IMF - RAPING THE WORLD

EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

EARTHQUAKES

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

2:45PM MONDAY APR 27,09.A QUAKE NOW IN MEXICO.THEIR BEING JUDGED NOW FOR SOME REASON,MEXICO HAS 149 DEAD BY THE SWINE FLU AND NOW A 6.0 QUAKE.

THE COST OF SWINE FLU VIDEO
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1104797324&play=1
DICTATOR IN CHIEF VIDEO
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1101739429&play=1

Mexico hit by 6.0 magnitude quake Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:18pm EDT

MEXICO CITY, April 27, (Reuters) - Mexico was hit by a 6.0 magnitude earthquake on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of deaths or damage in the capital, Mexico City.The USGS said the quake hit 19 miles (30 km) south-southeast of Tixtla, Guerrero, about 150 miles (240 km) from the capital, Mexico City. Its epicenter was 25.6 miles (40 km) deep.Buildings in the capital shook. The city and its surrounding area have a population of around 20 million.A civil protection official said there were no immediate reports of deaths or damages from the quake in Mexico City.Quakes of this magnitude are classified as strong and are capable of causing severe damage.The quake hit as Mexico dealt with an outbreak of swine flu that has made hundreds of people ill.Mexico's health minister, Jose Angel Cordova, said on Monday that the outbreak was suspected to have killed 149 people in the country and the number of cases was seen rising. (Reporting by Anahi Rama, Editing by Frances Kerry)

DISEASES

REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).

SWINE FLU FEARS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIyA5X0wJ1Y&feature=player_embedded
http://www.infowars.com/swine-flu-and-martial-law/

IS THERE A CONNECTION HERE FOLKS.OBAMA OWNS STOCK IN TAMIFLU,MEXICO WAS IN MASS CONFUSION.OBAMA GOES TO MEXICO,FLU EPIDEMIC OCCURS.A PERSON OBAMA SHAKES HANDS WITH IN MEXICO DIES FROM THE FLU.I SMELL AN OBAMA SETUP HERE,ONLY TIME WILL TELL IF I AM RIGHT.

ANOTHER INTERESTING HAPPENING THIS MORNING AT 10:30AM, THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE IS ADVANCES 1,005,DECLINES 2,375,UNCHANGED 94 AND NASDAQ IS ADVANCES 898,DECLINES 1,659 AND UNCHANGED 99 (2 TO 1 DECLINES TO ADVANCES)BUT STILL THE DOW IS UP 20 POINTS. THERES EVEN SOMETHING FISHY GOING ON WITH A MANIPULATION OF THE MARKETS,IT HAS TO BE TO HAVE THESE NUMBERS AND THE DOW UP POINTS,DOES NOT MAKE SENSE AT ALL.

STEVE QUAYLE ON ALEX JONES TODAY SAYS TO WATCH FOR APRIL 30,09 ITS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DAYS IN OCCULT NEW AGE WORSHIP.AND SINCE THESE NEW WORLD ORDER FOLKS WANT 2/3RDS OF EARTHS POPULATION KILLED,THIS COULD BE THE PANDEMIC THAT THE BIBLE SAYS COULD KILL 500 MILLION PEOPLE.ONLY TIME WILL TELL BUT READ THE VERSES ABOVE ABOUT 1/4 OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE FROM ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE.
http://israndjer.blogspot.com/2009/04/12-of-population-3-billion-die-in.html

Monday, April 27, 2009...12:40 am
Barack Obama owns stock in Tamiflu

Old Article from 2007(Recasts with Tamiflu, adds company and analyst comment, share price)By Sam Cage

ZURICH, Oct 16 2007 (Reuters) - Nine-month sales at Roche Holding AG (ROG.VX) rose 12 percent to 33.95 billion Swiss francs ($28.82 billion), but missed forecasts on lower orders of influenza drug Tamiflu, pressuring its shares.Basel-based Roche confirmed its full-year outlook on Tuesday, saying it expected double-digit increases in group and drugs sales and core earnings per share to grow faster than group sales.Tamiflu sales fell 60 percent in the third quarter following completion of outstanding orders for pandemic influenza stockpiles.The company said government and corporation stockpiling plans had largely been completed and no significant new orders had recently been received.Roche participation certificates, its most widely traded form of equity, fell 2.1 percent by 0713 GMT.The Tamiflu pandemic sales were even less than I had thought, said Landsbanki Kepler analyst Denise Anderson.On the other hand, obviously given the product cycles of a lot of the drugs, the story cycle we see for Roche over the next 12 months has more to do with clinical trials news flow than results, Anderson said.

The company had no plans to raise its $3 billion hostile offer for Ventana Medical Systems Inc VMSI.O, which has been rebuffed by shareholders, diagnostics head Severin Schwan told Reuters.We believe that the offer is fully priced and fair, attractive for the Ventana shareholders, and the ball is with Ventana, said Schwan, who is Roche’s designated new chief executive.Roche declined to comment on any potential interest in U.S. biotech company Biogen Idec Inc (BIIB.O), which has put itself up for sale.

ORANGE ALERT:To all those who have taken an oath to defend the U.S. against all enemies foreign and domestic - BE ADVISED of the following:April 22, 2009
Steve Quayle
http://www.stevequayle.com/index1.html

Over the next 6 months, law enforcement and the military will be given unlawful and illegal orders to round up and purge all dissidents against the New World Order crowd. The purge is the systematic liquidation of all those identified as a threat against the Globalist Plan. Furthermore, all TEA Party participants have been filmed and their license plate information taken by all FBI Special Agents in charge at all the rallies. Consider the ramifications... Since coming to office, the current regime has devoted massive amounts of money and Federal Spy Agency assets to identifying gun owners and those in the military who still love this Country and take their oath seriously. All former combat Veterans, Special Forces, Green Berets, Delta, and Spec operations personnel must absolutely change your physical location and TELL NO ONE! With DHS having validated the Seek and Destroy Lists, their plans are now being set in motion! Does it not make you furious that men and women in the Armed Forces who have fought all these years for the principles that the Constitutional Republic ONCE Stood for, are now deemed terrorists by the DHS along with Constitutionalists, Christians, gun owners and those who speak out against the foreign destruction of America's economy. Domestic security is now defined as quell all first amendment rights. Period! Whether false flag or intentional acts of globalist terror incidents, the events will be orchestrated to blame the DHS hit list people. Whether you know it or not, by painting conservatives and people who are against the New World Order with such a terroristic civil rights violating hit piece you have not only been vilified but have been targeted for extermination. Anyone who would follow orders to take your guns away will not hesitate to BLOW YOU AWAY. History has proven this time and time again! The Psalmist wrote If the foundations be destroyed what shall the righteous do? Our only Hope is to repent and cry out to the Living God and seek his personal direction and guidance. While we can not stop the hand of Divine Judgment, we can know our God and do exploits! Write your Senators and Congressmen and women — scream at the top of your lungs, write editorials; do all that you can do legally. But remember, very soon when they initiate their attacks, you will have no one to blame except yourselves while there is still a whisper of time to make a difference for Righteousness Sake.DO NOT ALLOW THESE PLANS FOR SLAUGHTER TO GO UNOPPOSED!

U.S. Air Force Study Proposed 2009 Influenza Pandemic in 1996
Kurt Nimmo Infowars March 5, 2009

On June 17, 1996, the U.S. Air Force released Air Force 2025, a study designed to comply with a directive from the chief of staff of the Air Force to examine the concepts, capabilities, and technologies the United States will require to remain the dominant air and space force in the future.In the unclassified study, the College of Aerospace Doctrine, Research, and Education at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama posed several fictional representations of future situations/scenarios likely to arise.In 2009, according to a figure in the Air Force 2025 report, influenza kills 30 million people.

In Chapter 5, the authors present a timeline figure representing plausible history. In 2009, according to the figure, influenza will kill 30 million people. A similar influenza pandemic occurred in the past, a footnote explains, making a reference to the influenza epidemic of 1918 and 1919, described as one of the worst human catastrophes on record. It has been estimated that more than 20 million people around the world died during the epidemic, and of the 20 million people who suffered from the illness in the United States, approximately 850,000 died.The influenza virus is unique among viruses in being able to undergo so much antigenic change that an antigenically novel virus can sweep around the world in a year or two, giving rise to significant morbidity and mortality,another footnote states. It is interesting to note that the source of the Air Force’s fictional pandemic is described as unknown and it is not determined if the virus was a natural mutation or bioengineered. Many feared the latter.(Emphasis added.) Is it merely a coincidence the Pentagon would propose in 1996 a deadly flu pandemic for 2009 when live H5N1 avian flu viruses are discovered in vaccines produced by a Baxter International plant in Austria? The fact that Baxter mixed the deadly H5N1 virus with a mix of H3N2 seasonal flu viruses is the smoking gun, writes Paul Joseph Watson. The H5N1 virus on its own has killed hundreds of people, but it is less airborne and more restricted in the ease with which it can spread. However, when combined with seasonal flu viruses, which as everyone knows are super-airborne and easily spread, the effect is a potent, super-airborne, super deadly biological weapon of the sort proposed in Air Force 2025.

Last year, author and researcher F. William Engdahl revealed a Pentagon effort to weaponize avian flu.If the reports are accurate, this could unleash a new pandemic on the planet that could be more devastating than the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic which killed an estimated 30 million people worldwide before it eventually died out, writes Engdahl. Engdahl then suggests that sections of the international pharmaceutical industry cartel are acting in concert with the US Government to develop a genetically modified H5N1 virus substance that could unleash a man-made pandemic. He cites Rima E. Laibow, MD, head of the Natural Solutions Foundation, a citizen watchdog group monitoring the pharmaceutical industry, who states: Our best intelligence estimate is that pandemic Avian Flu has already been created through genetic engineering in the United States, fusing the deadly genome of the 1918 Pandemic, misnamed the Spanish Flu, with the DNA of the innocuous H5N1 virus in a growth medium of human kidney cells, according to the National Institutes of Health and the vaccine’s manufacturer. Some virologists believe that this would insure that the man-made mutant virus recognizes human cells and knows how to invade them.Finally, it should be noted that Walter E. Boomer, a retired former four-star General and Assistant Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, sits on the board of directors of Baxter International. Of course, this is not definitive evidence the military controls Baxter or is behind the accidental contamination of H3N2 seasonal flu viruses with the H5N1 virus at its laboratory in Austria. It is highly suspicious, however.Baxter International has had a relationship with the military since 1941, when its blood-collection devices were the only ones that met the specifications of the U.S. Armed Forces.

AMERICA IS FINALLY ADMITTING THERES 40 SWINE FLU CASES NOT JUST 20.THERE WAS 12 IN TEXAS INSTEAD OF 2 AS REPORTED FOR THE LAST 2 DAYS.

Web Posted: 04/26/2009 8:12 CDT SCUCISD closes all schools Davenport/Express-News

Ronald Cables, a custodian for the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District, cleans the seats on a school bus as a precaution. By Elizabeth Allen - Express-News As the number of suspected or confirmed local cases of swine flu climbed to 12, the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District said Sunday it will close all its schools for at least one week.The district also canceled today’s planned public meeting at Steele High School in Cibolo, where the two Texas cases of swine flu were confirmed last week.Another 10 suspected cases are being tested — all from the school district or household contacts of the infected students, and ranging from a 6-year-old to people in their 40s, Dr. Sandra Guerra, regional medical director for the Texas Department of State Health Services, said Sunday.

And there may be more out there.

Linda Moses of Cibolo said she's been sick with vomiting, diahrrea and a cough, and both of her sons have shown flu symptoms as well. One attends Clemens High School.I allowed him to go over and spend time with his grandparents, which I'm a little worried about now, because that's the last thing they need,Moses said.She hasn't been to a doctor yet, but said with the news of the district-wide closure, she's planning to see one as soon as possible.It was scary anyway, but it's really kind of hitting kind of close to home now, Moses said.Schertz has also closed its public library, Guerra said. Cibolo has closed its parks and is asking churches and places where people gather to postpone activities. It is asking private developments to close their parks as well.Employees of Bexar County who live in Guadalupe County are being asked to be extra vigilant, and if they or any family members have flu symptoms, to stay home, said Bexar County spokeswoman Laura Jesse.Since the school district has made the decision to shut down for the next week, we advise our employees to use their better judgment, definitely, if they are feeling ill, not to come to work, Jesse said.

There are between 102 and 146 Bexar County workers living in or around Guadalupe County. Officials are not sure how many will call in sick, but preliminarily, Monday morning, they were not working with a skeleton staff in any department.That goes for the general population, too, said Emily Palmer, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of State Health Services.Our recommendations are that people who are sick stay home, Palmer said.I don't want to minimize this. We are concerned and we are actively doing surveillance.The state also wants doctors to change their normal approach to possible influenza patients, Guerra said.Instead of running their own tests or using private labs, doctors should contact the state or Metropolitan Health District officials and use those labs to test throat cultures, she said.

She fully expects Bexar County swine flu cases.

I think we're prepared for that, she said.We understand people are people, and we tend to be mobile.Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, noted in a press briefing Sunday that only one of the 20 confirmed U.S. cases had been hospitalized.In Mexico, hundreds have been sickened with the same strain of swine flu that is affecting people in the U.S., and numerous people have died, with 12 of the deaths confirmed as the same strain. Canada has confirmed several cases, while New Zealand and Spain are investigating possible infections.Why that strain at this point appears to be more lethal in Mexico is still a mystery, Schuchat said.It's also too soon to say why it appears to be affecting young, healthy people as opposed to the very old and very young, who are generally the most vulnerable, she said.But those numbers may change as more cases are diagnosed, which health officials expect.Rebecca Villarreal, spokeswoman for the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City district, said the situation is changing every day.

The school district has set up an information hotline at 210-619-4700 for parents and school employees to call for updates, Villarreal said.We recorded the message for the week, and if there's a change we'll update it, she said, adding that the district is working on adding a Spanish version of the message. We know we're going to have questions, especially come Friday, (when) the big question will be,Is there going to be school on Monday? The tone of that question may depend on whether it's being asked by parents or students.The kids are doing a happy dance, said Ken Singel, who has a middle-school and high-school student in the district.My wife's telling me that she's not going to let em out, but ... the little one is already agitating for Schlitterbahn.Singel's wife is a nursing professor, he said, so they're taking precautions, but are not overly concerned.Staff writers Don Finley and Lindsay Kastner contributed to this report.

Is Swine Flu A Biological Weapon? Paul Joseph Watson Prison Planet.com
Monday, April 27, 2009

There are some factors that suggest the swine flu killing people in Mexico may be a biological weapon, but obviously no such conclusion can be drawn at this time. The World Health Organization and the U.S. government have been quick to deny such claims.

The swine flu virus is described as a completely new strain, an intercontinental mixture of human, avian and swine viruses. Tellingly, there have been no reported A-H1N1 infections of pigs.According to a source known to former NSA official Wayne Madsen, A top scientist for the United Nations, who has examined the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in Africa, as well as HIV/AIDS victims, concluded that H1N1 possesses certain transmission vectors that suggest that the new flu strain has been genetically-manufactured as a military biological warfare weapon.Madsen claims that his source, and another in Indonesia, Are convinced that the current outbreak of a new strain of swine flu in Mexico and some parts of the United States is the result of the introduction of a human-engineered pathogen that could result in a widespread global pandemic, with potentially catastrophic consequences for domestic and international travel and commerce.However, it’s important to stress that it is far too early to make this assumption. We have to bear in mind that the number of victims has been comparatively low when one considers the fact that hundreds of thousands in Mexico contract infectious diseases every year related to poverty like tuberculosis and malaria.

