Word: swine
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...mouth. The message seems to have sunk in in Hong Kong, where even on days without deadly flu threats many people wear face masks and hand-sanitizer dispensers are just about everywhere. There's no question that Hong Kong is as prepared as it can be to tackle swine flu, but for now, just like the rest of the world, it waits. "We have to wait and see whether the virus gets to us," Peiris says. "I suspect it will, but I don't know how soon...
...Google map depicting areas of the swine flu outbreak...
...pictures of the swine flu outbreak in Mexico...
...February 1976, an outbreak of swine flu struck Fort Dix Army base in New Jersey, killing a 19-year-old private and infecting hundreds of soldiers. Concerned that the U.S. was on the verge of a devastating epidemic, President Gerald Ford ordered a nationwide vaccination program at a cost of $135 million (some $500 million in today's money). Within weeks, reports surfaced of people developing Guillain-Barré syndrome, a paralyzing nerve disease that can be caused by the vaccine. By April, more than 30 people had died of the condition. Facing protests, federal officials abruptly canceled the program...
...Medical historians and epidemiologists say there are many differences between the relatively benign 1976 outbreak and the current strain of swine flu that is spreading across the globe. But they also say the decisions made in the wake of the '76 outbreak - and the public's response to them - provide a cautionary tale for public health officials, who may soon have to consider whether to institute draconian measures to combat the disease. (See pictures of the swine flu outbreak in Mexico...