Online paper Noticaribe (Spanish) has a report about QR swine flu. This report indicates that there are currently 11 people admitted for suspected influenza, including 4 tourists (tourists from Brazil, Scotland, US, and Austalia), in the northern part of Quintana Roo (the state in which Cancun and Yucatan Penninsula are located).

Test results are expected to be announced in the next few days.

Officials state that there is screening procudure at the aiport looking for people with over 39 degrees temprature. Anyone will elevated temprature will be referred to hospitals for additional screening and analysis. They further request that passengers answer questionaires truthfully since sometimes it is impossible to detect cases otherwise, and that can endanger other passengers.

This news come with the backdrop of Mexico not announcing new deaths from swine flu, and the overall picture looking more optimistic. At the same time, US officials warn that this kind of virus can appear to ebb, and then come back strong. So it is too early to put the guards down.

In the meantime, the first case of Costa Rica Swine Flu was reported.

There seems to be some good news on the horizon, or so we hope. For example, in NYC, the virus has not seen wide spread beyond a few schools. In Mexico, due probably to better mobilization by the government, flu deaths have stablized.

It is still too early to close the book on H1N1 virus, but things are looing better.

Dr. Peter Palese, a leading flu researcher at New York’s Mount Sinai Medical School, said the new virus appeared to be similar enough to other common flu strains that “we probably all have some type of immunity.”

Also Friday, an official with CDC said swine flu virus lacks the genetic characteristics that made the 1918 pandemic strain so deadly.

Se maybe time to breath a sigh of relief?

Is swine flu deadly? - To a degree i hope so! Being a complete atheist, and a Darwinist i hope this Swine Flu picks off a few of the weak genes in this world! It’s very annoying.

CDC: New swine flu virus lacks genes that made 1918 pandemic flu … - April 26th, 2009 Swine flu worse in Mexico than US, but why?ATLANTA — Why has the swine flu engulfing Mexico been deadly there, but not in the United States? Nearly all those who died in Mexico were between 20 and 40 years old, …

Swine Flu: Deadly Threat or Alarmism? - Swine Flu: Deadly Threat or Alarmism? Well I see that Don Martin has swapped his fedora for a white coat….and declared that the swine flu outbreak is nothing to worry about. It’s likely beyond containment now, but to describe the …

The Swine Flu Might Be Less Deadly Than the … - In particular, the swine flu lacks an amino acid that appears to increase the number of virus particles in the lungs and make the disease more deadly… We expect to see more cases, more hospitalizations, and, unfortunately, …

Stop Being Paranoid About Swine Flu Paranoia - Want to prevent the very real, very deadly spread of Swine Flu? Wash your hands much more often, avoid crowds, eat right, get enough rest, and wash your produce after you bring it home from the store. Keep surfaces clean. …

In follow up to our Sacramento Swine Flu blog post, it now appears that there is a 5th case of swine flu. This involves a doctor who lives in the county but works in the near-by Placer County.

According to the sources, this physician displayed symptoms 10 days ago, and has now recovered.

In the meantime, the local St. Mel boy who contracted swine flu earlier is feeling better, and talked to a TV channel.

“His mother was shocked. “Never would have thought it would have been swine flue. Never would have guessed. We are sterilizing everything. We are walking around with wipes and being really careful with washing our hands.”

Editor note: Although we blog about Cancun, Mexico and currently about swine flu status there, we also bring you swine flu developments in North America.

Cancun Airport, like other places in Mexico, is feeling the pinch from swine flu epidemic. The airport has been flooded by tourists trying to get out. A number of tourists have been found infected after getting back from Cancun and this has added to the tourist anxiety.

29 Apr 2009 (CancunCanuck)
The Cancun airport is the first in Mexico to install 50 new heat thermometers to detect passengers with elevated fevers. Are these the kind of thermometers used?

Other reports from Cancun tell of lockdowns similar to what is going on in all of Mexico. Schools are closed, archeological parks including Chichen Itza and Tulum are closed. Large gatherings are banned. Sales of flu antivirus are on the increase.

Xcaret is open (per front page of their website). Xel ha is probably still open (nothing on their website indicating otherwise). I think the difference between the archeological closures and ecopark being open is that archeo closures are ordered from Federal Government, whereas eco-park closures will be ordered by State Government.

