Full Extent of Swine Flu in U.S. is Not Known
The ongoing outbreak of swine flu (H1N1) continues to grow in the United States and internationally. Currently the CDC continues to report only 400 cases confirmed, with another 700 probable cases in 44 states. But does the CDC’s running tally truly represent the number of swine flu cases in existence?
Apparently not. Some state labs are ramping up testing but reports are surfacing that authorities are far from having enough resources to test everyone. In fact some labs are limited to testing as few as 2 swabs per day while the remaining specimens are put on hold, adding to the backlog of untested samples. The Federal Government is working to expand capacity for testing around the country, but at this point the full extent of the outbreak is not being reported.
The Federal Government and manufacturers have begun developing a vaccine against the H1N1 swine flu virus. Making a completely new influenza vaccine can take five to six months, according to the WHO.
Source: “Reporter tries to get tested for swine flu“, Wall Street Journal, May 6, 2009
Source: CDC Press Briefing May 5, 2009 1:30pm
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