The spread of H1N1 around the world may turn out to be the main story that historians remember from 2009 a hundred years from now, because it has a chance to vastly alter the world we live in.  If the H1N1 virus does become a pandemic as many scientist expect it will not only will it kill millions of people, but it will also have an enormous economic impact and potentially cause social and political changes that are impossible to guess.

“Swine flu” was the name originally given to a new strain of the flu that first appeared in Mexico in the Spring of 2009, but is now more accurately described as H1N1 flu, because it is now understood that the H1N1 virus is a mix of swine, human, and avian strains of the flu virus.

It has spread to the United States and around the world and there is a risk that it will develop into a worldwide pandemic.

The purpose of this web site is to track the spread of H1N1 around the world, so that you have the best information available in terms of travel plans or simply the seriousness of the situation.

In the world we live in where it is possible for travelers from even the most remote locations to be in any major city in the world in less than seventy-two hours the spread of H1N1 in the Congo or India or Germany, which a hundred years ago could not have effected most Americans for weeks or months, is now something that you should be aware of to help protect yourself and your loved ones from the potentially deadly effects of H1N1.

So, we will try to keep track of the spread of the H1N1 virus around the world on the blog, so that you can be prepared for whatever the future holds.  Though the spread of H1N1 is a very real concern there are ways to protect yourself and your loved ones from the worst results, and the first step is to be as informed as possible on the spread, symptoms, and treatments for H1N1.

June 9, 2009

The following article is the United States Centers for Disease Control’s tally of the current and confirmed and suspected cases of  H1N1 as of June 3, 2009.  It’s an excellent sources if you happen to be traveling outside of the United States. 

If you are interested in cases of H1N1 in the United States click the highlighted text.

Influenza A (H1N1) Facts

At 06:00 GMT, June 3, 2009, sixty-six countries have officially reported 19,273 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 117 deaths.

The laboratory-confirmed cases by country are given in the following table and map.  Remember, this will tend to be a conservative estimate, because it is only counting laboratory confirmed cases.

As of 06:00 GMT, 3 June 2009

Laboratory-confirmed cases of new influenza A(H1N1) as officially reported to WHO by States Parties to the International Health Regulations (2005)

*Chinese Taipei has reported 14 confirmed case of influenza A (H1N1) with 0 deaths. Cases from Chinese Taipei are included in the cumulative totals provided in the table above.

*Cumulative and new figures are subject to revision