mexico. China denied targeting Mexican nationals with the quarantine measures.
The move came Monday, four days after Mexican universities and high schools restarted, but in at least six states, schools for younger children remained closed due to further fears about the flu.
Mexico is attempting to restore a sense of normalcy following the outbreak. Mexico has been the epicenter of the illness, which is expected to cost the economy at least $2.2 billion.
The World Health Organization says Mexico is one of 30 countries that have reported cases of the virus. In addition to the fatalities in Mexico, the United States has reported three deaths, while Canada and Costa Rica each have reported one fatality.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are more than 2,600 confirmed cases in 44 U.S. states.
Cuba reported its first case of the illness Monday. Official media reported the patient is a student from Mexico.
The Chinese Health Ministry says a 30-year-old Chinese national, who traveled to China from the U.S., is the mainland's first case of the swine flu.
Officials say the man is quarantined in Chengdu, after flying to China from the United States, where he is a student.
In other news, Mexico says it will not participate in a Shanghai trade fair because of what it calls China's unacceptable policies regarding swine flu.
Mexico says China has unfairly quarantined Mexican travelers and canceled direct flights from Mexico. China denied targeting Mexican nationals with the quarantine measures.
Mexico swine flu death toll rises to 56
The death toll in Mexico from the H1N1 flu outbreak that has spread globally has risen to 56, the health ministry said on Monday, as results of tests on people who died in recent weeks came in.
Mexico has had a total of 2,059 cases of the swine flu distributed throughout all but three of the country's 32 states, Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said.
Mexico, the epicenter of the epidemic, had previously reported 48 deaths from the new flu, a genetic mixture of swine, bird and human viruses.
Millions of Mexican elementary and junior high school students began returning to classes on Monday morning for the first time since April 23 when the government closed schools to prevent infection.
A total of 30 countries have reported cases of the flu, which has killed people in Canada, the United States and Costa Rica as well as Mexico.
Mexico has had a total of 2,059 cases of the swine flu distributed throughout all but three of the country's 32 states, Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said.
Mexico, the epicenter of the epidemic, had previously reported 48 deaths from the new flu, a genetic mixture of swine, bird and human viruses.
Millions of Mexican elementary and junior high school students began returning to classes on Monday morning for the first time since April 23 when the government closed schools to prevent infection.
A total of 30 countries have reported cases of the flu, which has killed people in Canada, the United States and Costa Rica as well as Mexico.
Health officials confirm more swine flu cases in Missouri, Kansas
Four new cases of swine flu were confirmed in Johnson and Wyandotte counties on Sunday, bringing the state’s total confirmed cases to 22, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said.
Two new cases in Johnson County involve one adult and one child, and two new cases in Wyandotte County both involve children.
The agency said no additional cases have been identified as of Monday.
Missouri health officials have identified 14 confirmed and four probable cases of swine flu, also known as the H1N1 virus, Kit Wagar, spokesman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said Monday. Four of those confirmed cases were verified during the weekend: one child in Kansas City and three adolescents in the St. Louis suburbs.
Symptoms are similar to those of seasonal flu, according to the KDHE, and include a fever higher than 100 degrees, body aches, coughing, sore throat, respiratory congestion and, in some cases, diarrhea and vomiting.
The KDHE advises anyone with these symptoms to contact their health care provider.
To reduce the spread of H1N1, the KDHE advises people to:
? Wash their hands thoroughly with soap and warm water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to kill most germs, and avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth.
? Stay home when sick to avoid spreading illness to co-workers and others.
? Cough or sneeze into the elbow or a tissue, and properly dispose of used tissues.
? Stay healthy by eating a balanced diet, drinking plenty of water and getting adequate rest and exercise.
The virus is not transmitted by food and can’t be contracted from eating pork or pork products, the KDHE said in the release.
Two new cases in Johnson County involve one adult and one child, and two new cases in Wyandotte County both involve children.
The agency said no additional cases have been identified as of Monday.
Missouri health officials have identified 14 confirmed and four probable cases of swine flu, also known as the H1N1 virus, Kit Wagar, spokesman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said Monday. Four of those confirmed cases were verified during the weekend: one child in Kansas City and three adolescents in the St. Louis suburbs.
Symptoms are similar to those of seasonal flu, according to the KDHE, and include a fever higher than 100 degrees, body aches, coughing, sore throat, respiratory congestion and, in some cases, diarrhea and vomiting.
The KDHE advises anyone with these symptoms to contact their health care provider.
To reduce the spread of H1N1, the KDHE advises people to:
? Wash their hands thoroughly with soap and warm water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to kill most germs, and avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth.
? Stay home when sick to avoid spreading illness to co-workers and others.
? Cough or sneeze into the elbow or a tissue, and properly dispose of used tissues.
? Stay healthy by eating a balanced diet, drinking plenty of water and getting adequate rest and exercise.
The virus is not transmitted by food and can’t be contracted from eating pork or pork products, the KDHE said in the release.