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Obama Requests $1.5 Billion to Tackle Swine Flu

By VOA News
28 April 2009

Officials worldwide are increasing precautions to cope with a swine flu outbreak that has proven deadly in Mexico and is being identified in more countries.

On Tuesday, the White House announced that President Barack Obama has asked Congress to provide $1.5 billion to fight swine flu, while the state of California, which borders Mexico, declared a "state of emergency" to address the outbreak.

The Los Angeles Times newspaper said officials are investigating two deaths in the state that may have been linked to the virus.

Mexico is the only country to report any fatalities from swine flu, with more than 150 suspected deaths, though human cases of the virus have also been confirmed in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Britain, Spain and Israel. Other countries, including Australia, France, Denmark and South Korea are investigating possible cases.

Meanwhile, Cuba, which has not yet reported any illnesses, has suspended air travel with Mexico. Havana said Tuesday the restriction will last 48 hours and that it is prepared to take further steps if necessary.

Other countries, including the U.S. and Britain, have urged their citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to Mexico, where many people are wearing face masks as a precaution and schools are closed until next week.

In the U.S., authorities have confirmed 64 human cases of swine flu, some in two states bordering Mexico, with others found elsewhere in people who recently traveled to Mexico. Many of the infections have been reported in New York City, where on Tuesday officials indicated hundreds of schoolchildren could be sick from the virus.

The United States has declared a public health emergency to allow authorities to spend federal money and release stockpiles of anti-viral medication. President Obama said Monday the declaration was issued as a "precautionary tool."

On Monday, the World Health Organization raised its flu pandemic alert level, saying the likelihood of a pandemic has increased, though it is not a certainty. It said it raised the alert to Phase 4 on a scale of six because of sustained human-to-human transmission.

The WHO says swine influenza is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease of pigs. It says symptoms are generally similar to seasonal flu, but that cases have ranged broadly from mild infections to severe pneumonia resulting in death.