Congressman Gregory Meeks Statement On Swine Flu

Statement

Today, the Department of Health and Human Services declared a nationwide public health emergency in response to the swine influenza virus that has been reported in parts of Mexico. Leaders and health officials at the Department of Health and Human Services are working together across operating divisions to coordinate a response to the swine flu outbreak. It has been reported that the FDA, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are trying to develop a vaccine precursor that could be used to develop a vaccine for this swine flu virus.

As of today there have been 20 confirmed cases of swine influenza in California, Texas, Kansas, New York, and Ohio with no deaths in the U.S. There have been several cases of the virus in Mexico and Canada.

"This is an extreme public health emergency of international concern. It is alarming that eight students at the St. Francis Preparatory School in my district have contracted the swine flu virus, but fortunately have not been hospitalized. This was confirmed by viral tests on nose and throat swabs which allowed them to eliminate other strains of flu. It was reported that the students had recently been to Mexico where the outbreak apparently started. I will be actively working with the Center of Disease Control and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to leverage all available resources to arrest this health challenge before it can manifest itself into a pandemic. I, along with my colleagues in the Congress will be working to keep my constituents aware of any necessary preventive measures," stated Congressman Gregory Meeks.

Swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza among pigs. Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans, but human infections with swine flu do occur, and cases of human-to-human spread of swine flu viruses have been documented.

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