Fort Detrick, the U.S. Army Medical Command installation that was the source of the 2001 anthrax attacks, is again attracting suspicion in light of the swine flu panic after it was revealed that criminal investigators are probing whether virus samples recently went missing from its biolabs.Chad Jones, spokesman for Fort Meade, said CID is investigating the possibility of missing virus samples from the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, reports The Frederick News.In February, USAMRIID halted their work when virus samples were discovered that were not listed in its inventory. Criminal investigators from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division unit at Fort Meade are now probing whether virus samples are missing from the Army’s top biolab, which also studies pathogens including ebola, anthrax and plague.Obviously, in light of the current swine flu scare, and the new strain’s possible synthetic origin, the fact that virus samples may have gone missing from the same Army research lab from which the 2001 anthrax strain was released is extremely disturbing.A 2008 FBI and DOJ investigation concluded that Bruce Edwards Irvins, a microbiologist, vaccinologist, and senior biodefense researcher at the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) in Fort Detrick, Maryland, was responsible for mailing anthrax to members of Congress and the media in September and October 2001.The fact that Irvins apparently committed suicide shortly before the announcement led many to suspect that he was a patsy in a wider plot. Despite the suspicious circumstances, no autopsy was carried out on Irvins’ body. His attorney was certain that Irvins, who had cooperated with the 6-year investigation, was innocent of the five anthrax deaths.

The Department of Justice initially considered Dr. Steven Jay Hatfill to be a strong suspect in the anthrax attacks, but he later sued the government and won $5.8 million in damages. A New York Times piece on Irvins’ suicide asked the hypothetical question: What if Dr. Hatfill had committed suicide in 2002, as friends feared he might? Would the investigators have released their evidence and announced that the perpetrator was dead? Fears that a mass pandemic was being readied as a biological attack have rumbled on in the conspiracy community ever since 9/11. Investigators point to the highly unusual number of deaths of top microbiologists to suggest that people with knowledge of the program are being eliminated.

Baxter To Develop Swine Flu Vaccine Despite Bird Flu Scandal
Steve Watson Infowars.net Monday, April 27, 2009

A U.S. based pharmaceutical company that just weeks ago was involved in a scandal involving vaccines tainted with deadly avian flu virus has been chosen to head up efforts to produce a vaccine for the Mexican swine flu that has seemingly migrated into the U.S. and Europe.Baxter confirmed over the weekend that it is working with the World Health Organization on a potential vaccine to curb the deadly swine flu virus that is blamed for scores of deaths in Mexico and has emerged as a threat in the U.S., reports the Chicago Tribune.Baxter has previously worked with governments all over the globe to develop and produce vaccines to protect against infectious disease or potential threats from bioterrorism. After 9/11 Baxter helped supply stockpiles of a smallpox vaccine and in 2003 the company was contracted to develop a vaccine to combat the SARS virus. In 2006 the UK Government announced plans designed to inoculate every person in the country with Baxter’s vaccines in the event of a flu pandemic.However, Baxter has a very recent and most disturbing connection to flu vaccines.As reported by multiple sources last month, including the Times of India, vaccines contaminated with deadly live H5N1 avian flu virus were distributed to 18 countries last December by a lab at an Austrian branch of Baxter.

It was only by providence that the batch was first tested on ferrets in the Czech Republic, before being shipped out for injection into humans. The ferrets all died and the shocking discovery was made. Czech newspapers immediately questioned whether the events were part of a conspiracy to deliberately provoke a pandemic, following up on accusations already made by health officials in other countries.Initially, Baxter attempted to stonewall questions by invoking “trade secrets” and refused to reveal how the vaccines were contaminated with H5N1. After increased pressure they then claimed that pure H5N1 batches were sent by accident.Since the probability of mixing a live virus biological weapon with vaccine material by accident is virtually impossible, this leaves no other explanation than that the contamination was a deliberate attempt to weaponize the H5N1 virus to its most potent extreme and distribute it via conventional flu vaccines to the population who would then infect others to a devastating degree as the disease went airborne.The fact that Baxter mixed the deadly H5N1 virus with a mix of H3N2 seasonal flu viruses is the smoking gun. The H5N1 virus on its own has killed hundreds of people, but it is less airborne and more restricted in the ease with which it can spread. However, when combined with seasonal flu viruses, which as everyone knows are super-airborne and easily spread, the effect is a potent, super-airbone, super deadly biological weapon.Indeed, some have already suggested that the current scare could represent the use of such a weapon.Now it has been announced that Baxter is seeking a sample of the potentially lethal never before seen form of swine/avian/human flu virus in order to assist the World Health Organization in developing a new vaccine, reaping billions in the process.Why should Baxter be trusted, when they have already been proven to be at the very least criminally negligent, and at worst a prime suspect in attempting to carry off one of the most heinous crimes in the history of mankind?

The company has already put the safety of the entire human race at risk, and now, just a few weeks later, we’re expected to invest our confidence in them and take their shots with a smile and a still tongue? As Mike Adams of Natural News has commented, If you mail an envelope full of anthrax to your Senator, you get arrested as a terrorist. So why is Baxter — which mailed samples of a far more deadly viral strain to labs around the world — getting away with saying, essentially, Oops? WHO officials are reportedly still closely monitoring the investigation into Baxter’s contaminated flu vaccines, seemingly they are not too concerned. Perhaps we should be.

Swine flu case confirmed in Spain,Spain confirms one case of swine flu; 16 more suspected cases being tested,European health commissioner recommends against travel to U.S., Mexico,Up to 103 deaths in Mexico are thought to have been caused by swine flu,Cases also confirmed in U.S., Canada; suspected cases in New Zealand, Israel
APR 27,09

(CNN) -- The first case of swine flu in Europe was confirmed Monday in Spain as a top European health official warned against travel to Mexico and the United States.
Police keep worshippers from attending Mass at a cathedral in Mexico City on Sunday.
1 of 3 more photos » Spanish health minister Trinidad Jimenez said a 23-year-old man who returned from studying in Mexico last Wednesday tested positive for the virus at a hospital in Albacete, southeastern Spain.At least 16 more cases are being treated as possible swine flu, Jimenez told a news conference. Earlier, Jimenez met with health officials to discuss Spain's response to the crisis.We do not have an emergency situation in Spain, but we are working to prevent any possible development, and we are taking action in accord with the World Health Organization, she said.

Spain's Ministry of Health has urged travelers recently returned from Mexico and the U.S. to be on the lookout for symptoms of the virus, including fever, coughing and respiratory problems.The European Union's health commissioner Monday called on people to avoid traveling to both Mexico and the U.S. amid growing concern that the swine flu virus, which has been blamed for at least 103 deaths in Mexico as well as hundreds more cases of infection, could become a global pandemic.People should avoid traveling to Mexico or the U.S. unless it is very urgent for them,Andorra Vassiliou said.Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Vassiliou's warning was not warranted.U.S. President Barack Obama said Monday that the outbreak was a cause for concern but not a cause for alarm.He said the federal government was closely monitoring emerging cases and had declared a public health emergency as a precautionary tool to ensure the availability of adequate resources to combat the spread of the virus.

The World Health Organization has described the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern. The U.S. has confirmed 20 cases of the disease while Canada confirmed its first case Sunday.Israel and New Zealand, where 22 students and three teachers were quarantined after returning for a three-week trip to Mexico, are also investigating suspected cases. South Korea says it will test travelers arriving from the U.S.Swine flu is a contagious respiratory disease that usually affects pigs. It is caused by a type-A influenza virus. The current strain is a new variation of an H1N1 virus, which is a mix of human and animal versions.When the flu spreads person-to-person, instead of from animals to humans, it can continue to mutate, making it harder to treat or fight off because people have no natural immunity.

Health Library
MayoClinic.com: Influenza (flu)
The symptoms are similar to common flu. They include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.The virus spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes around another person. People can become infected by touching something with the flu virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose or eyes.Researchers are trying to determine how easily it can jump from person to person. Keiji Fukuda, WHO's assistant director-general, said it was too early to predict whether there will be a mild or serious pandemic. iReport.com: Do you think we should be worried about swine flu? In 1968, a Hong Kong flu pandemic killed about 1 million people worldwide. And in 1918, a Spanish flu pandemic killed as many as 100 million people.

Swine Flu and Martial Law Kurt Nimmo Infowars April 26, 2009

As the AP video here reports, countries around the world are reacting to the Swine Flu (H1N1 ) outbreak in Mexico with quarantines and travel warnings. The United Nation’s World Health Organization convened an emergency meeting Saturday to develop a response to the pandemic potential emerging from Mexico (although the threat is apparently not considered serious enough to prompt officials in the United States to close the border).If the outbreak indeed turns into a global pandemic, as WHO seems to think, we can expect not only quarantines, but the imposition of martial law in the United States. In fact, the government has planned for just such a scenario for some time now.In late 2007, the Bush administration issued a directive establishing a National Strategy for Public Health and Medical Preparedness based on Biodefense for the 21st Century (see PDF). HSPD 21, short for Homeland Security Presidential Directive (signing statement bypassing Congress), defines catastrophic health event as any natural or manmade incident, including terrorism, that results in a number of ill or injured persons sufficient to overwhelm the capabilities of immediate local and regional emergency response and health care systems.HSPD 21 established an academic Joint Program for Disaster Medicine and Public Health housed at a National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. It teamed up the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Defense to carry out respective civilian and military missions.Prior to this, in May of 2007, the U.S. military had the foresight to plan for a possible avian flu pandemic that could kill as many as three million people in the United States in as little as six weeks,according to Yahoo News. Guidelines and planning assumptions for US military services and combatant commands were published in a document entitled Implementation Plan for Pandemic Influenza.Possible scenarios include US troops being called in to put down riots, guard pharmaceutical plants and shipments, and help restrict the movement of people inside the country and across its borders, Yahoo summarizes. The plan envisions fast moving, catastrophic waves of disease that would overwhelm health facilities and cripple the ability of state and local authorities to provide even basic commodities or services.The military would be used to restrict traffic within states to contain the spread of the virus, according to the document. It said the military will be called on to evacuate non-infected people from areas abroad that are having problems, and to help allies. In other words, think FEMA during Hurricane Katrina — the relocations, the toxic camps, the confiscation of firearms.

A key military role will be to distribute medical supplies and medications and provide security for the production and shipment of vaccines on orders of the president.DoD’s Implementation Plan for Pandemic Influenza proposes nothing less than the militarization of health care. In short, the military — provided to augment civilian law enforcement — will be used to vaccinate the population, as directed by the president.Considering the above, the purpose of the brand spanking new KBR camps ostensibly built for an emergency influx of immigrants into the U.S., or to support the rapid development of new programs comes into focus. As Michel Chossudovsky wrote in 2005, the hidden agenda consists in using the threat of a pandemic and/or the plight of a natural disaster as a pretext to establish military rule and suspend Constitutional government and allow the Military to intervene in civilian affairs in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act.Bush said as much when he announced that in the event of a flu outbreak in the U.S. he would consider using the military to effect a quarantine and place National Guard troops under federal, rather than state, control. Dr. Irwin Redlener, associate dean of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and director of its National Center for Disaster Preparedness, told the Associated Press that a law enforcement role for the military would be an extraordinarily Draconian measure.Since Redlener made his comment, the military, under the Northern Command, according to the Army Times, announced the transfer of the 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team and its dedicated assignment… as an on-call federal response force for natural or manmade emergencies and disasters, including terrorist attacks.Training for homeland operations commenced last year at Fort Stewart and at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs.Over the last few months, the military has steadily increased its collaboration with local law enforcement in violation of Posse Comitatus, most notably and egregiously in Alabama and Tennessee (see Damage Control: U.S. Army Investigates Deploying Troops in Samson, Alabama and Massive Checkpoint Operation in Tennessee Violated Posse Comitatus, Fourth Amendment).The federalization and militarization of law enforcement has continued apace since 1994 when the DoD issued a directive allowing military commanders to take emergency actions in domestic situations.Is it possible a mutant influenza virus would be used as an excuse to impose martial law now that the military is in place ?

Our best intelligence estimate is that pandemic Avian Flu has already been created through genetic engineering in the United States, fusing the deadly genome of the 1918Pandemic, misnamed the Spanish Flu, with the DNA of the innocuous H5N1 virus in a growth medium of human kidney cells, according to the National Institutes of Health and the vaccine’s manufacturer. Some virologists believe that this would insure that the man-made mutant virus recognizes human cells and knows how to invade them, writes Rima E. Laibow, MD, head of the Natural Solutions Foundation, a citizen watchdog group monitoring the pharmaceutical industry. Laibow underscores what we stress above: “Given the shockingly obvious lack of any threat from an un-weaponized H5N1 virus, how can we explain the Bush Administration spending billions of dollars preparing each of the 50 States, for what it calls the inevitable Bird Flu pandemic, which they say could kill half or more of all Americans and similar numbers of people around the globe? Of course, the current swine flu is not H5N1. It is the H1N1 virus. It is however an odd duckling with a suspicious composition: the virus contains genes of human, bird and swine origin.As the virus spreads, more and more people — and even a few virologists — believe H1N1 is a human-engineered pathogen. On April 25, the journalist Wayne Madsen wrote: Our Mexico City source said a top scientist for the United Nations, who has examined the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in Africa, as well as HIV/AIDS victims, concluded that H1N1 possesses certain transmission vectors that suggest that new flu strain has been genetically-manufactured as a military biological warfare weapon. The UN expert believes that Ebola, HIV/AIDS, and the current A-H1N1 swine flu virus are biological warfare agents. Past swine flu outbreaks have been spread from pigs to humans, who then passed the flu on to other humans. However, with A-H1N1, there have been no reported infections of pigs. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), A-H1N1 has gene segments from North American swine, bird and human flu strains and a segment from Eurasian swine flu. Costa Rica, Brazil, and Peru have issued alerts to check all incoming passengers from Mexico at border crossings, airports, and seaports for symptoms of the swine flu. Meanwhile, in the United States, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has instituted passive surveillance of travelers entering the country.Napolitano announced this on Sunday. On Friday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it was too late to contain the swine flu outbreak in the United States.

Swine flu spreads economic shivers APR 27,09

PARIS (AFP) — The global outbreak of swine flu sent shivers through financial markets on Monday just as some signs had appeared that the global economic crisis might be easing.Travel and tourism took the brunt of uncertainty about how the threat of a pandemic might crimp economic activity, but the pharmaceutical sector rose as attention turned to defensive medical treatments and equipment.Shares in Swiss drug giant Roche surged and then settled with a gain of 3.51 percent on prospects of a surge in demand for its treatment Tamiflu, a focus of interest during previous alerts over bird flu.An analyst at Vontobel in Switzerland, Andrew Weiss, said: When fear about bird flu really took hold in the fourth quarter of 2005, the price of shares (in Roche) rose strongly.In 2006 and 2007 Roche had made sales of Tamiflu worth a total of 4.0 billion Swiss francs (2.65 billion euros, 3.49 billion dollars), he recalled.Rapidly spreading concern about possible international contagion from a fatal outbreak of the human version of flu originating in pigs also pushed up the yen.