Here are additional resources for your review:

Flu in QR (Cancun area)? - and Cancun Airport Report - Flu report from the State of Quintana Roo (Cancun) and Cancun Airport Status.

Yes, I Went To Mexico Last Week - We’d just been to the most popular tourist destination in Mexico, flew in and out of Cancun Airport, and didn’t have an inkling of any kind of flu epidemic. NADA. There were no red flags, warning signs posted about the airport in Cancun …

Airline seats to Mexico easy to come by - - Asur, which operates Cancun Airport and eight others in southeast Mexico, didn’t release specific figures and said it was too soon to know what the financial impact on the company would be.Air Canada has suspended operations to …

Cancun and Swine Flu: Should You Be Concerned ? - The point about Cancun Airport was not that everyone is being quarantined (sigh!) but that they have health units on high alert to take care of passengers that show flu-like symptoms. This info is being reported from the follwoing …

Travel firms cancel flights to Mexico for leaving 10000 Britons … - couple at Manchester Airport. Holiday woe: A couple try to find out more after being told their trip is off. Britons coming off a flight from Cancun at Manchester Airport this morning. Back home: Britons coming off a flight from Cancun …

WestJet is telling tourists in Mexican destination such as Cancun that due they have until May 4th to hitch a ride back home. First WestJet will use regular flights, and for overlow rescue flights will leave empty from Canada, and come back with tourists. WestJet Cancun Advisory further specifies that WestJet flights to Cancun will be grounded until fall.

“CALGARY, April 28, 2009 - In light of increased concern regarding the spread of the human swine influenza virus in Mexico, WestJet and WestJet Vacations will cease service to and from Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico effective Monday, May 4, 2009. Service will resume to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta on June 20, 2009. Service to Cancun, a seasonal destination for WestJet, will return in the fall schedule. WestJet Mexico Notice .”

WestJet contact info:

- From Canada and the United States: 877-953-9234
- From Mexico: 001 800 514 7288
- Those guests having difficulty contacting WestJet using toll-free numbers may call collect 403-539-7800.

Air Transat is also responding to the swine flu the same way. It will continue regular flights until May 3rd, and thereafter will use rescue flights to get passengers home if necessary.

Air Transat Mexico Notice

Air Canada canceling all flights to Cancun until June 1.

If you are now in Cancun flying in with one of those airlines, make sure to contact your airline represenative, to know their flight plans. If you miss the last flight, it would be much more difficult to get back home.

source: Rescue flights planned for Albertans travelling in Mexico

An employee that was part of President Obama’s delegation to Mexico cautht the flu, and subsequently infected 2 other family members. He has since recovered and has got back to work. President Obama himself did not suffer from the flu.

In the meantime, Joe Biden, known for speaking his mind and off-message from time to time, said that people should avoid crowded airplanes and subways. He got blasted by everyone for saying so.. but we all know he is right. He cannot ever be accused of holding back his thought. Just not politically correct (but right now… politics be damned in the face of the almost-pandemic).

Although it is too early to guage the damage, it is obvious that Cancun will suffer greatly with the drastic reduction in tourism, related to swine flu.

Some countries such as Cuba and Argentina have stopped flights to Mexico. Some other countries such as Canada and US have posted travel advisories suggesting no non-essential flights.

Flu monitoring continues in Cancun, and it is reported that the sale of antiviral drugs are on the rise.

Two cruise ships coming to the port of Progreso were canceled, causing an income loss of $60,000.

Many foreign airlines and tours have stopped operating until the situation stablizes. For example, Canada’s Air Transat has stopped serving the area.

Further reading:

The worst time to suffer a pandemic - Cancun, the place to which most British holidaymakers go, is an artificial city, created on a sandbar as a tourist resort. But the impact goes much further than tourism, right into the heart of the economy. …

SWINE FLU: man describes Mexican ‘ghost town’ … - “Yesterday he cannot keep up with the cancellations. Normally he has 40-50 transfers, today he has just two.” He added that the whole city will suffer if tourists continue to stay away. “Tourism is everything in Cancun,” he said. …

More challenges for Caribbean tourism - He estimates that national economies will suffer as the tourism industry represents between 22% of the GDP to 75% of the GDP to the various countries of the Caribbean. In addition, the fall out from the tourism industry will have a …

Swine flu strikes 4 in the GTA … - Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations also announced the suspension of all operations to Cancun, Cozumel and Puerto Vallarta until June 1, 2009. Customers booked for travel between April 28 and June 1, 2009, inclusive, can rebook at no extra cost. …

A 64 year old man has died in Cancun from complications possibly associated with swine flu infection. Tests are underway to confirm.

