Swine Flu: What You Need to Know - by Huma Khan
The rapidly spreading swine flu is a new virus that includes combination of swine, bird and human strains. It has taken the lives of 81 people in Mexico, and sickened more than a thousand south of the border. In the United States, 20 cases have been confirmed thus far -- seven in California, two in Kansas, eight in New York City, one in Ohio and two in Texas. Spain's Health Ministry Sunday said three persons have been brought to Spanish hospitals in the last 24 hours with symptoms of potential swine flu, in what may be the first recorded cases of the virus in Europe. Some other cases have also been detected in Canada, and Britain and France.
Simple preventive measures, such as washing hands frequently and avoiding people who are coughing or sneezing, can go a long way toward keeping you safe from the virus, which health officials expect is likely to afflict more people.
Concerns of the uncertainty and spread of the virus dealt a blow to the travel and leisure industry in Europe Monday. British Airways shares lost 11.5% and EasyJet fell 5.7% amid swine flu fears. TUI Travel declined 7.5% and Thomas Cook shed 4.8%. However, pharmaceutical and healthcare stocks got a boost. Shares of Switzerland's Roche rose 4.6%. The company said it stands ready to deliver 3 million doses of flu treatment Tamiflu, which has proven effective in treating swine flu. The U.K.'s GlaxoSmithKline rose 3.1%. The company has also been contacted by the WHO regarding its Relenza treatment, another antiviral drug.
Over the weekend, the World Health Organization declared the strain of swine flu to be a "public health emergency of international concern," with at least 103 people in Mexico dead, and advised all countries to be on the lookout for unusual outbreaks of flu.
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