Sunday, July 5, 2009

Swine Flu Takes Hold in Argentina

Swine flu just won’t go away. A recent a sharp uptick in the number of deaths from swine flu in Argentina has moved that country into third place for the most swine flu deaths, after Mexico and the United states. And the timing couldn’t be worse; it’s winter in South America, the season when influenza viruses typically spread the easiest. Of special concern is that the death rate in Argentina (1.6%) is more than three times the world average.

We need to keep an eye on this pesky bug. Who knows what it could do in North America NEXT flu season? For the latest information on swine flu (also now called Pandemic H1N1), see the World Health Organization website.

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