by Nina Somera, Isis International

The outbreak of the influenza A (H1N1) virus may seem to be more controlled these days even as the numbers of infected individuals are set to increase. As of 8 June 2009, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that there are now 25,288 cases of A(H1N1) infection in 73 countries. These cases are mostly concentrated in the United States, Canada, Japan and Australia. Of all major affected areas, Mexico is said to be the least prepared, accounting to 106 deaths. It is in a situation where many a developing country may learn from at this phase of the pandemic.

In April 2009, Mexico instantly had 50 cases of infection. Authorities ruled out contamination from an industrial farm as cases emerged from the US and Canada around the same time. This has led to major panic in Mexico which even saw a week-long shut down of its economy. Although its outbreaks are now more controlled, the country has yet to recover its social and cultural life which has been largely affected by birth of the world's newest virus.

As Dr. Laura Miranda of the Mexican office of Marie Stopes, a reproductive rights advocate and service provider described, “The economic problems of the population have increased and with that, a degree of insecurity.” Like other countries, Mexico was already reeling from an economic crisis when it was hit by Influenza A(H1N1) on a massive scale.

Moreover, it was unprepared to contain both the virus and public panic. It was even embroiled in a brief tiff with China as the latter chose to quarantine some 30 Mexican tourists suspected of infection. “Perhaps the approach within the health institutions was not very appropriate [as] it generated panic/ Furthermore, there is evidence that there is a quality problem in the health system's customer services in both rural and urban areas: long waiting hours, insufficient materials for treatment and delayed monitoring of positive cases.”

Although the virus does not choose its next host, women remain the hardest hit in such pandemic since most of them are concentrated in the service sector which is the first to be affected by any economic shutdown. “Some pregnant women run the risk of losing their jobs for this reason. In addition, women take care of children yet the information [they receive on the virus] is not at all certain nor calming.”

Influenza A (H1N1) is a virus likened to a combination of avian and swine flu viruses, transmitted among humans with symptoms such as fever, cough, headache, muscle, joint pain, sore throat and runny nose as well as vomiting or diarrhea. Infections happen as infected droplets are dispersed into the air and land on the hands.

But there is no preventive drug yet for this type of virus nor is it a solution to hunt down chicken and pigs. As Laurie Garett write in Newsweek, “If there is blame to be meted out, it should be directed at the species Homo sapiens and the manifest ways in which we are reshaping the world ecology, offering germs like the influenza virus extraordinary opportunities to evolve, mutate and spread.”

Sources:

Interview with Dr. Laura Miranda, Director, Marie Stopes Mexico, translated by Bianca Miglioretto.
Asianews.it (5 May 2009). “Swine flu: Mexico and China rush to repatriate nationals.” 
Garett, Laurie (May 2009). “Fear and the Flu: The New Age of Pandemics.”In Newsweek, p16.
World Health Organisation (8 June 2009). “Influenza A (H1N1) Update 45 .”