In Tokyo, the yen firmed to 96.75 against the dollar from 97.13 in New York late on Friday. Analysts said that the dollar was weakened in part by growing concern over the impact of the new strain of swine flu.The outbreak of swine flu in Mexico is a concerning development for the global economy, said Societe Generale analyst Patrick Bennett.Initial investor reaction has not surprisingly been towards risk aversion.

Pig flu also drove down oil prices with the threat of a drop in air travel, analysts said.In New York, light sweet crude for June delivery fell 2.59 dollars to 48.96 dollars. Brent North Sea crude fell 2.31 dollars to 49.36 dollars a barrel in late morning trade in London.In London, Manoj Ladwa, a senior trader at financial spread-betting firm ETX Capital in London, said: Swine flu is ripping through the markets creating uncertainty in its wake.He added: US markets are sure to be heavily affected by this crisis when they open later today.With the World Health Organisation warning that the outbreak could become a pandemic, the United States declaring a public health emergency and the European Commission calling an urgent meeting of health ministers, stock markets recoiled in alarm.Amid uncertainty over the possible implications of anxiety over flu on economic activity, notably in such sectors as tourism and retailing, investors and analysts took the line of caution.In London the FTSE index of leading shares was showing a mid-morning fall of 1.20 percent, Frankfurt stocks fell by 1.05 percent and the Paris CAC 40 index fell 1.83 percent.

Stocks in Tokyo edged up 0.21 percent but traders said they were held back by concern about the effects of the flu outbreaks. In Hong Kong they fell by 2.74 percent, and in South Korea by 1.05 percent.News over the weekend of a deadly flu outbreak is rocking financial markets, said Matt Buckland, dealer at financial spread-betting firm CMC Markets.After last week's gains many would have been looking to start locking in profits, he said, referring to recent rises in share prices reflecting some optimism that the global economic crisis may be flattening out.But clearly this (flu) news has the potential to become a rather serious development.In Europe, shares in German airline Lufthansa were showing a fall of 10.60 percent and shares in Air France-KLM were down by slightly more than nine percent.British Airways stocks were down 7.26 percent, shares in travel agency Thomas Cook 7.87 percent and in travel group TUI 5.52 percent.Stock in cruise liner group Carnival showed a fall of 6.50 percent and Rolls Royce, which makes engines for aircraft and ships, saw its shares fall by 4.43 percent.But companies making drug treatments were strong. GlaxoSmithKline gained 3.58, AstraZeneca 1.55 percent and Shire 1.21 percent.In Tokyo, airline and tourism shares were hit by the swine flu worries. Travel agency H.I.S. tumbled 10 percent while Japan Airlines dropped 5.2 percent on fears that tourists and business travellers may cancel their overseas trips.But Chugai Pharmaceutical, which sells the Tamiflu drug, climbed 14 percent.

EU health ministers scramble as swine flu hits Europe,People in Mexico City wearing masks on a train due to the swine flu outbreak (Photo: Eneas De Troya)
ELITSA VUCHEVA Today APR 27,09 @ 15:02 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – The Czech EU presidency has called an emergency meeting of the bloc's health ministers to take place in all probability on Thursday afternoon (30April), as Spain on Monday confirmed the first case of swine flu in Europe.The news came after Mexican health secretary Jose Angel Cordova said on Sunday that the number of suspected cases of people with the flu strain in his country had reached 1,614, with more than 100 suspected and 20 confirmed fatalities so far.The United States declared a state of emergency over the weekend with at least 20 people identified with the virus. Cases were also reported in Canada.The Presidency has been following the situation very closely, is aware of the seriousness of the outbreak on the American continent, and is determined to minimise the risk of impact on the European Union, the Czech EU presidency said in a statement.In order to evaluate the potential danger and all possible steps forward,it has called on Monday afternoon an urgent meeting of EU states' diplomats responsible for public health to prepare for the extraordinary ministerial.The issue will also be discussed during an EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Monday.The announcement of the extraordinary health ministers gathering came almost at the same time as Spain's confirmation of the first flu case in Europe.Spanish health minister Trinidad Jimenez said the case concerned a 23-year-old man in south-east Spain who had recently been to Mexico. Another 17 people are suspected to have the disease, the BBC reports.Ms Jimenez added that the man has been responding well to treatment and his condition is not serious.

The situation is under control,she stressed.

Experts in other member states - including Germany and the UK - have warned it is only a matter of time before the virus spreads in Europe.People suspected to be infected are currently under observation in several European countries, including Denmark, Sweden, Italy and Switzerland.Experts from the World Health Organisation will be meeting on Tuesday and decide whether to raise the level of the WHO pandemic crisis alert system from three to six. A six would mean that a pandemic is under way.

Raising of the alert or not will depend on the evaluation of human to human transfer in the past days.Eat pork, but don't go to Mexico or the US.Meanwhile, EU health commissioner Androulla Vassiliou on Monday advised European citizens not to travel to the areas affected by the flu.Personally, I would try to avoid non-essential travel to the areas which are reported to be in the centre of the cluster, she said in a video statement released in Brussels.On arriving in Luxembourg later on, where she was to brief EU foreign ministers on the issue, Ms Vassiliou stressed that people should avoid traveling to Mexico or the United States of America unless it is very urgent for them.For his part, Robert Madelin, Director General for Health and Consumer Protection in the European Commission, underlined that this completely novel flu virus – a mixture of swine, bird and human viruses – had nothing to do with the food chain.This is a human flu virus ...Not only is this not a pig virus, but it is not affecting pigs, there is no human to pig transition.Similarly therefore, pigs are not carriers. Neither pigs, nor porcine embryos, nor pig meat. And I had a very nice filet de porc yesterday and I recommend you to go on eating pork,Mr Madelin told journalists during a press briefing in Brussels.

No swine flu cases reported in EU as world readies for pandemic
ANDREW WILLIS Today APR 27,09 @ 09:26 CET

Fears that the world may be on the brink of a swine flu pandemic grew over the weekend as the number of suspected fatalities in Mexico surpassed the 100 mark. Meanwhile, Brussels is reporting that no cases of the illness have yet been reported within the European Union.Mexican health secretary Jose Angel Cordova said on Sunday (26 April) the number of suspected cases of people with the flu strain in his country had risen to 1614 with 20 confirmed deaths so far. The United States declared its own emergency over the weekend with at least 20 people identified with the virus while cases were also reported in Canada.On Saturday, the World Health Organisation declared a public health emergency of international concern as the new flu strain – a mixture of swine, bird and human viruses – spread in the region. The European Commission said no cases of the flu have been confirmed in Europe so far. We are following very closely the situation as it evolves, said a spokeswoman for the EU executive.In France however, officials are still monitoring one individual after three other suspected cases turned out to be false alarms. French health minister Roselyne Bachelot sought to downplay concerns of a global spread, saying: We cannot confirm that we are facing a pandemic, reports Le Figaro. In Spain, three people displaying flu-like symptoms are under observation after they arrived in on a flight from Mexico.China and Russia have put in place quarantine measures at airports to isolate anyone suspected as having the virus.

WHO alert system

In 1997, avian flu killed several hundred people in Asia while in 1968, the Hong Kong flu pandemic killed 1 million people globally. The newly detected strain contains genetic material from others that usually affect birds and pigs, and for which there is currently no vaccine, with experts saying one will take several months to develop.

The WHO has currently placed its pandemic crisis alert system on level three and says it needs more information before raising it to level four. Such a move would follow if the virus appears to transfer from human to human in the coming days. Level five signifies a global pandemic is imminent while level six is a declaration that one is already under way.Keiji Fukuda, the WHO's assistant director general for health security, said: We have asked all countries to increase their surveillance.WHO experts will meet on Tuesday to decide whether to raise the pandemic alert. As well as the human toll, concerns are growing in Mexico over the economic consequences of the outbreak. Many businesses have temporarily closed, with Mexican tourism and exports also likely to be affected.The World Bank has already pledged $200 million (€152m) to the country to help it deal with the outbreak.

DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADE BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).

EU DICTATOR (WORLD LEADER)

REVELATION 17:12-13
12 And the ten horns (NATIONS) which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

REVELATION 6:1-2
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse:(PEACE) and he that sat on him had a bow;(EU DICTATOR) and a crown was given unto him:(PRESIDENT OF THE EU) and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(MILITARY GENIUS)

REVELATION 13:1-10
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.(THE EU AND ITS DICTATOR IS GODLESS)
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.(DICTATOR COMES FROM NEW AGE OR OCCULT)
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death;(MURDERERD) and his deadly wound was healed:(COMES BACK TO LIFE) and all the world wondered after the beast.(THE WORLD THINKS ITS GOD IN THE FLESH, MESSIAH TO ISRAEL)
4 And they worshipped the dragon (SATAN) which gave power unto the beast:(JEWISH EU DICTATOR) and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?(FALSE RESURRECTION,SATAN BRINGS HIM TO LIFE)
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.(GIVEN WORLD CONTROL FOR 3 1/2YRS)
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God,(HES A GOD HATER) to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.(HES A LIBERAL OR DEMOCRAT,WILL PUT ANYTHING ABOUT GOD DOWN)
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints,(BEHEAD THEM) and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.(WORLD DOMINATION)
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.(WORLD DICTATOR)
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.(SAVED CHRISTIANS AND JEWS DIE FOR THEIR FAITH AT THIS TIME,NOW WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE BUT DURING THE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH, PEOPLE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH (BEHEADINGS) FOR THEIR BELIEF IN GOD (JESUS) OR THE BIBLE.

DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come (ROMANS IN AD 70) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMANS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he( EU ROMAN, JEWISH DICTATOR) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:( 7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,( 3 1/2 YRS) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Belarus dictator makes EU comeback
ANDREW RETTMAN Today APR 27,09 @ 17:40 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko exchanged gifts with Pope Benedict XVI in Rome on Monday (27 April) on his first trip to the EU in 13 years.The pair in a 25 minute meeting in The Vatican spoke in a positive climate about the relationship between faith and reason" and Roman Catholic-Russian Orthodox church relations, The Holy See said in a statement.The unusual meeting saw Mr Lukashenko - a self-confessed atheist - take along his four year old son, Kolya, born out of wedlock. The boy gave the pontiff a Belarusian spelling book as a form of diplomatic gift. The pope gave the president a traditional golden medal.The trip was Mr Lukashenko's first to the EU since 1996. It comes after the EU provisionally lifted a visa ban on him and his close circles in October.The president, dubbed a dictator by the US, has been widely accused of rigging elections and using security forces to keep down opposition. He is also suspected of personal involvement in the disappearance of four pro-democracy activists in 1999 and 2000.The Rome visit was to see the Belarus leader dine with Italian President Silvio Berlusconi and foreign minister Franco Frattini later in the day.

Italy's message would be based on fundamental European principles on the rule of law and the rights and freedoms of Belarusian men and women, Mr Frattini said in an open letter to Italian daily Corriere della Sera.The Italian reception is a public relations coup for Mr Lukashenko, who was two weeks ago attacked by Czech President Vaclav Klaus. The Czech head of state said he would not shake the Belarusian's hand if he comes to Prague for an Eastern Partnership summit on 7 May.A Czech diplomat on Monday said Minsk has not yet confirmed whether or not Mr Lukashenko will attend the event. Senior EU figures defended the partnership initiative against Russian allegations that it is an attempt to build an EU sphere of influence in the six countries - Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan - involved in the scheme.[Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov] knows himself that's nonsense, acting Czech foreign minister Karl Schwarzenberg, speaking for the Czech EU presidency, said on Monday ahead of an EU foreign ministers' meeting in Luxembourg, DPA reports.

Bulgaria PM backs EU Barroso for second term,Bulgaria's PM Stanishev backed Barroso for a second term as European Commission president.Saturday, 25 April 2009 14:48

Bulgaria's Socialist Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev on Friday backed Jose Manuel Barroso for a second term as European Commission president. Stanishev is the first East European leader to voice support for the Portuguese liberal to head the EU's executive arm when its current term ends in June. He told a joint news conference with Barroso in Sofia that the Bulgarian government had very good cooperation with the Commission president and would like to see him re-elected. Last month, the EU conservative European People's Party -- which includes the leaders of France, Germany and Italy -- also backed Barroso for a second term making him the clear favourite.

He also enjoys the support of centre-left leaders in Britain and Spain.

Barroso, who took over as Commission president in 2004 and has sought chiefly to modernise the European economy and fight climate change, will require the approval of the European Parliament where the EPP holds the majority and its presidency.

Elections for the new assembly will be held in June.

EU leaders should normally choose a new commission president at a summit in June, but there have been suggestions that this could be postponed pending Ireland's second referendum on the bloc's Lisbon reform treaty. Ireland is expected to hold a second plebiscite most likely in October after voters rejected the treaty last June.Reuters

Sarkozy misinterpreted on Spanish PM's intelligence: FM,The controversy was further fuelled when Segolene Royal, Sarkozy's failed rival in the 2007 presidential election, offered an apology to Zapatero for Sarkozy's comments. Monday, 20 April 200912:53

France's foreign minister said Sarkozy's remarks about Spanish PM had been misinterpreted and relations with Spain were excellent.There are few people with whom we get on as well as with the Spanish. We've had the same positions for the past two years, Bernard Kouchner told France Info radio, before a visit to Spain by Sarkozy next week.I assure you there is not the shadow of a cloud.Sarkozy's words on Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero reported in French daily Liberation last week, stirred a flurry of press comment in Spain.

Zapatero not very intelligent

Responding to comments from an apparently sceptical Socialist deputy attending a lunch meeting, who said You can say a lot of things about Zapatero, President Nicolas Sarkozy was reported by Liberation to have retorted: He may not be very intelligent. I know people who were very intelligent and who didn't make it to the second round of the presidential election, apparently referring to Lionel Jospin, the failed Socialist candidate in the 2002 election. He went on to add: In my political career, I've often beaten people who were supposed to be more intelligent and who had better academic records than me.The remarks were denied by Sarkozy's office but were widely reported in the Spanish and British press, which said Sarkozy had described Zapatero as not very intelligent.The controversy was further fuelled when Segolene Royal, Sarkozy's failed rival in the 2007 presidential election, offered an apology to Zapatero for Sarkozy's comments.

Kouchner dismissed her intervention.

What I can guarantee is that it was a joke on the part of the president, a manner of making fun of the person he was talking to as he often does,Kouchner said. But above all what I can guarantee -- last night, I was talking to my Spanish counterpart Miguel Moratinos -- there is a very good understanding, very, very good, a real camaraderie.Reuters.

