A(H1N1) Fast Facts

• The Influenza A virus is the most common cause of influenza or “flu” to humans, while H1N1 is a subtype that has strains of swine flu and avian flu.
• According to the Centers for Disease control and Prevention, the first A(H1N1) patient in the United States was confirmed by laboratory testing on April 15, 2009. The second patient was confirmed on April 17, 2009. Reports said the outbreak started in Mexico, but the World Health Organization (WHO)is still investigating the epidemiological evidence in Mexico. The WHO is also probing whether the spread of the virus was caused by a lab error caused by Australian researcher Adrian Gibbs. 
• According to WHO, there is no confirmed transmission between pigs and humans.
• On June 11, 2009, WHO raised Influenza A(H1N1) to Phase VI or Pandemic which means “widespread human transmission.”
• Mexico has the biggest number of reported cases and deaths, 5,717 cases and 106 deaths, respectively as of June 8.
• Last June 8, WHO registered 73 countries stricken by the Influenza AH1N1 virus, 25,288 total number of cases and 139 reported deaths around the world.
• In the same date, the Philippines has 46 confirmed cases but no reported deaths. The first case in the Philippines was publicly disclosed last May 21. The first case confirmed involved a 10-year old girl from the United States. She also previously traveled to Canada.
• Also last June 8, De La Salle University Manila was the first school in Metro Manila that announced their first five confirmed cases, later adding one more case from the College of Saint Benilde. The carrier was reportedly a foreign exchange student from Japan (which already has 410 cases as of June 8). Ateneo de Manila High School in Quezon City also has three confirmed cases, totaling eight additional Philippine cases as of June 9.
• With 92 cases in the Philippines as of June 11, WHO announced that the flu virus may be declared as a pandemic. The country currently has the highest number of infected people in Southeast Asia and is 13th in the world ranking. There are currently 27,737 cases in the world in 74 countries. Of these cases, there have been 141 deaths.