Swine flu reaches Germany

Well thank God for that. Swine flu has finally arrived in Germany.

After all this waiting with great anticipation it has been found in Regensburg.

Breaking News.

AP: Ministry: Swine flu case confirmed in Germany

Is the Dude bacK?

I am off out to buy all of the bread on the supermaket shelves and fill up all my Jerry cans with petrol.

The first case of swine flu has been confirmed in the German state of Bavaria, officials said on Wednesday.

Three cases had been suspected earlier in the week, and one of those was determined to be swine flu by experts from Berlin's Robert Koch Institute, a spokesperson for the Bavarian Health Ministry said in Munich.

The patient is from the nearby city of Regensburg.

There are two other suspected cases in Bavaria, meanwhile health officials plan to meet a plane from Cancun in Munich on Wednesday and examine the passengers.

Other suspected cases are in Hamburg and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. A diagnosis for a woman suspected of having the virus in Hamburg is expected by midday. The patient was in Mexico "where the virus broke out" before returning to Germany and getting ill.

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does anyone else think that the reported number of cases in Mexico ( around 2000 ) does not tally with the number of visitors to Mexico that seem to have picked up the virus? Seems highly inconsistent, would persons travelling to tourist resorts pass through Mexico city where the outbreak occurred?

I hate the way the papers pick up on these stories and then sensationalise things. It's just flu for heavens sake. Healthy people don't die from flu.

But they do, it's the young adults that have died in Mexico not so much the elderly or young, that's what's weird and concerning about it.

Millions die every year from flu worldwide, including otherwise healthy persons.

I think that is why there has been a hightened stage of alert. It has been killing otherwise healthy people. That is also the reason why there is a flu shot and anti virals. To keep the flu from killing healthy people not just the young and old.

I guess my point is that, yes lots of people die from flu every year, but flu still exists in various strains and regularly does the rounds every year. So why do the papers sensationalise "swine flu". A particularly nasty strain? Perhaps, but it is still flu... it's not cholera, it's not TB. A strong immune system should cope with flu right? Maybe otherwise healthy people die from flu every year, because Mexico is quite a poor country and doesn't have quite the same hygiene standards in certain regions? Just cos it is/isn't in the media doesn't mean it does/doesn't happen. Who knows. Who knows what the normal flu mortality rate is in Mexico?

What I suspect is sensationalising something because there is bugger all else to report.

I'm not saying I am right and you have raised fair points.

We are very lucky as there is decent medication which can cope with this flu. The only problem I see is if it spreads like
wild fire and the medicine runs out - but I don't think there is a reason to panic YET

I see what you are saying. There are also deaths right now from the avian flu, which was supposed to be the next pandemic. Why are they not centering upon these? Well, maybe those at the higher levels are in the know about something else which they can not say? I am sure it is not just a big scare mongering attempt by the CDC and WHO. Who exactly knows all as of yet, but I think the alerts are okay. The news channels scare tactics are not nice.

Since various so called experts pontificated that AIDS came from messing wiv monkeys, is Swine flu from pleasuring porkers?

I think we should be told.

Lets see: sick, pig, Regensburg, Mexico ... PERDIDO!

You need to get out more. With certain types of flu's (like this one), it is the strong immune system that is killing you! Also with certain types of flu's (like this one), it is spread much more viciously than cholera and TB and effect millions more people.

This is a real FLU, not the sniffly cold that idiots call the flu. Think vomiting, diarrhea, lungs filling up with fluids, joint aches and headaches from hell, your throat being on fire and 104+°F fevers.

Keepingintime - exactly what I wa trying to say, but put much better.

Suffice to say that I am expecting to see people in face masks, having been duped by the media, in a few weeks when I board the plane to London.