Czech EU presidency splits with commission over Israel
LEIGH PHILLIPS Today APR 27,09 @ 09:45 CET

Caretaker Czech prime minister and European Union president-in-office, Mirek Topolanek, has sharply criticised the European Commission for insisting Israel advance peace negotiations before upgrading EU-Israel relations.Mr Topolanek made the comments in an interview with Israeli centre-left daily Ha'aretz, published on Sunday (26 April), at the end of his visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.The EU suspended technical talks on the upgrade, which is to include regular bilateral summits and trade perks for Israel, amid Israel's attack on the Gaza strip late last year. Tel Aviv's assault on clearly marked UN compounds in particular shook Brussels.Last Thursday (23 April), foreign relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said progress on the upgrade will remain frozen until Israel takes steps to repair the peace process with Palestinians.We do not believe the time is right to go beyond the current level of relations,she said. The ball is now in the court of Israel.Mr Topolanek, a strong supporter of Israel and the first foreign prime minister to visit the new right-wing government in the country, disagreed with Ms Ferrero-Waldner however, saying: the peace process should not be linked to the relations between the EU and Israel.I consider the statement by Benita Ferero-Waldner ...to be really hasty and at this given moment I would not really attribute to it more weight than just a statement by a commissioner. The action plan continuation is a political decision that is to be made by the European Council, and I am still the president of the European Council and I should know something about it.

The acting Czech leader also gave the strongest backing yet of any European leader to Israel's bombardment of Gaza, while criticising Israel's expansion settlement in the West Bank.Although I understand the right of every country to defend its territory, certainly against rocket attacks, and one might find justication for the Gaza operation, it is more difficult for me to understand the further settlements spreading and the cases of evictions [in East Jerusalem].he said. It will be difficult, on the one hand, to promote the idea of two states for two peoples and on the other hand continue the settlements.Mr Topolanek went on to say that while there is no imminent threat of a war between Israel and Iran,over Iran's alleged race to acquire nuclear weapons, he would not rule out a hard power option if diplomacy fails.The fact that the EU is somewhat underestimating this threat is also true, he said.The new Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, in separate public remarks on Friday also criticised the commission's stance on the relations upgrade.Don't set conditions for us,he told Prime Minister Topolanek.Peace is in Israel's interest no less than it is in Europe's interest, and there's no need to make the upgrade in relations with Israel conditional on progress on the peace process.

Iceland closer to joining EU after left-wing victory
LEIGH PHILLIPS Today APR 27,09 @ 09:29 CET

Icelandic voters punished the centre-right party that had governed the country for most of the last 18 years and dominated it for generations, delivering a clear majority in a snap general election to the centre-left Social Democrats and far-left and ecologist Left Green Movement.But in a twist on expectations, voters also sent to the Althingi, the Icelandic parliament, a majority of deputies in favour of an immediate application for membership in the European Union.On an 85 percent turnout, the governing caretaker coalition of the two left-wing parties won 34 seats in the 63-seat legislature. The Social Democrats saw a minor last-minute surge, winning 30 percent of the vote, or 20 seats - slightly higher than polls on Friday had predicted, while their partners to their left won 21.5 percent of the vote, or 14 seats, substantially less than the 27.4 percent they had predicted to win.The centre-right Independence Party, viewed by voters as the architects of the country's economic collapse, saw its support drop to 23 percent, delivering just 16 seats, the lowest result in its history.The people of Iceland are settling the score with the past, with the neo-liberalism that has been in power here for too long, said the Social Democratic prime minister Johanna Sigurdardottir after the vote, adding: There is a demand for a change of values.Symbolising the shift, the last prime minister, Geir Haarde, drummed out of his job by the self-styled Busahaldabyltingin, or Kitchenware Revolution, in January, was a former central bank economist, while the new prime minister had been an air stewardess and her finance minister and leader of the Left Greens, Steingrimur Sigfusson, a lorry driver.

The two left parties have reportedly enjoyed a good working relationship but are on opposite sides of the question of whether to apply for EU membership. The Social Democrats believe the crisis, or kreppa, has taught them that their small economy will only be battered again and again if they do not seek the shelter of the 27-country bloc.Ms Sigurdardottir has said she wants to begin the application process within weeks of the election.The Left Greens, for their part, say the EU is too undemocratic and neo-liberal, the very ideology, they say, that caused the crisis in the first place. They also fear loss of control over the country's natural resources.

The Independence party meanwhile has traditionally opposed EU membership as well, but analysts believe that this uncompromising stance has lost it the support of sections of the business community who agree with the new prime minister that there is no alternative to beginning negotiations with Brussels.The EU itself has said that it would be happy to see the north Atlantic nation apply. The application would proceed rapidly, as the country already applies some 75 percent of EU legislation through its existing membership in The European Economic Area (EEA) along with Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Tough bargaining over Iceland's pristine fisheries is expected to be a major point of division - with 2011 expected to be the earliest possible date of admission.Ahead of the elections, analysts puzzled over how such a major split at the heart of the governing coalition could be resolved. However, taking into account the minor parties, the final seat tally shows a strong majority in favour of the EU.The centrist Progressive Party, which recently changed its position and now backs applying for EU membership, won nine seats, and the Citizens' Movement, which grew out of the protests that led to the government resigning and also supports such a move, won four, giving the pro-EU fraction in the parliament a total of 33 seats.The current coalition is unlikely to break up over the issue, but the Social Democrats have been given a clear mandate for negotiations.Indeed, after the vote, the Left Green leader hinted that his party would be open to the launch of accession talks in order to maintain their relations with the Social Democrats.

The two parties however both back returning to the voters with a referendum on the issue ahead of any formal application.

Albania to file EU membership application
ELITSA VUCHEVA Today @ 09:19 CET

Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha has said that his country would officially apply for EU membership on Tuesday (28 April), but accession is not expected for several years to come.We have made the important decision to submit the formal request to be a candidate country to the EU on April 28, Mr Berisha said during a televised cabinet meeting on Sunday, AFP reports.Tirana - Albania will be the second country after Montenegro to file an EU membership application since December (Photo: Wikipedia)The decision had been taken after consultation with European capitals which have supported Albania in this democratic step,he added.The lodging of papers will mark an important turning point for Albania which has committed to pursuing reforms on its path to [full] democracy ...Albania, formerly a country known for its high crime rate and corruption, has today become a country very attractive to investors and foreign tourists.After a meeting between French president Nicolas Sarkozy and Mr Berisha on Saturday, the French presidency issued a statement in support of Tirana's bid.Albania will be a member of the European Union and France fully supports this idea, the Elysee said.

Albania will be the second country after Montenegro to file an EU membership application since December.An ex-Communist state of around 3 million people situated in the western Balkans, Albania signed a pre-accession deal, the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), with the EU in June 2006. Ratification of its SAA was completed in January this year, when Greece became the last EU state to approve the document.The EU believes the country, which is among the poorest in Europe, has still a lot to do before it is worth of full membership.In its last progress report in November last year, the European Commission noted that corruption and organised crime remained a major challenge.It also pointed to money laundering and drug trafficking as a serious concern, and insisted on the need for a more efficient and independent civil service.

A long process

In any case, Tirana's membership application represents a small step on its EU road.

After Albania files the demand tomorrow, it will be up to EU member states to pass it to the commission for assessment.The EU executive's assessment should then take at least a year, after which the bloc's member states are to decide by unanimity whether to grant the country the status of an EU candidate.If Albania is granted that status, the EU candidate must then start accession negotiations chapter by chapter, with this process alone likely to take several years.In the current political and economic context, the enlargement enthusiasm in EU capitals has been cooling down.The purely technical step of member states passing the membership application to the commission took four months for Albania's neighbour Montenegro.Podgorica filed its EU membership application in December and it was not before last week that the bloc's member states decided to proceed with the dossier.

ISRAEL SATAN COMES AGAINST

1 CHRONICLES 21:1
1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

ISRAELS TROUBLE

JEREMIAH 30:7
7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble;(ISRAEL) but he shall be saved out of it.

DANIEL 12:1,4
1 And at that time shall Michael(ISRAELS WAR ANGEL) stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people:(ISRAEL) and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation(May 14,48) even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro,(WORLD TRAVEL,IMMIGRATION) and knowledge shall be increased.(COMPUTERS,CHIP IMPLANTS ETC)

Rise in antisemitic attacks worldwide From The Jewish Chronicle
Isabel Janner April 22, 2009

Holocaust images are increasingly used in antisemitic attacks worldwide, according to a new survey.The survey, carried out by Tel Aviv University and the European Jewish Congress, shows the number of incidents increasing gradually from 1989 to 2007, peaking in 2007 and dropping slightly in 2008.The start of 2009 saw sharp increases, triggered by the economic crisis and war in Gaza.According to the report, Antisemitic expressions during the last months of 2008 and beginning of 2009 were not classic stereotyping of the Jews but abuse of the Holocaust… as a political tool against Israel.The report survey blames widespread ignorance combined with a European weariness towards the Holocaust. Its burdensome, lingering memory generates fatigue of the Jewish people because of what seems to be their constant harping on their image at the ultimate victim, without regret for the many other tragedies that have happened since in the world.

DOCTOR DOCTORIAN FROM ANGEL OF GOD
then the angel said, Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.

JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

REVELATION 18:10,17,19
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM

WORLD MARKET RESULTS
http://money.cnn.com/data/world_markets/

HALF HOUR DOW RESULTS MON APR 27,2009

09:30 AM -34.09
10:00 AM -40.62
10:30 AM -14.97
11:00 AM +36.32
11:30 AM +20.39
12:00 PM +35.60
12:30 PM +6.13
01:00 PM -8.12
01:30 PM -45.56
02:00 PM -77.42
02:30 PM -52.33
03:00 PM -41.10
03:30 PM -64.28
04:00 PM -51.29 8025.00

S&P 500 857.51 -8.72

NASDAQ 1679.41 -14.88

GOLD 906.70 -6.40

OIL 50.11 -1.44

TSE 300 9394.80 -154.68

CDNX 1002.98 -3.83

S&P/TSX/60 569.28 -9.69

MORNING,NEWS,STATS

YEAR TO DATE PERFORMANCE
Dow -7.98%
S&P -4.10%
Nasdaq +7.44%
TSX Advances 1,057,declines 471,unchanged 269,Volume 2,499,786,118.
TSX Venture Exchange Advances 499,Declines 313,Unchanged 343,Volume 232,609,447.

Dow -74 points at 4 minutes of trading today.
Dow -86 points at low today.
Dow +49 points at high today so far.
GOLD opens at $909.30.OIL opens at $48.27 today.

20 WEEKEND reports of TORNADOES in the U.S.A.
Reports US government is issuing warning of travel to MEXICO due to flu.
Europe government issuing warning of travel to MEXICO due to FLU.
103 DEAD IN MEXICO,New areas ISRAEL,SPAIN confirm swine flu cases.
W.H.O and C.D.C in contact with vaccine companies.
Obama owns or has shares in TAMIFLU,INTERESTING.
TRANSPORTS -100 POINTS AT 10 AM TODAY.
GM to cut 21,000 JOBS.
CHRYSLER to dump PONTIAC from its line.
MILITARY DRILL HELD OVER NEW YORK CITY.

AFTERNOON,NEWS,STATS
Dow -86 points at low today so far.
Dow +49 points at high today so far.

DAY TODAY PERFORMANCE - 12:30PM STATS
NYSE Advances 1,422,declines 2,136,unchanged 111,New Highs 5,New Lows 48.
Volume 3,159,337,076.
NASDAQ Advances 1,154,declines 1,521,unchanged 110,New highs 20,New Lows 17.
Volume 1,063,411,326.
TSX Advances 562,declines 746,unchanged 251,Volume 972,760,039. -65.00
TSX Venture Exchange Advances 302,Declines 316,Unchanged 282,Volume 126,241,146.+0.55

ITS A LITTLE BETTER IN LINE NOW +6 POINTS BUT DECLINES STILL OUTWEIGHT ADVANCES TODAY.

WRAPUP,NEWS,STATS
Dow -86 points at low today.
Dow +49 points at high today.
Dow -0.64% today Volume 282,994,601.
Nasdaq -0.88% today Volume 2,101,152,351.
S&P 500 -1.01% today Volume N/A

RECORD LOWS DOW
-Sept 30,1996 5,882.17
-Oct 30,1996 5,993.23
-Nov 6,1996 6,177.71
-Dec 16,1996 6,268.35
-Apr 15,1997 6,587.16
-Apr 21,1997 6,660.21
-Apr 28,1997 6,783.02
-May 1,1997 6,976.48
-May 7,1997 7,085.65

RECORD LOWS S&P 500
-Sept 5,1996 649.44
-Sept 6,1996 655.68
-Sept 11,1996 667.28
-Sept 12,1996 671.13
-Oct 1,1996 689.08
-Oct 28,1996 697.26
-Nov 4,1996 706.73
-Nov 5,1996 714.14
-Dec 17,1996 726.04

CLINTON
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u47dmqiblI&feature=player_embedded

The IMF: Raping The World, One Poor Nation at a Time
Friday, 24 April 2009 05:37 Dana Gabriel

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been described as one of the enforcers of globalization. Nations who receive IMF assistance are often forced to surrender more sovereignty and further open up their borders to international banks and multinational corporations. Much of their wealth is then sucked dry by foreign predators with its resources and population essentially becoming the collateral for such financial aid. As a result of the global economic crisis, many more nations are having to turn to the IMF for help. At the recent G-20 Summit in London, the IMF’s role was expanded and its powers enhanced. There was little mention of its failed policies and its less then stellar record of effectively promoting development and democracy around the world. While some talk of reform, the IMF continues to rape the world, one poor nation at a time.The IMF, along with the World Bank were established as financial sister institutions with both originating out of the 1944 Bretton Woods Agreement. They are part of the United Nations system. The IMF was designed to help stabilize the post-World War II international financial system and is the framework for a central bank of issue. It provides short term financial assistance to nations that qualify, but this is at a very high price. These countries are placed in an economic straitjacket with the IMF and World Bank working in tandem, dictating large portions of public policy.

Some IMF conditions that countries have been forced to comply with can only be described as harsh and undemocratic. Often the devaluation of a nation’s currency has been a precondition for IMF assistance. In order to qualify for IMF loans, some nations have also been forced to lower tariffs, restrict governmental subsidies and spending, balance budgets, as well as sell-off state institutions to foreign interests. In some cases, the IMF has even prohibited wage increases as some countries have tried to do so, in order to compensate for a sharp rise in food prices and other commodities. Environmental and labor rights have also taken a hit as a result of IMF policies. Under the guise of helping economic distraught countries, the IMF is really bailing out foreign investors and multinational corporations. They have further fueled chaos and instability in some of the poorest regions in the world.

