First US Death in Texas Due to Swine Flu

First US Death in Texas Due to Swine Flu

The first death due to swine flu has been reported today. A young boy reported to be either 22 or 23 months old died in Texas while he was visiting with his family from Mexico.

President Obama has asked congress for $1.5 billion in emergency funds to combat the flu. "This is obviously a serious situation, serious enough to take the utmost precautions," he stated.

Dr. Richard Besser of the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on the Today Show that it's still too soon to tell how quickly the virus is spreading.

At this time, the CDC has the most up-to-date information regarding deaths and confirmed infection. With 91 US cases, New York still leads today with 51 cases with many other states just having been reported within the last 24 hours. It seems to be spreading quickly.

Mexico is faring the worst with the flu-- over 2000 cases have been reported and more than 150 deaths. Other countries reportedly affected are Canada, Britain, Spain and New Zealand. And although statements have been made that you cannot contract the disease by eating or preparing pork, many nations have banned pork products and Egypt has ordered the slaughter of all pigs.