Yes. An epidemic refers to a disproportionatly large population infected with the same disease. A pandemic is a globally infectious disease that started as an epidemic. The World Health Orginization is currently categorizing this as an epidemic, but plans to upgrage the threat to that of pandemic proportions are coming soon.
Wikipedia keeps a daily tally of suspect and confirmed cases and confirmed death by Swine Flu. It is not an easy task. See related links. There is additional confusion since Mexico is no longer reporting suspect cases. The US definition of suspect is, that the person has been in a location where swine flu is thought to be present, and has flu like symptoms. Note the various maps showing incidence of the disease. Google identifies them as points, and Wikipedia colors in the entire country as either having only suspect cases, confirmed cases, or confirmed cases and deaths. The entire US in black because there have been two confirmed deaths.
Since the daily and weekly counts required by the CDC, WHO, and national health departments of most nations have stopped after the pandemic was declared over, there is no way to know how many, especially since there are still ongoing cases scattered around the world even as of early 2012.
The treatment is the same as for other types of flu, so there is no need for testing to determine what form of flu someone has. For this reason, there is no definite count possible on cases of this type of flu any more.
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Estimation of unreported/untested cases in the US, based on reported cases:
Updated Estimates from April 2009 - January 16, 2010:
On February 12, 2010, CDC updated the estimates to include the time period from April 2009 through January 16, 2010.
* "CDC estimates that between 41 million and 84 million cases of 2009 H1N1 occurred between April 2009 and January 16, 2010. The mid-level in this range is about 57 million people infected with 2009 H1N1.
* CDC estimates that between about 183,000 and 378,000 H1N1-related hospitalizations occurred between April 2009 and January 16, 2010. The mid-level in this range is about 257,000 2009 H1N1-related hospitalizations.
* CDC estimates that between about 8,330 and 17,160 2009 H1N1-related deaths occurred between April 2009 and January 16, 2010. The mid-level in this range is about 11,690 2009 H1N1-related deaths."
Situation Update from CDC:
7/15/2010
According to the final FluView for the 2009-2010 influenza season (May 16-22, 2010), flu activity in the United States declined again from the previous week and is about the same as what is normally seen during the summer in the United States. Only a small number of influenza viruses are being reported, most of which are 2009 H1N1. Flu is unpredictable, but sporadic cases of flu, caused by either 2009 H1N1 or seasonal flu viruses, will likely continue to occur throughout the summer in the United States.
Internationally, 2009 H1N1 viruses are still circulating, including in the Southern Hemisphere, which is entering its flu season
Situation Update from WHO:
7/9/2010
2009 H1N1 continues to actively circulate in certain areas of the tropics, including the Caribbean, West Africa, and South and Southeast Asia. In the Southern Hemisphere, influenza A (H3N2) viruses are currently co-circulating with 2009 H1N1. In the Northern Hemisphere, the number of influenza B viruses detected has exceeded reports of influenza A.
Influenza type B and A (H3N2) viruses have been detected in South Africa at an increasing rate. Low levels of influenza-like illness (ILI) have been reported from several Southern Hemisphere countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Chile and
Argentina. 2009 H1N1 and A (H3N2) viruses are currently co-circulating in certain Caribbean, Central America, and Southeast Asia countries. 2009 H1N1 is actively circulating in Southern and Western regions of India and Western regions of Africa. In
Bangladesh, the seasonal influenza activity is shifting from 2009 H1N1 to influenza type B. Influenza type B continues to actively circulate in central and southern regions of Africa.
2/12/10 Estimated number of cases and deaths in the US* from CDC:
Cases: 57 million Deaths: 11,690
*Cumulative from April 2009 to January 16, 2010, plus CDC estimates of unreported cases based upon a calculated formula for
40% of the worlds population could be
As of 1pm london time friday 1st may 2009 there had been 1,000,000,000 confirmed cases globally.
It is called swine flu because it is believed to have originated in swine, also known as pigs.
the H1N1 is very bad and anyone can catch it,
Swine flu does not have an affect on the circulatory system. It does affect the Cardiovascular system and puts it under great stress, that's why people with heart disease are more susceptible to it.
Swine flu is a virus and viruses reproduce by injecting it's own DNA into a host cell and then that cell is corrupted and taken over and becomes a flu cell. =]
is the swine flu in Oregon yet is the swine flu in Oregon yet is the swine flu in Oregon yet is the swine flu in Oregon yet
No, Swine Flu is just one strain of the many flu viruses. Flu is an abbreviation for influenza. So Swine Flu is a type of flu, but all flu is not the swine flu, there are other kinds.
Swine Flu
The swine flu H1N1/09 virus survives as do all viruses, by invading a host to support it and do its work to reproduce. Viruses can not live without a host to infect. That is why some viral diseases have been eliminated by vaccination programs, if everyone is vaccinated, no one becomes a host. Don't let flu viruses survive inside you, get a flu vaccination every year prior to flu season.
The swine flu is PURPLE. :]
It was a swine that got swine flu first.See the related question below for information about the first person with swine flu.
Swine flu is a flu very similar to the regular flu. Tamiflu is a medicine that you take when you have swine flu or other types of influenza.
Just because your child has the swine flu, doesn't mean you do. Your child could get the swine flu even if you don't have it currently.
essay on swine flu?
Smoking can attract swine flu only if you are sharing a cigarette with someone who has swine flu.