At the recent G-20 Summit, leaders pledged to boost the IMF’s financial resources to $750 billion. It will also assume a more central role in monitoring and regulating global markets, playing a key role in the design of a new financial system. The IMF’s power to create money has been activated and they will be able to issue up to $250 billion of new Special Drawing Rights (SDRs). Some countries are calling on SDRs to be used as a full reserve currency to challenge the dollar. In a recent article that appeared in the New American , William F. Jasper writes, If the IMF is empowered with global monetary and financial regulatory powers, along with the ability to issue a global currency and bonds, it will no longer have to ask its member states for funding. Nor will the UN. The IMF will be able to provide the UN with the revenues it needs to become an actual world government.The IMF and World Bank will be holding meetings in Washington on April 25 and 26. On the agenda will be reform measures which could include changing some conditions attached to receiving emergency funds. They will also discuss how best to distribute the extra money they have been allocated. There is a sense that as part of IMF’s new role, it must also address the concerns of emerging economies who are suffering from the global recession. The IMF recently approved a $47 billion line of credit to Mexico who became the first G-20 country to apply for such assistance and may not be the last. There still exists a double standard which allows richer countries to use fiscal expansion in the face of recession while poorer nations are forced into stricter economic restraints.The global elite envision a world without borders. They continue to push their agenda of global governance through the IMF, the World Bank, the United Nations, the WTO and trade deals such as NAFTA. It is our duty to resist the tyranny of globalization or face enslavement. In the end, national sovereignty must prevail—if we are to have any future.Dana Gabriel is an activist and independent researcher who writes about trade, globalization, sovereignty, as well as other issues.
Contact: newworldordermustbestopped@hotmail.com

US downplays support for EU pipeline
VALENTINA POP Today APR 27,09 @ 10:19 CET

EUOBSERVER/BRUSSELS – An energy summit in Sofia over the week-end fell short of specifically backing Nabucco, Europe's planned new gas pipeline, or South Stream, its Russian rival, with the US administration adopting a conciliatory stance towards Russia.In a visible shift in tone towards Moscow, Barack Obama's newly appointed energy envoy, Richard Morningstar, said the Nabucco pipeline was no panaceea for solving Europe's energy security problems.Pipelines are just part of the puzzle. Nabucco is not the Holy Grail that will solve the problem, Mr Morningstar said.The EU-backed, €7.9 billion project to pump gas from the Caspian region via Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary to Austria has faced years of squabbling over terms. Meanwhile, Moscow has been actively promoting its own pipeline, South Stream, to run under the Black Sea and then through Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary to Austria.The previous US administration had backed Nabucco and criticised South Stream as just another means of strengthening Moscow's grip over Europe's gas deliveries.Mr Morningstar however pointed out that Nabucco needs to be based on profitability for all the countries and companies involved in its construction, saying the US would only put in money as part of an international pool.The shift comes after President Obama said he has pressed the reset button in relations to Russia after coming to office, stirring fears in some quarters of eastern Europe.

Mr Morningstar said he had had a constructive dialogue with Russian energy minister Sergei Shmatko, who was present at the Sofia summit, and stressed that the US would listen to what Russia has to say.I will be straightforward - Russia will continue to be a major source of gas for Bulgaria, he said.The Bulgarian-hosted event aimed to prove that the two gas pipeline projects can co-exist and can both benefit from European backing. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin cancelled his participation at the last minute however, with Bulgarian Prime Minister Serghei Stanishev due to travel on Monday to Moscow to iron out divergences with his Russian counterpart over the transit fees for the planned South Stream pipeline.Bulgaria, traditionally a Moscow ally and heavily reliant on Russian gas, was particularly hard hit by Gazprom's gas cuts in January and had to struggle for days without any supplies during freezing weather.At a closing news conference, Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov said the South Stream agreement should be signed when Russia and Bulgaria resolve their differences, adding that it was not up to Gazprom to determine Sofia's stance on foreign policy issues.Also on Saturday, Bulgaria signed an agreement to explore options of buying gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Egypt via Greece, where an LNG terminal is operational.

COULD BE 200 DEAD FROM SWINE FLU IN MEXICO

DISEASES

REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).

ALEX JONES THINKS HE SMELLS A GOVERNMENT SETUP OF THIS SWINE FLU PANDEMIC TO TAKE MARTIAL LAW OF THE STATES.A SWINE,BIRD AND HUMAN IS A 3 MIXTURE IT COULD HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED BY THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION. NOT SAYING IT IS BUT IT SMELLS LIKE THE WAY THE GOVERNMENT WORKS TO GET CONTROL. I WILL UPDATE ON THIS.
The BBC has selected some emails they are receiving - the first one is from a doctor in Mexico City,who says: The official number of deaths is 20, nevertheless, the true number of victims are more than 200.Another person in Mexico City writes: The local news is reporting 200 fatalities.

11:20PM APR 25
REPORTS THAT CALDERON CAME ON THE THE AIR IN MEXICO AND SAID THERES A VACCINE MADE ALREADY THAT CURES THE SWINE FLU.IF THATS THE CASE IT IS A GOVERNMENT SETUP BECAUSE NO ONE WOULD HAVE A CURE FOR SOMETHING THATS JUST CAME INTO BEING.

11:46PM APR 25
ALSO REPORTS THAT FREE VACCINES WERE GIVEN TO MEMBERS OF MEXICO AND NOW SOME OF THEM HAVE THIS SWINE FLU SICKNESS.

12:45PM SUN APR 26,09 81 CONFIRMED DEAD IN MEXICO,1,300 SICK,8 CASES CONFIRMED IN NY AND 11 IN CALIFORNIA,TEXAS,KANSAS,2 IN B.C AND 4 MILD CASES IN NOVA SCOTIA SO FAR.

FLU EPEDEMIC GROWS VIDEO
http://uk.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=102656&newsChannel=UKNews1

TO LISTEN TO ALEXS SPECIAL SWINE FLU REPORTS FROM LAST NIGHT,CLICK ON TITLE OF MY STORY GO DOWN RIGHT SIDE OF ALEXS SHOW TILL YOU COME TO PLAYER OF ALEXS SPECIAL ON SWINE FLU.12:45 AM APR 26,09

OBAMA DECEPTION
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAaQNACwaLw&feature=player_embedded

OPERATION DARK WINTER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkFPXgC-Ib0&feature=player_embedded
http://www.veoh.com/browse/videos/category/educational_and_howto/watch/v18136085xyrjDdQA#

4 cases of swine flu confirmed in Nova Scotia, 2 in B.C.
Global vigilance grows amid Mexico's outbreak
Last Updated: Sunday, April 26, 2009 | 2:02 PM ET
CBC News

Women wearing surgical masks pray in the Zocalo plaza in Mexico City on Sunday. (Dario Lopez-Mills/Associated Press)Nova Scotia and British Columbia have confirmed cases of swine flu, while new cases of the infection have been found in New York City, as health officials around the world test for a virus linked to a more serious outbreak in Mexico.Nova Scotia's chief public health officer, Dr. Robert Strang, said Sunday the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg confirmed late Saturday that four young people in the province are recovering from relatively mild cases of the disease.Strang said the four are between the ages of 12 and 18 and all attend a private school in the Windsor area of Nova Scotia.They had been part of a group of students who were on a school trip to Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula in early April, Dr. Gaynor Watson-Creed, medical officer of health for Capital Health, told reporters
B.C.'s Centre for Disease Control on Sunday confirmed cases of swine flu involving two people from the province who recently returned from Mexico.

NYC students with swine flu after Mexico trip
In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg confirmed Sunday that eight students attending St. Frances Preparatory School in Queens have swine flu. Tests returning positive results were carried out by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga.More than 100 students at the private high school have been suffering from fever, sore throat and muscle ache since Thursday. Bloomberg stressed that their symptoms of influenza were mild.Some of the students had recently travelled to Mexico, the New York Times and New York Post reported.There have been 12 confirmed cases elsewhere in the United States this month: seven in California, two in Kansas, two in Texas and one in Ohio.All of these infections have been relatively mild, with only one person staying in hospital for a brief time, said Dr. Keiji Fukuda, the World Health Organization's director-general for health security and environment.In Mexico, a new type of swine flu virus is thought to have killed 86 people since April 13. More than 1,300 others have become ill with suspected cases of the infection.President Felipe Calderon on Saturday invoked new powers that give his government special powers to run tests on sick people and order them isolated, a day after all public events in Mexico City were ordered suspended until further notice.

Churches deserted in Mexican capital
In Mexico City, church services were cancelled on Sunday. Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral was broadcast over the radio.The latest measures come one day after experts advising the World Health Organization on the outbreak met at WHO headquarters in Geneva. The UN health agency declared the epidemic a public health emergency of international concern.The panel will convene on Tuesday to advise the WHO whether to raise the global pandemic alert level. The current alert level is 3 on a scale of 1 (low risk of human cases) to 6 (efficient, sustained transmission between humans).

New Zealand Health Minister Tony Ryall confirmed on Sunday a group of Auckland college students who returned from a three-week visit to Mexico on Saturday likely have swine flu.Ten of the 13 students who had flu-like symptoms have proven positive for influenza A and the swine flu is a subset of influenza A, he said. So we're going to send the swabs to Melbourne for further analysis. We should have that information in a matter of days, but our officials here think it's highly likely they have.French Health Ministry officials said four possible cases of swine flu are under investigation, including a family of three in the Nord region and a woman in the Paris region. The four recently returned from Mexico.Spain's Health Ministry said three people who just returned from Mexico were under observation in hospitals in the northern Basque region, in southeastern Albacete and the Mediterranean port city of Valencia.

The makings of a pandemic
Dr. Donald Low, the chief microbiologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto who played a key role in battling the SARS crisis in 2003, says while there haven't been any confirmed cases in Canada yet, it could be just a matter of time before they appear.Considering that we see about 600,000 people travel from Mexico to Canada each year and that we've just come through the March break period, it wouldn't be surprising at all for us to recognize cases in Canada, and we're preparing for that, as we have been preparing for a pandemic in the last five years,he told CBC News.

What you're seeing here is the makings of a pandemic,Low said.You're seeing a new virus that we have no natural immunity to. You're seeing a virus that can cause disease, and in causing disease, can transmit from person to person.All it needs to complete that equation is the recognition that it's spreading over a wide geographical area. And I think that's what we're hearing this weekend, that it's actually happening,he said.

Expert: China capable of detecting swine flu
www.chinaview.cn 2009-04-27 00:30:51

BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- China has the technologies to detect the Swine Influenza A/H1N1 and is taking measures to prevent the deadly virus from entering the country, an inspection and quarantine expert said here on Sunday. Li Huailin, director with the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine affiliated to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, said the academy was currently assisting relevant authorities to taken necessary measures to prevent the entrance of the swine flu found in the United States and Mexico. The new flu strain, a mixture of swine, human and avian flu viruses, has killed at least 62 people among about 900 cases in the two countries by Thursday. According to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, no cases of the swine flu had been so far reported in China as of Sunday. Although there is no vaccine to fight the virus so far, the center said the swine flu was preventable, controllable, and treatable.On Saturday, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine issued an emergency notice requiring people to report flu-like symptoms at the point of entry when coming from the deadly swine flu affected places.

People who developed flu-like symptoms after returning from the disease affected regions within two weeks should also report to the local entry-exit inspection and quarantine authorities.These people reporting flu-like symptoms must be scrutinized and the those who have been infected or are suspected to be infected by the virus should be isolated and treated, the administration said.Editor: Mu Xuequan

H5N1 Originates From Alaska in 1997
Robert S. Finnegan Infowars April 26, 2009

In 1997, freelance investigative reporter Robert S. Finnegan, then living and based in Alaska was present when Dr. John Hultin managed to con the Natives of Brevig Mission Alaska into allowing him to exhume the bodies of several Native Alaskans against the almost violent protests of the Natives. Plying the Natives with lies and money, Hultin managed to find two corpses that appeared still viable for extraction of the H5N1 DNA buried in the permafrost. One corpse retained the viral DNA in its desiccated lungs. He then returned to the lower 48 with enough DNA to resurrect this killer virus that had been eradicated in the early 1900’s.Hultin turned virus samples over to the CDC and the U.S. Army (Jeffery Taubenberger) who then proceeded to weaponize the virus H5N1, baptizing his new doomsday creation with the name Bird Flu. This virus that had long been eradicated has now been released once more to kill again, this time possibly billions of human beings across the planet, by combining with the brand new killer H1N1 that has the capability to cross barriers in pigs, birds and humans becoming a Super-Super virus.Dr. Death,Today, on this date the world is seeing the results of this evil research as a new pandemic roars out of Mexico into the United States. I was in Alaska when this travesty occurred. Unfortunately, the Alaska Native Federation was unable to stop this theft.Doctor Hulin, the CDC, and the United States Army are guilty of crimes against humanity – especially the CDC - who are now in the business of killing rather than curing, and probably have been for some time now under the Bush/Cheney crime regime. The blame for this pandemic, if it indeed becomes one, can be laid squarely at their feet. I have been waiting for this to occur since 1997. Martial Law, forced vaccinations and mass death will follow shortly if this comes to pass.

Perhaps we slept too long.Robert S. Finnegan Jakarta, Indonesia April 26, 2009

Origin of Virus

One theory is that the virus strain originated at Fort Riley, Kansas, by two genetic mechanisms — genetic drift and antigenic shift — in viruses in poultry and swine which the fort bred for local consumption. Though initial data from a recent reconstruction of the virus suggested that it jumped directly from birds to humans, without traveling through swine [1], this has since been cast into doubt. One researcher argues that the disease was found in Haskell County, Kansas as early as January 1918. [2]

Discovery of viral genomes

In February 1997, Johan Hultin recovered samples of the 1918 influenza from the frozen corpse of a Native Alaskan woman buried for nearly eight decades in permafrost near Brevig Mission, Alaska [3]. He brought the samples to a team led by Jeffery Taubenberger of the US Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP). Brevig Mission lost approximately 85% of its population to the 1918 flu in November 1918. One of the four recovered samples contained viable genetic material of the virus. This sample provided scientists a first-hand opportunity to study the virus, which was inactivated with guanidinium thiocyanate before transport. This sample and others found in AFIP archives allowed researchers to completely analyze the critical gene structures of the 1918 virus. We have now identified three cases: the Brevig Mission case and two archival cases that represent the only known sources of genetic material of the 1918 influenza virus, said Taubenberger, chief of AFIP’s molecular pathology division and principal investigator on the project. [4] [5]The February 6, 2004 edition of Science magazine reported that two research teams, one led by Sir John Skehel, director of the National Institute for Medical Research in London, another by Professor Ian Wilson of The Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, had managed to synthesize the hemagglutinin protein responsible for the 1918 flu outbreak of 1918. They did this by piecing together DNA from a lung sample from an Inuit woman buried in the Alaskan tundra and a number of preserved samples from American soldiers of the First World War. The teams had analyzed the structure of the gene and discovered how subtle alterations to the shape of a protein molecule had allowed it to move from birds to humans with such devastating effects.On October 5, 2005, researchers at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York announced that the genetic sequence of the 1918 flu strain, a subtype of avian strain H1N1, had been reconstructed using historic tissue samples. [6] [7] [8]

Characteristics of virus

Influenza viruses have a relatively high mutation rate that is characteristic of RNA viruses. The H5N1 virus has mutated into a variety of types with differing pathogenic profiles; some pathogenic to one species but not others, some pathogenic to multiple species. [9] The ability of various influenza strains to show species-selectivity is largely due to variation in the hemagglutinin genes. Genetic mutations in the hemagglutinin gene that cause single amino acid substitutions can significantly alter the ability of viral hemagglutinin proteins to bind to receptors on the surface of host cells. Such mutations in avian H5N1 viruses can change virus strains from being inefficient at infecting human cells to being as efficient in causing human infections as more common human influenza virus types. [10] This doesn’t mean one amino acid substitution can cause a pandemic but it does mean one amino acid substitution can cause an avian flu virus that is not pathogenic in humans to become pathogenic in humans.In July 2004, researchers led by H. Deng of the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Harbin, China and Robert Webster of the St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, reported results of experiments in which mice had been exposed to 21 isolates of confirmed H5N1 strains obtained from ducks in China between 1999 and 2002. They found a clear temporal pattern of progressively increasing pathogenicity. [11] Results reported by Webster in July 2005 reveal further progression toward pathogenicity in mice and longer virus shedding by ducks.In December, 2008, research by Yoshihiro Kawaoka of University of Wisconsin linked the presence of the three specific genes (termed PA, PB1, and PB2) and a nucleoprotein derived from the 1918 flu samples was enough to trigger similar symptoms in animal testing. [12]

