A new strain of swine flu has launched a deadly attack on humans, as 62 were killed in Mexico - as announced yesterday by the World Health Organization [WHO] – while eight were infected in the US.
The new strain of the virus was at first closer to a swine flu virus, but a more thorough analysis showed that it was a never-before-seen mixture of swine, human and avian influenzas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Immediately after the new strain was unveiled, terror spread across the world after the Mexican government banned people from shaking hands, kissing each other on their cheeks when greeting, sharing food, or using the same cutlery for fear of contagion.
Meanwhile, expectations are mounting about a possible human pandemic after all medical circles in the world said any swine virus could easily be transmitted to human beings.
This has prompted the WHO to announce that it will hold an emergency meeting to assess whether the swine flu outbreaks in the United States and Mexico pose a global threat.
In Cairo, the veterinary services of the Ministry of Agriculture declared a state of extreme emergency, fearing that pig farms in the governorates of Qalyubia, Cairo, Giza and Assiut might be exposed to swine flu.
