SWINE FLU NOW IN JAPAN

Yesterday I read in the newspaper that Japan has 40+ cases of swine flu and I've been really bothered about it. I mean, this has been going on for a long time now and it's worrisome (but I suppose inevitable) to see the virus spread to Asia and to the country that we're planning to go to in the next few months. I've already warned Ruther about taking precautions and to always update himself with the news. Even if the outbreak is in Kobe and Osaka, that still doesn't mean that it won't spread to other cities in Japan. I hope the government will contain this outbreak and I hope this swine flu will just go away already...

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About H1N1 virus: (http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm)

Novel influenza A (H1N1) is a new flu virus of swine origin that was first detected in April, 2009. The virus is infecting people and is spreading from person-to-person, sparking a growing outbreak of illness in the United States. An increasing number of cases are being reported internationally as well.

It’s thought that novel influenza A (H1N1) flu spreads in the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread; mainly through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus.

It’s uncertain at this time how severe this novel H1N1 outbreak will be in terms of illness and death compared with other influenza viruses. Because this is a new virus, most people will not have immunity to it, and illness may be more severe and widespread as a result. In addition, currently there is no vaccine to protect against this novel H1N1 virus. CDC anticipates that there will be more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths associated with this new virus in the coming days and weeks.