Research of viral pathogenesis

Recent research of Taubenberger et al has suggested that the 1918 virus, like H5N1, could have arisen directly from an avian influenza virus. [13] However, researchers at University of Virginia and Australian National University have suggested that there may be an alternative interpretation of the data used in the Taubenberger et al. paper. [14] [15] Taubenberger et al responded to these letters and defended their original interpretation. [16]Other research by Tumpey and colleagues who reconstructed the H1N1 virus of 1918 came to the conclusion that it is was most notably the polymerase genes and the HA and NA genes that caused the extreme virulence of this virus. [17] The sequences of the polymerase proteins (PA, PB1, and PB2) of the 1918 virus and subsequent human viruses differ by only 10 amino acids from the avian influenza viruses. Viruses with seven of the ten amino acids in the human influenza locations have already been identified in currently circulating H5N1. This has led some researchers to suggest that other mutations may surface and make the H5N1 virus capable of human-to-human transmission. Another important factor is the change of the HA protein to a binding preference for alpha 2,6 sialic acid (the major form in the human respiratory tract). In avian virus the HA protein preferentially binds to alpha 2,3 sialic acid, which is the major form in the avian enteric tract. It has been shown that only a single amino acid change can result in the change of this binding preference. Altogether, only a handful of mutations may need to take place in order for H5N1 avian flu to become a pandemic virus like the one of 1918. However it is important to note that likelihood of mutation does not indicate the likelihood for the evolution of such a strain; since some of the necessary mutations may be constrained by stabilizing selection.On 18 January 2007, Kobasa et al reported that infected monkeys ( Macaca fascicularis) exhibited classic symptoms of the 1918 pandemic and died from a cytokine storm. [18]

Blood plasma as an effective treatment

In the event of another pandemic, US military researchers have proposed reusing a treatment from the deadly pandemic of 1918 in order to blunt the effects of the flu. Some military doctors injected severely afflicted patients with blood or blood plasma from people who had recovered from the flu. Data collected during that time indicates that the blood-injection treatment reduced mortality rates by as much as 50 percent. Navy researchers have launched a test to see if the 1918 treatment will work against deadly Asian bird flu. Results thus far have been inconclusive. Human H5N1 plasma may be an effective, timely, and widely available treatment for the next flu pandemic. A new international study using modern data collection methods, would be a difficult, slow process. But many flu experts, citing the months-long wait for a vaccine for the next pandemic, are of the opinion that the 1918 method is something to consider. [19]In the world wide 1918 flu pandemic, physicians tried everything they knew, everything they had ever heard of, from the ancient art of bleeding patients, to administering oxygen, to developing new vaccines and sera (chiefly against what we now call Hemophilus influenzae—a name derived from the fact that it was originally considered the etiological agent—and several types of pneumococci). Only one therapeutic measure, transfusing blood from recovered patients to new victims, showed any hint of success.[20]

Sources and notes

1. Sometimes a virus contains both avian adapted genes and human adapted genes. Both the H2N2 and H3N2 pandemic strains contained avian flu virus RNA segments. While the pandemic human influenza viruses of 1957 (H2N2) and 1968 (H3N2) clearly arose through reassortment between human and avian viruses, the influenza virus causing the 1918 flu in 1918 appears to be entirely derived from an avian source (Belshe 2005). (from Chapter Two : Avian Influenza by Timm C. Harder and Ortrud Werner, an excellent free on-line Book called Influenza Report 2006 which is a medical textbook that provides a comprehensive overview of epidemic and pandemic influenza.)

2. The site of origin of the 1918 influenza pandemic and its public health implications

3. Washington Post article

4. Lethal secrets of 1918 flu virus; BBC

5. According to Gina Kolata’s 1999 account of the pandemic, Flu, pp. 255-65 : Johan Hultin first attempted to recover samples from Brevig in 1951, but he was unsuccessful. In 1997, by then a seventy-two year old retired pathologist, he decided that science had advanced enough to make another attempt worthwhile. Taubenberger had already recovered RNA of limited quality from samples of two servicemen who had died in the pandemic, and Hultin wrote offering offering his services to try to get better quality samples from Brevig permafrost. Taubenberger accepted, and Hultin went alone to Brevig in August 1997, and recovered the sample from the Alaskan woman, which Taubenberger and his team then analysed.

6. Special report at Nature News: The 1918 flu virus is resurrected, Published online: 5 October 2005; doi:10.1038/437794a

7. Taubenberger, Jeffery K.; Ann H. Reid, Raina M. Lourens, Ruixue Wang, Guozhong Jin and Thomas G. Fanning (2005). "Characterization of the 1918 influenza virus polymerase genes". Nature 437: 889–893. doi:10.1038/nature04230.

8. Also: Tumpey, Terrence M.; Christopher F. Basler, Patricia V. Aguilar, Hui Zeng, Alicia Solórzano, David E. Swayne, Nancy J. Cox, Jacqueline M. Katz, Jeffery K. Taubenberger, Peter Palese and Adolfo García-Sastre (2005). Characterization of the Reconstructed 1918 Spanish Influenza Pandemic Virus. Science 310: 77–80. doi:10.1126/science.1119392. PMID 16210530.

9. Kou, Z.; F. M. Lei, J. Yu, Z. J. Fan, Z. H. Yin, C. X. Jia, K. J. Xiong, Y. H. Sun, X. W. Zhang, X. M. Wu, X. B. Gao and T. X. Li (2005). New genotype of avian influenza H5N1 viruses isolated from tree sparrows in China. Journal of Virology 79: 15460–15466. doi:10.1128/JVI.79.24.15460-15466.2005. PMID 16306617.

10. Evolution of the receptor binding phenotype of influenza A (H5) viruses by A. Gambaryan, A. Tuzikov, G. Pazynina, N. Bovin, A. Balish and A. Klimov in Virology (2005) electronic release on October 11 ahead of print publication.

11. The evolution of H5N1 influenza viruses in ducks in southern China by H. Chen, G. Deng, Z. Li, G. Tian, Y. Li, P. Jiao, L. Zhang, Z. Liu, R. G. Webster and K. Yu in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (2004) volume 101, pages 10452-10457.

12. Reuters

13. Recent research of Taubenberger et al has suggested that the 1918 virus, like H5N1, could have arisen directly from an avian influenza virus in: Taubenberger JK, Reid AH, Lourens RM, Wang R, Jin G, Fanning TG. Characterization of the 1918 influenza virus polymerase genes. Nature. October 6, 2005;437(7060):889-893

14. Was the 1918 pandemic caused by a bird flu? - Gibbs and Gibbs Nature. April 27, 2006;440:E8

15.Was the 1918 flu avian in origin? - Antonovics et al. Nature. April 27, 2006;440:E9

16. Molecular virology: Was the 1918 pandemic caused by a bird flu? Was the 1918 flu avian in origin? (Reply)

17. Tumpey TM, Basler CF, Aguilar PV, Zeng H, Solorzano A, Swayne DE, Cox NJ, Katz JM, Taubenberger JK, Palese P, Garcia-Sastre A. Characterization of the reconstructed 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic virus. Science. October 7, 2005;310(5745):77-80

18. Aberrant innate immune response in lethal infection of macaques with the 1918 influenza virus Nature. 18 January 2007;445:319

19. npr.org history.navy.mil

20. The Threat of Pandemic Influenza: Are We Ready? Workshop Summary (2005) (free online book) page 62

Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu_research
Categories: Influenza pandemic.

Swine flu confirmed in NYC high school students
By KAREN MATTHEWS – APR 26,09

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that students at a city high school were infected with swine flu.New York officials previously had said they were eight probable cases, but tests later confirmed that it was indeed swine flu. Bloomberg stressed that the cases were mild and many are recovering.The city is awaiting the tests of additional samples to see if more St. Francis Preparatory School students were infected.About 100 students complained of flu-like symptoms at the school. Some students went to Cancun on a spring break trip two weeks ago.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

NEW YORK (AP) — Students at a New York City high school could learn as early as Sunday if the flu that sickened them was the same strain of the human swine influenza that has killed people in Mexico.Preliminary tests of samples taken from sick students' noses and throats confirmed that at least eight had a non-human strain of influenza type A, indicating probable cases of swine flu, city health officials said. The exact subtypes were still unknown, and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was conducting further tests.So far, there have been at least 11 confirmed cases of swine flu in California, Texas and Kansas. Patients have ranged in age from 9 to over 50. At least two were hospitalized. All recovered or are recovering.New York health officials said more than 100 students at the St. Francis Preparatory School, in Queens, recently began suffering a fever, sore throat and aches and pains. Some of their relatives also have been ill.Some St. Francis students had recently traveled to Mexico, The New York Times and New York Post reported Sunday.

Workers were sanitizing the school as a precaution. But a class reunion featuring cocktails, dinner and dancing for hundreds of alumni from as far back as 1939 went on as scheduled Saturday.Symptoms in the New York cases have been mild, said New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden. But the illnesses have caused concern because of the outbreak in Mexico, where health officials say a strain of swine flu has killed up to 81 people and sickened more than 1,000.Parent Jackie Casola said Sunday that her son Robert Arifo, a St. Francis sophomore, told her on Thursday that a number of children had been sent home because of illness. On Friday, he said hardly anyone was in school.Casola said she expected to keep him home from school on Monday, even if it was open. He hasn't shown any symptoms, but some of his friends have, she said, and she has been extra vigilant about his health.I must have drove him crazy, I kept taking his temperature in the middle of the night, she said.The World Health Organization chief said Saturday that the strain has pandemic potential, and it might be too late to contain a sudden outbreak.If the CDC confirms that the New York students have swine flu, Frieden said he likely will recommend that the school remain closed Monday "out of an abundance of caution.State infectious-diseases, epidemiology and disaster preparedness workers have been dispatched to monitor and respond to possible cases of the flu. Gov. David Paterson said 1,500 treatment courses of the antiviral Tamiflu had been sent to New York City.The city health department has asked doctors to be extra vigilant and test patients who have flu symptoms and have traveled recently to California, Texas or Mexico.Investigators also were testing children who fell ill at a day care center in the Bronx. Two families in Manhattan also have contacted the city, saying they had recently returned ill from Mexico with flu symptoms, Frieden said.Frieden said New Yorkers having trouble breathing due to an undiagnosed respiratory illness should seek treatment but shouldn't become overly alarmed. Medical facilities near St. Francis Prep have already been flooded with people overreacting to the outbreak, he said.

Kansas health officials said Saturday that they had confirmed swine flu in a married couple living in the central part of the state after the husband visited Mexico. The couple, who live in Dickinson County, weren't hospitalized, and the state described their illnesses as mild.Fortunately, the man and woman understand the gravity of the situation and are very willing to isolate themselves, said Dr. Jason Eberhart-Phillips, the state health officer.Swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A flu viruses, the CDC's Web site says. Human cases are uncommon but can occur in people who are around pigs. It also can be spread from person to person. Symptoms include a high fever, body aches, coughing, sore throat and respiratory congestion.At least nine swine flu cases have been reported in California and Texas. The most recent California case, the state's seventh, was a 35-year-old woman from Imperial County who got sick in early April. She had no known contact with the others.

Health officials are concerned because people appear to have no immunity to the virus, a combination of bird, swine and human influenzas. The virus also presents itself like other swine flus, but none of the U.S. cases appear to involve direct contact with pigs, Eberhart-Phillips said.Associated Press writers John Hanna in Topeka, Kan., and Deepti Hajela in New York contributed to this report.

WHO says world ready to withstand potential pandemic
Sun Apr 26, 2009 6:23pm BST

GENEVA (Reuters) - The world is better prepared than ever to withstand a potential flu pandemic after five years of gearing up for bird flu, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Sunday.Keiji Fukuda, acting director-general for health security and environment, also said the WHO had begun preliminary work with laboratories to prepare a vaccine against swine flu if needed.I believe that the world is much, much better prepared than we have ever been for dealing with this kind of situation, Fukuda told a teleconference on the outbreaks of swine flu in Mexico and the United States.The past five years have put us in (the) best possible position to handle this kind of situation,he said.The WHO had a stockpile available of 5 million treatment courses of the antiviral Tamiflu, by Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG which has proven effective against the virus, he said. Countries and regions also have stockpiles.If this situation escalates then I think that the demand for antivirals clearly will also escalate and then this will require both the stockpiles and probably increased production of this drug,Fukuda said.There was zero evidence that people are getting infected with the new virus from exposure to pigmeat or pigs, he said in response to reports that some countries were banning imports of meat from Mexico.(Reporting by Jonathan Lynn and Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

Swine flu fears prompt quarantine plans, pork bans By FRANK JORDANS, Associated Press Writer APR 26,09

GENEVA – Countries planned quarantines, tightened rules on pork imports and tested airline passengers for fevers as global health officials tried Sunday to come up with uniform ways to battle a deadly strain of swine flu. Nations from New Zealand to France reported new suspected cases and some warned citizens against travel to North America.World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan held teleconferences with staff and flu experts around the world but stopped short of recommending specific measures to halt the disease beyond urging governments to step up their surveillance of suspicious outbreaks.Governments including China, Russia and Taiwan began planning to put anyone with symptoms of the deadly virus under quarantine.

Others were increasing their screening of pigs and pork imports from the Americas or banning them outright despite health officials' reassurances that it was safe to eat thoroughly cooked pork.Some nations issued travel warnings for Mexico and the United States.Chan called the outbreak a public health emergency of pandemic potential because the virus can pass from human to human.Her agency was considering whether to issue nonbinding recommendations on travel and trade restrictions, and even border closures. It is up to governments to decide whether to follow the advice.Countries are encouraged to do anything that they feel would be a precautionary measure, WHO spokeswoman Aphaluck Bhatiasevi said. All countries need to enhance their monitoring.

New Zealand said that 10 students who took a school trip to Mexico likely had swine flu. Israel said a man who had recently visited Mexico had been hospitalized while authorities try to determine whether he had the disease. French Health Ministry officials said four possible cases of swine flu are currently under investigation, including a family of three in the northern Nord region and a woman in the Paris region. The four recently returned from Mexico. Tests on two separate cases of suspected swine flu proved negative, they said.Spain's Health Ministry said three people who just returned from Mexico were under observation in hospitals in the northern Basque region, in southeastern Albacete and the Mediterranean port city of Valencia.Mexico closed schools, museums, libraries and theaters in a bid to contain the outbreak after hundreds were sickened there. In the U.S., there have been at least 11 confirmed cases of swine flu in California, Texas and Kansas. Patients have ranged in age from 9 to over 50. At least two were hospitalized. All recovered or are recovering.New York health officials said more than 100 students at the St. Francis Preparatory School, in Queens, recently began suffering a fever, sore throat and aches and pains. Some of their relatives also have been ill.Some St. Francis students had recently traveled to Mexico, The New York Times and New York Post reported Sunday.