“The first death from probable case of human influenza in the city of Cancun was recorded on Thursday in a hospital of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), located on the Mexican Caribbean. ”

main source (translated from Spanish into English by google)

another source (translated from Spanish into English by google)

Nova Scotia was one of the first parts of Canada to be hit with the new swine flu epi-sorry pandemic:
Public health officials in Nova Scotia say the swine flu will likely spread across the province over the next few weeks.

Four students at a private school in Windsor have contracted the virus. Officials believe students who went on a school trip to Mexico carried it back to Nova Scotia. Fortuntely for Nova Scotians and Canadians alike, the cases in Canada have been generally mild. Unfortunately for Mexico–as if it didn’t already have its fair share of problems– the all fatal cases except for one have been in Mexico. The one was a mexican toddler who tragically died when he came back from Mexico to his home in the States.

Public health officials in Nova Scotia say the swine flu will likely spread across the province over the next few weeks.

Four students at a private school in Windsor have contracted the virus. Officials believe students who went on a school trip to Mexico carried it back to Nova Scotia.

Officials say to take all the usual steps to protect from catching the flu, such as regular handwashing and avoiding people who are sick. He said people who have flu symptoms should call a family doctor, and not head to a hospital emergency rooms. It’s not as if the hospitals didn’t have enough patients already.

Nova Scotia Scott » Blog Archive » Swine flu hits Windsor, Nova Scotia - A swine flu FAQ from Nova Scotia Health Promotion and Prevention has also been posted at King’s-Edgehill’s website. UPDATE: The Globe has already updated their story and removed the erroneous direction to Windsor that I quoted above. …

Swine flu cases discovered in Nova Scotia, B.C. - Canadian health officials reported six ‘mild’ cases of swine flu on Sunday and warned there could be.

Nova Scotia Scott » Blog Archive » Three of four students with … - When the students first became ill, no one suspected swine flu initially because the school trip was to a part of Mexico unaffected by the disease and they became sick after the incubation period was supposedly over. …

Swine flu: One step from a pandemic - Health - Macleans.ca - Nova Scotia has four swine flu patients and Alberta has two. • Along with Mexico, Canada and the U.S., six other countries have reported confirmed cases: Austria (1), Germany (3), Israel (2), New Zealand (3), Spain (4) and the United …

Passengers going thru LAX and the airport alike are taking extensive precautions to reduce chance of swine flu infections. The airport is santizing restrooms every 30 minutes, has posted swine flu warning signs… the passengers are donning masks.

With the large number of passengers going to/from Mexico thru LAX, it is one of the major hubs of activity and a possible gateway for the virus spread.

Los Angeles - Swine Flu Notes: May Day or Mayday, Mayday, Mayday … - Should there be flu screenings at LAX?” Comments responding to Burns’ post were mixed. One reader claimed that in 2006 Chinese New Year’s parades proceeded during an outbreak of bird flu, although another reader responded that swine flu …

Los Angeles - Swine Flu: One U.S. Death, One Attempt to Change … - As of 8 a.m. this morning one U.S. death, in Texas, has been attributed to the swine flu outbreak. The fatality was a Mexican toddler whose family was visiting the state. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, …

Swine Flu - Los Angeles Officials Probe Two Possible Deaths … - Swine Flu - Los Angeles Officials Probe Two Possible Deaths The Los Angeles County coroner’s office is investigating two recent deaths for links to swine flu. Coroner’s Capt. John Kades says tests are being run on two bodies to see if …

California Swine Flu Update: Battling Flu Pandemic - As confirmed swine flu cases rapidly increase across the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) elevates the threat level to 5 (the second highest level) and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger heightens proactive measures to … swine flu experts to Southern California; Communicating closely with Public Health Officials in Mexico; Stepping up cleanliness and sanitation at airports which receive large numbers of daily flights from Mexico such as LAX and SFO. …

Los Angeles - Outbreak: Swine Flu Update - LA Daily - LA Weekly - UPDATE: The L.A. County Coroner’s Office is beginning to rule out swine flu as the cause of the Orange County man’s death (see below), while announcing that swine flu is not suspected in the case of the Long Beach victim. …