Preliminary tests of samples taken from sick students' noses and throats confirmed that at least eight had a non-human strain of influenza type A, indicating probable cases of swine flu, city health officials said. The exact subtypes were still unknown, and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was conducting further tests.Hong Kong and Taiwan said visitors who came back from flu-affected areas with fevers would be quarantined. China said anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms within two weeks of arrival an affected area had to report to authorities. A Russian health agency said any passenger from North America running a fever would be quarantined until cause of the fever is determined.Tokyo's Narita airport installed a device to test the temperatures of passengers arriving from Mexico.Indonesia increased surveillance at all entry points for travelers with flu-like symptoms — using devices at airports that were put in place years ago to monitor for severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, and bird flu. It said it was ready to quarantine suspected victims if necessary.Hong Kong and South Korea warned against travel to the Mexican capital and three affected provinces. Italy, Poland and Venezuela also advised their citizens to postpone travel to affected areas of Mexico and the United States. Symptoms of the flu-like illness include a fever of more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius), body aches, coughing, a sore throat, respiratory congestion and, in some cases, vomiting and diarrhea. At least 81 people have died from severe pneumonia caused by the disease in Mexico, according to the WHO. The virus is usually contracted through direct contact with pigs, but Joseph Domenech, chief of animal health service at U.N. Food and Agriculture Agency in Rome, said all indications were that the virus is being spread through human-to-human transmission.

No vaccine specifically protects against swine flu, and it is unclear how much protection current human flu vaccines might offer.Russia banned the import of meat products from Mexico, California, Texans and Kansas. South Korea said it would increase the number of its influenza virus checks on pork products from Mexico and the U.S.Serbia on Saturday banned all imports of pork from North America, despite reassurances from the FAO that pigs appear not to be the immediate source of infection.Italy's agriculture lobby, Coldiretti, warned against panic reaction, noting that farmers lost hundreds of millions of euros (dollars) because of consumers boycotts during the 2001 mad cow scare and the 2005 bird flu outbreak. Japanese Agriculture Minister Shigeru Ishiba appeared on TV to calm consumers, saying it was safe to eat pork. In Egypt, health authorities were examining about 350,000 pigs being raised in Cairo and other provinces for swine flu. The WHO's pandemic alert level is currently at to phase 3. The organization said the level could be raised to phase 4 if the virus shows sustained ability to pass from human to human. Phase 5 would be reached if the virus is found in at least two countries in the same region.

The declaration of phase 5 is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short,WHO said. Phase 6 would indicate a full-scale global pandemic. Associated Press writers around the world contributed to this report.On the Net: WHO swine flu page: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html

Saturday, April 25, 2009 Mexico’s Calderon Declares Emergency Amid Swine Flu Outbreak By Thomas Black

April 25 (Bloomberg) -- Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared an emergency in his country’s swine flu outbreak, giving him powers to order quarantines and suspend public events.Authorities have canceled school at all levels in Mexico City and the state of Mexico until further notice, and the government has shut most public and government activities in the area. The emergency decree, published today in the state gazette, gives the president authority to take more action.The federal government under my charge will not hesitate a moment to take all, all the measures necessary to respond with efficiency and opportunity to this respiratory epidemic, Calderon said today during a speech to inaugurate a hospital in the southern state of Oaxaca.At least 20 deaths in Mexico from the disease are confirmed, Health Minister Jose Cordova said yesterday. The strain is a variant of H1N1 swine influenza that has also sickened at least eight people in California and Texas. As many as 68 deaths may be attributed to the virus in Mexico, and about 1,000 people in the Mexico City area are showing symptoms of the illness, Cordoba said.

Obama’s Visit
The first case was seen in Mexico on April 13. The outbreak coincided with the President Barack Obama’s trip to Mexico City on April 16.Obama was received at Mexico’s anthropology museum in Mexico City by Felipe Solis, a distinguished archeologist who died the following day from symptoms similar to flu, Reforma newspaper reported. The newspaper didn’t confirm if Solis had swine flu or not.The Mexican government is distributing breathing masks to curtail the disease’s spread. There is no vaccine against the new strain of swine flu, health authorities said.
Museums, theaters and other venues in the Mexico City area, where large crowds gather, have shut down voluntarily and concerts and other events canceled to help contain the disease. Two professional soccer games will be played tomorrow in different Mexico City stadiums without any fans, El Universal newspaper reported. Catholic masses will be held, the newspaper said, although church officials urged worshipers to wear breath masks and to avoid contact.Schools will likely remain closed next week, Calderon said in the Oaxaca speech. The decree allows Calderon to regulate transportation, enter any home or building for inspection, order quarantines and assign any task to all federal, state and local authorities as well as health professionals to combat the disease.The health of Mexicans is a cause that we’re defending with unity and responsibility, Calderon said. I know that although it’s a grave problem, a serious problem, we’re going to overcome it.

Normal Airport Operations
Mexico City’s international airport, which handles about 70,000 passengers each day, is operating normally, said Victor Mejia, a spokesman. Passengers are given a questionnaire asking if they have flu symptoms and recommending they cancel their trip and see a doctor if they do. The measures are voluntary, Mejia said, and no case of swine flu in airport passengers, workers or visitors has been confirmed.
Authorities throughout Central America have issued alerts to prevent the outbreak from spreading. Guatemala ordered tighter control yesterday of its northern border with Mexico, according to EFE. Gerberth Morales, who’s heading the Guatemala government’s response, said no cases of swine flu have been reported in his country, the Spanish news agency reported.Brazil is intensifying vigilance in ports, airports and borders to check travelers’ health, luggage, aircrafts and ships in a preventive action against the outbreak in Mexico, the Agency for Sanitary Vigilance said on its Web site.To contact the reporter on this story: Thomas Black in Monterrey at tblack@bloomberg.net Last Updated: April 25, 2009 16:45 EDT hattip KBD and Sally

Mexico flu a potential pandemic APR 25,09
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8018356.stm

Face masks are handed out, while the head of the WHO voices concern.A new flu virus suspected of killing as many as 81 people in Mexico has the potential to become a pandemic, the World Health Organization's chief says. Margaret Chan said the outbreak was a health emergency of international concern and must be closely monitored. Health experts say tests so far seem to link the illnesses in Mexico with a swine flu virus in the southern US. Several people have also fallen ill in the US, and the authorities there are watching the situation.A top US health official said the strain of swine flu had spread widely and could not be contained.Speaking after a meeting of the WHO's emergency committee, Mrs Chan said that the current events constitute a public health emergency of international concern.

Officials said most of those killed so far in Mexico were young adults - rather than more vulnerable children and the elderly. The committee has not recommended declaring an international public health emergency and raising the global pandemic alert level, a move that could lead to travel advisories, trade restrictions and border closures.

New strain

At least some of the cases show a new version of the H1N1 swine flu sub-strain - a respiratory disease which infects pigs but only sporadically infects humans. The RC church has issued advice to its priests to help halt the spread of the flu
H1N1 is the same strain that causes seasonal flu outbreaks in humans, but the newly-detected version contains genetic material from versions which usually affect pigs and birds.The virus is spread through coughs and sneezes and through direct and indirect contact between people. Mexican officials have confirmed 20 deaths from the virus and are investigating dozens more. Schools, museums and libraries have been closed across the capital's region and people are being urged to avoid shaking hands or sharing crockery.Hundreds of public events have been suspended and schools in the Mexico City area have been closed until 6 May.Two previously sold-out soccer matches were played in empty stadiums to avoid potentially spreading the virus. Health officials are isolating individuals suspected of having the virus and inspecting their homes.The Roman Catholic Church in Mexico has recommended measures to avoid further contagion at Mass this Sunday.Priests have been told to place communion wafers in the hands of worshippers rather than in their mouths and to suggest to the congregation that kissing or shaking hands be avoided during the service.

Caution

In the US, 11 people are now known to have been infected with the new strain - seven people in California, two in Texas, and two in Kansas. There are also eight suspected cases in New York City after 200 students at a high school fell ill. Specimens were taken from nine students, and eight were determined to be probable cases of swine flu, said city health commissioner Dr Thomas Frieden. Those samples are now being examined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). No children had required hospital treatment and many had fully recovered, said Dr Frieden, but the school could remain closed out of an abundance of caution. He urged people to maintain basic hygiene, such and covering their mouths when coughing and sneezing, washing hands regularly and keeping surfaces clean.Dr Frieden said most people would not need to take antiviral medication if they fell ill, unless they had an underlying medical condition.

Hopeful sign

CDC officials have said that with cases arising in so many communities, containment is unlikely to be feasible.There is currently no vaccine for the new strain. Tom Skinner of the CDC told the BBC that it was too early too tell how widespread the impact would be. We don't know how well or efficiently this virus is spreading and how easily it is going to be sustained in the human population.He said it was not yet clear which side of the border the virus had originated. But the US was likely to take normal and routine steps within the next few days to screen passengers coming into the US and to distribute information, he said.The CDC plans to send experts to Mexico to help investigate the virus which has infected more than 1,000 people in the country.The BBC science editor Susan Watts says the new strain is a classic re-assortment - a combination feared most by those watching for the flu pandemic.

Swine Flu Is Deadly Mix Of Never-Before-Seen Viruses APR 25,09
Alarm spreads as human to human infection confirmed, bug is an intercontinental mix of never-before-seen human, avian and pig viruses, top globalists stand to benefit from Tamiflu stockpiling Paul Joseph Watson Prison Planet.com Saturday, April 25, 2009

Swine flu panic is spreading in Mexico and soldiers are patrolling the streets after it was confirmed that human to human transmission is occurring and that the virus is a brand new strain which is seemingly affecting young, healthy people the worst, and that the bug is a never-before-seen intercontinental mixture of human, avian and pig viruses from America, Europe and Asia.

Clues that the virus may be a synthetic creation are already manifesting.

According to reports, the virus is a never-before-seen form of the flu that combines pig, bird and human viruses which consists of an intercontinental mix of viruses from North America, Europe and Asia.CDC officials detected a virus with a unique combination of gene segments that have not been seen in people or pigs before, according to an Associated Press report.This strain of swine influenza that’s been cultured in a laboratory is something that’s not been seen anywhere actually in the United States and the world, so this is actually a new strain of influenza that’s been identified,said Dr. John Carlo, Dallas Co. Medical Director (video clip here).

Alarming reports are now filtering in about people catching the illness who have had no contact with pigs whatsoever. These include a man and his daughter in San Diego County, a 41-year-old woman in Imperial County and two teenagers in San Antonio, Texas. In fact, in all U.S. cases, the victims had no contact with any pigs.Dr. Wilma Wooten, San Diego County’s public health officer, told KPBS We have had person-to-person spread with the father and the daughter,says Wooten, And also with the two teenagers in Texas, they were in the same school. So that also indicates person-to-person transfer.Dr. Wooten says it’s unclear how people were exposed to swine flu. She says none of the patients have had any contact with pigs,according to the report.

Although the situation in the U.S. looks under control, panic is spreading in Mexico, where 800 cases of pneumonia in the capital alone are suspected to be related to the swine flu and the virus has hit young and healthy people, which is very rare with an flu outbreak. Despite the danger of a pandemic, the U.S. border with Mexico remains open.Mexico has shut schools and museums and canceled hundreds of public events in its sprawling, overcrowded capital of 20 million people to try to prevent further infections,reports Reuters.My level of concern is significant, said Dr. Martin Fenstersheib, the health officer for Santa Clara County. We have a novel virus, a brand-new strain that’s spreading human to human, and we are also seeing a virulent strain in Mexico that seems to be related. We certainly have concerns for this escalating.The WHO insists that the outbreak has pandemic potential and has been stockpiling supplies of Tamiflu, known generically as oseltamivir, a pill that can both treat flu and prevent infection, according to officials.As we previously highlighted, those that have a stake in the Tamiflu vaccine include top globalists and BIlderberg members like George Shultz, Lodewijk J.R. de Vink and former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.Indeed, Rumsfeld himself played a key role in hyping an outbreak of swine flu back in the 1976 when he urged the entire country to get vaccinated. Many batches of the vaccine were contaminated, resulting in hundreds of sick people and 52 fatalities.The fact that the properties of the strain are completely new, that the virus is spreading from people to people, and that the young and healthy are being hit worst, has disturbing parallels to the deadly 1918 pandemic that killed millions.It is unclear as to why, if the virus is a brand new strain, that public health officials are so confident programs of mass vaccination, which are already being prepared, would necessarily be effective.

It certainly wouldn’t be the first time that deadly flu viruses have been concocted in labs and then dispatched with the intention of creating a pandemic.When the story first broke last month, Czech newspapers questioned if the shocking discovery of vaccines contaminated with the deadly avian flu virus which were distributed to 18 countries by the American company Baxter were part of a conspiracy to provoke a pandemic.Since the probability of mixing a live virus biological weapon with vaccine material by accident is virtually impossible, this leaves no other explanation than that the contamination was a deliberate attempt to weaponize the H5N1 virus to its most potent extreme and distribute it via conventional flu vaccines to the population who would then infect others to a devastating degree as the disease went airborne.

However, this is not the first time that vaccine companies have been caught distributing vaccines contaminated with deadly viruses.

In 2006 it was revealed that Bayer Corporation had discovered that their injection drug, which was used by hemophiliacs, was contaminated with the HIV virus. Internal documents prove that after they positively knew that the drug was contaminated, they took it off the U.S. market only to dump it on the European, Asian and Latin American markets, knowingly exposing thousands, most of them children, to the live HIV virus. Government officials in France went to prison for allowing the drug to be distributed. The documents show that the FDA colluded with Bayer to cover-up the scandal and allowed the deadly drug to be distributed globally. No Bayer executives ever faced arrest or prosecution in the United States.In the UK, a 2007 outbreak of foot and mouth disease that put Britain on high alert has been originated from a government laboratory which is shared with an American pharmaceutical company, mirroring the deadly outbreak of 2001, which was also deliberately released.As we reported yesterday, last time there was a significant outbreak of a new form of swine flu in the U.S. it originated at the army base at Fort Dix, New Jersey.

Previous Swine Flu Outbreak Originated At Fort Dix ,Mass vaccination program was halted after hundreds contracted debilitating nerve disease
Steve Watson Infowars.net Friday, April 24, 2009

Given the reports of the possibility of a swine flu epidemic, is interesting to note that last time there was a significant outbreak of a new form of swine flu in the U.S. it originated at the army base at Fort Dix, New Jersey.Hundreds of soldiers on the base, mostly recruits, were infected without becoming ill in 1976.President Gerald Ford immediately ordered a nationwide vaccination program.More than 40 million people were vaccinated. However, the program was stopped short after over 500 cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a severe paralyzing nerve disease, were reported. 30 people died as a direct result of the vaccinations.Unanswered questions regarding the outbreak remain to this day. According to a CDC investigation, It is not known why the virus did not extend beyond basic trainees or beyond the military base. The source of the virus, the exact time of its introduction into Fort Dix, and factors limiting its spread and duration remain unknown.Previous reports of attempts to use influenza as a bio weapon, should also have us asking concerned questions.

20/04/2009 00:08:46 United States-200 Dead pigs found in a field.
Source: kimy.com UNITED STATES-200 DEAD PIGS IN FIELD.

Hampton , Iowa -- State regulators are ordering a Franklin County hog operation to take action.Recently they discovered more than 200 dead hogs. They’d been improperly disposed of, in a Amanda Johnstone says she never noticed anything unusual in the field next to her home in Franklin County . Well no, we moved in August, but it really didn’t smell that bad when we moved in, we just thought it was from the hog farms from around here, cause there’s one up the road.But Franklin County Environmental Health Specialist Earl Kalkwarf, won’t soon forget the recent hike he made into this field north of Hampton . You looked out and you could see some white and we knew it wasn’t rocks, so we walked out there and discovered roughly 215 dead hogs in a pile.An airplane pilot was the first to spot the unusual sight, a second pass at lower altitude reveled even more gruesome scene. The biggest concern for both the DNR and the county is the composting carcasses leeching into the ground and into the drinking water of home owners living nearby. There was also no fences to keep animals from getting into the pile and scavenging. We don’t need a pandemic flu of some sort of an outbreak of some serious disease,said Kalkwarf. The DNR is telling the owner of a nearby hog confinement it is against state law. Regulators told him to get the hogs moved within two days. But many believe the company should face more than a warning.They do things with city’s for discharging and other animal sites that do manure spills sometimes they get big fines,said Kalkwarf. Johnstone and others are worried about whether anything seeped into the ground. She’s just hoping her family is safe.Cause we have 4 kids and if it was contaminated gosh they would be sick so that was my biggest fear,she said. The owner of the land where the hogs were dumped sent them off to a rendering plant. Regulators are warning the operator he could face legal action if it happens again.

Operation Dark Winter Media Monarchy April 25, 2009

On June 22-23, 2001, just under 3 months before 9/11, the U.S. military held a senior-level war game at Andrews Air Force Base called Dark Winter. The scenario of this bio-terrorism drill was designed to simulate a smallpox attack in three states in which one of these states would be Pennsylvania.As a part of this war game, scripted TV news clips were made to help make this drill as realistic as possible.

Dark Winter Pretext for TOPOFF/CCMRF/CBRNE Martial Law Drills

This exercise was made possible by grant funding from The McCormick Tribune Foundation and The Oklahoma City National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism. On 22-23 June, 2001, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies, the ANSER Institute for Homeland Security, and the Oklahoma City National Memorial Institute for the Prevention Terrorism, hosted a senior-level war game examining the national security, intergovernmental, and information challenges of a biological attack on the American homeland. With tensions rising in the Taiwan Straits, and a major crisis developing in Southwest Asia, a smallpox outbreak was confirmed by the CDC in Oklahoma City. During the thirteen days of the game, the disease spread to 25 states and 15 other countries. Fourteen participants and 60 observers witnessed terrorism/warfare in slow motion. Discussions, debates (some rather heated) and decisions focused on the public health response, lack of an adequate supply of smallpox vaccine, roles and missions of federal and state governments, civil liberties associated with quarantine and isolation, the role of DoD, and potential military responses to the anonymous attack. Additionally, a predictable 24/7 news cycle quickly developed that focused the nation and the world on the attack and response. Five representatives from the national press corps (including print and broadcast) participated in the game, including a lengthy press conference with the President. Several articles and reports will be produced in the coming weeks and months. Additionally, at least one Congressional hearing will be conducted to explore the lessons learned by the key participants. The first hearing is scheduled for the week of 22 July with the Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs and International Relations (Congressman Shays, Chairman).

CDC: Too Late To Stop Swine Flu Outbreak
New strain has health officials worried
April 25, 2009

The Centers For Disease Control says its scientists are concerned a new outbreak of swine flu, first identified in Mexico, is being spread through human contact.At least eight cases have been confirmed in the U.S., all of them in California and Texas.

Health officials in Mexico have been trying to get the outbreak under control this week, reporting at least 1000 illnesses and dozens of deaths from the influenza.

Reuters reported Friday that the majority of the people who have died in the Mexican outbreak were adults between 25 and 45 years old, attributing that information to a Mexican health official.Swine flu is a type of flu that routinely affects pigs. People can also get the virus, but usually because of contact with the animals. Farm workers, for example, are normally the human victims of the illness.Scientists say they are worried about this particular outbreak because at least some of the human victims have not had any contact with pigs. That would suggest the illness is being transmitted through human contact. The CDC said virus samples taken from victims in Mexico and the U.S. match, indicating it is the same virus.

New strain
This strain of swine flu has been identified as A/H1N1, a previously undetected strain. Scientists say it appears to combine bird, swine and human viruses in a new way.In a press briefing late Friday, CDC officials said it was probably too late to contain the outbreak in the U.S. CDC acting director Dr. Richard Besser told reporters in a telephone briefing vaccinations or quarantines would likely prove ineffective at this point.Swine flu can be lethal, but usually isn't. Its symptoms are similar to those for regular, seasonal flu — fatigue, fever and respiratory congestion. Swine flu is treated with four different drugs, with the CDC recommending Tamiflu and Relenza as being the most effective.Though the CDC seems to be more concerned about this outbreak than a typical flu outbreak, it has so far not warned Americans against travel to Mexico. However, it says people traveling to Mexico should wash their hands frequently and take other steps to avoid exposure to germs and other infectious agents.

Mexico Takes Powers to Isolate Cases of Swine Flu ,Alfredo Estrella/Agence France-Presse.A soldier handed out face masks in Mexico City on Saturday. Many people stayed indoors to avoid contact with the flu virus. By MARC LACEY and ELISABETH MALKIN
Published: April 25, 2009

MEXICO CITY — This sprawling capital was on edge Saturday as jittery residents ventured out wearing surgical masks and President Felipe Calderón published an order that would give his government emergency powers to address a deadly flu outbreak, including isolating those who have contracted the virus, inspecting the homes of affected people and ordering the cancellation of public events that might result in further infections.8 New York Students Likely Have Strain of Swine Flu (April 26, 2009) White-coated health care workers fanned out across the international airport here to look for ailing passengers, and thousands of callers fearful they might have contracted the rare swine flu flooded government health hot lines. Of those Mexicans who did go out into public, many took the advice of the authorities and donned the masks, which are known here as tapabocas or cover-your-mouths and were being handed out for free by soldiers and health workers at subway stops and on street corners.

My government will not delay one minute to take all the necessary measures to deal with this epidemic,Mr. Calderón said in Oaxaca State during the opening of a new hospital, which he said will set aside an area for anyone who might be affected by the new swine flu strain that has already killed as many as 68 people in Mexico and sickened more than 1,000 others. Most of the cases were reported in the center of the country, but there were other cases in pockets to the north and south.Mr. Calderón pointed out that he and the other officials who attended the ceremony intentionally did not greet each other with handshakes or kisses on the cheek, which health officials have urged Mexicans to avoid.With 20 million people packed together tight, Mexico City typically bursts forth on the weekends into parks, playgrounds, cultural centers and sidewalk cafes. But things were quieter than usual on Saturday.The government encouraged people to stay at home by canceling concerts, closing museums and banning spectators from two big soccer matches on Sunday that will be played in front of television cameras, but no live crowd.At street corners on Saturday, even many of the jugglers, dancers and musicians who eke out a living collecting spare change when the traffic lights turn red were wearing bright blue surgical masks.The newspaper Reforma reported that President Obama, who recently visited Mexico, was escorted around Mexico’s City’s national anthropology museum on April 16 by Felipe Solis, an archaeologist who died the next day from flu-like symptoms. Mexican officials have not confirmed the cause of death.

White House officials said Saturday that they were aware of the news report in Mexico and that there was no reason to be concerned about the president’s health.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said Saturday that it had sent a team of experts to Mexico to assist with the investigation of the outbreak, which has already been reported in Texas and California and possibly in New York, raising fears that it could spread into a global pandemic.The possible New York cases were reported at a Queens high school, where eight students tested positive for a type of influenza that health officials suspect could be the new swine flu. Some of the school’s students had been to been to Mexico recently.The World Health Organization held a meeting in Geneva on Saturday to discuss the outbreak, but did not raise the level of global pandemic flu alert.Epidemiologists want to know exactly when the first cases occurred in Mexico. Mexican health officials said they first noticed a huge spike in flu cases in late March. In mid-April, they began noticing that otherwise healthy people were dying from the virus. But it was only on Thursday night that officials first sounded an alarm to the population by closing schools, after United States health officials announced a possible swine flu outbreak.By issuing the emergency decree Saturday, Mr. Calderón may have been trying to head off criticism that his government had been too slow to act. He had earlier called in the army to distribute four million masks throughout the capital and its surrounding suburbs. Lt. Raymundo Morales Merla, who stood outside a military transport truck parked outside a downtown subway station on Saturday, led a group of 27 soldiers who had arrived at 7 a.m. to hand out as many masks as they could.The scene at the airport was alarming, with doctors stationed at the entrances to answer questions and to keep an eye out for obviously sick people. Regular public address announcements in English and Spanish warned travelers that the country was on a flu alert and that anyone exhibiting any symptoms should cancel their flight and immediately seek medical attention.

Even Sunday Mass will likely be affected. The Roman Catholic Church gave worshipers the option to listen to Masses on the radio and told priests who decided to hold services to be brief and put Communion wafers in worshiper’s hands instead of their mouths to cut down the risk of transmission. In addition, the traditional handshake that followers give each other along with the wish of Peace be with you was to be temporarily replaced by bowing.Axel de la Macorra, 46, a physics professor at National Autonomous University of Mexico, said he became worried when he learned recently that a 31-year-man who played at a tennis club he once belonged to had suddenly died. He got sick at the beginning of April and two weeks later, he was dead, said Mr. de la Macorra, who was weighing whether to attend a First Communion with 200 guests on Saturday.My mother told me to wear it so I did, said Noel Ledezma, 29, who had his mask pulled down so he could sip a coffee and eat a muffin as he walked to work. Who knows who will be next.Laura Rivera, a 22-year-old psychology student, smeared hand sanitizer on the hands of her toddler nephew as they emerged from the subway into the central square. She had come with her two sisters and their two young sons to buy clothes at the street markets nearby. All five wore surgical masks. We’re doing everything normally — just taking precautions,she said.Sarahe Gomez, who was selling jewelry at a mall in the upscale Polanco neighborhood, spoke through a mask to the few customers who visited her kiosk. I’m in the middle of all these people and one of them could have it she said.The virus could be anywhere. It could be right here.She then took a half step back.This is no joke, said Servando Peneda, 42, a lawyer who ventured out to pay a bill, but left his two sons home. There’s 20 million of us in this city and I’d say half of us have these masks on today. I know all of us will die one day, but I want to last out the week.

Students Fall Ill in New York, and Swine Flu Is Likely Cause
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr. Published: April 25, 2009

Tests show that eight students at a Queens high school are likely to have contracted the human swine flu virus that has struck Mexico and a small number of other people in the United States, health officials in New York City said yesterday.Mexico Takes Powers to Isolate Cases of Swine Flu (April 26, 2009) The students were among about 100 at St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows who became sick in the last few days, said Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, New York City’s health commissioner.All the cases were mild, no child was hospitalized, no child was seriously ill, Dr. Frieden said.Health officials reached their preliminary conclusion after conducting viral tests on nose or throat swabs from the eight students, which allowed them to eliminate other strains of flu. Officials were also suspicious since some St. Francis students had been to Mexico recently. The samples have been sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the only lab in the country that can positively confirm the new flu swine strain — which has been identified as H1N1 strain. Results were expected on Sunday, officials said.Outside New York, at least 11 swine flu cases have been confirmed in the United States — in California, Texas and Kansas, where two cases were reported on Saturday. There have been no deaths and officials said most of the 11 seemed to be recovering.

The outbreak has killed at least 68 people in Mexico and infected about 1,000 others.

Fearing a panic that might tax local health facilities, Dr. Frieden urged New Yorkers not to go to a hospital if they had typical mild cold or flu symptoms. If they are seriously ill, especially with lung problems, they should seek medial attention promptly, he said, because anti-flu drugs work best if taken in the first 48 hours of symptoms.Because of fears of the H5N1 avian flu, both New York City and the United States have had detailed pandemic emergency plans in place since 2005, as well as stockpiles of emergency supplies and flu drugs (the plan can be read at www.pandemicflu.gov).Dr. Frieden said that for such an emergency, the city had extra hospital ventilators, huge reserves of masks and gloves and millions of doses of Tamiflu, an anti-flu drug that thus far appears to work against the new swine strain.

In a reaction to the flu outbreak, the World Health Organization convened an emergency meeting of experts on Saturday in Geneva, while public health officials in the United States huddled on conference calls to discuss what steps, if any, to take.

Officials with the W.H.O. were discussing whether to declare an international public health emergency, a move that could involve travel advisories and the closing of borders.In Mexico, where the flu outbreak is believed to have started, the president assumed emergency powers to deal with the crisis. All public gatherings were banned, including more than 500 concerts and sporting events and the popular bicycle rides on closed boulevards. A few dozen more suspected cases were reported. In the United States, so far, most of the swine flu cases have been mild. Seven were confirmed in California’s San Diego and Imperial Counties, and two 16-year-olds and possibly a third schoolmate at the Byron Steele High School in Cibolo, Tex. Kansas said it had confirmed two on Saturday. Officials said they expect to find many more cases as they begin testing for them.The eight Queens students were positive for an A-strain flu virus but negative for all previously known A-strains. That result, called A-untypeable, led officials to suspect it was the new swine flu.Mr. Skinner said the C.D.C. would send a team to New York, as it has to California, Texas and Mexico, if it were requested.New York has one of the most sophisticated health departments in the world, but the C.D.C. can assist by releasing supplies from the National Strategic Stockpile. Huge quantities of Tamiflu, masks, gloves, purifying gel, ventilators and other goods useful in a flu crisis are kept in warehouses around the country and can be moved out in a matter of hours, Mr. Skinner said.In Texas, Byron Steele High School and all its extracurricular activities were closed to reduce the risk to students, staff and the community, said Dr. Sandra Guerra, a regional director for the state health department. She urged students not to hang out together anyway as that would defeat the purpose.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry asked the C.D.C. to send 37,430 doses of Tamiflu.

According to one expert involved in telephone discussions about flu preparedness Saturday, there was debate among officials about whether to move some of the stockpile closer to Texas and California. Presumably, that will be made moot by indications that a mild form of the flu may have already spread elsewhere in the nation.The C.D.C. did not raise the alert level in the United States, which is officially at zero because there have been no human cases of H5N1 avian flu here as there have in Asia and Egypt.C.D.C. scientists are working on a seed strain for a vaccine matched to the new swine flu, but warned that it would take many months before enough doses for all Americans are ready.They are also creating test kits for 140 American labs and dozens of international ones to allow them to test for the new flu. Right now most labs can only exclude other flus, not confirm the new one.In each year’s flu season, most deaths are in infants and the aged, none of the first ones in Mexico were in people over 60 or under 3 years old, a W.H.O. spokeswoman said. When a new virus emerges, deaths may occur in healthy adults who mount the strongest immune reactions. Their own defense — inflammation and leaking fluid in lung cells — can essentially drown them from inside.There are various steps under the federal pandemic plan, including putting emergency rooms and first-responders on alert, making sure they have seasonal flu shots and putting them first in line for any early batches of a swine flu vaccine.The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic came in waves — a first summertime one was mild, then a severe one hit the following winter. By some accounts, a third milder but still serious wave hit cities that had done the best jobs of protecting themselves from the second wave.However, as experts note, in 1918 there was no Tamiflu, no antibiotics to fight pneumonia, and no powered ventilators.Christine Hauser contributed reporting from New York, James McKinley from Houston and Marc Lacey from Mexico City.