Swine Flu in Mexico
 

Has anyone recently come back from Cancun? What was it like over there in regards to the swine flu? Seen many people getting sick? We will be traveling there in a week and need to know how the atmosphere is like with this flu. Thanks.

www.cdc.gov

current advisories

Get Tamiflu from your MD so no worries...

MSNBC is reporting that the State Department in getting ready to issue a travel warning to Mexico. We were in Cancun a month ago and I feel terrible for the service people that were so wonderful to us during our stay. Good luck with whatever decision you make.

The European Union is recommending that its citizens make only essential travel to Mexico and the United States.

Here is the latest announcement from the CDC:
http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentSwineFluMexico.aspx

Here is the latest from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City:
http://mexico.usembassy.gov/eng/eacs...uOutbreak.html

Now the poor souls had an earthquake.. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090427/...ico_earthquake

fyi- the advisory against Mexico travel has just been issued

WASHINGTON – U.S. officials advised Americans against most travel to Mexico on Monday as a swine flu virus that began there spread to the United States and beyond. With 40 cases now reported in the United States, President Barack Obama said there was reason for concern but not yet "a cause for alarm."

Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, said that so far the disease in the United States seems less severe than the outbreak in Mexico, where more than 1,600 cases have been reported and where the suspected death toll has climbed to 149. No deaths have been reported in the U.S, and only one hospitalization.

"I wouldn't be overly reassured by that," Besser told reporters at CDC's headquarters in Atlanta. He raised the possibility of more severe cases in the United States.

in Puerto Vallarta, they closed the nightclubs this week

quovadis-

Are you promoting Tamilflu as a prophylaxis? I thought it was only indicated if you were truly diagnosed with Influenza, and not as either a prophylaxis or treatment for other non-flu adenovirus infections

I hope this blows over soon. I have a trip to Cabo planned for mid May and just don't feel like the situation is serious enough to cancel. Am I just naive or do others feel this way too?

I'm thinking he means fill a Tamiflu prescription so that you can easily take it at the first sign of the flu. At least I hope that's what he means...

get trip insurance, and make sure the fine print covers this. Or, pay extra for a "cancel for any reason" rider, always good during hurricane season.

laura~ Go to the Cabo forum over at Trip Advisor. There's lots of people in your exact same situation, and lost of discussion about this topic.

I'm going to Akumal (south of Cancun) in one week and nothing is getting between me and my margaritas! I'll see my Dr. about getting a Rx for Tamiflu.

I do not think qwovadis is promoting Tamiflu prophylaxis as such....however you CAN use it as a prophylaxis .

<u> let me make a comment about Tamiflu: </u>


I always take Tamiflu with me.....only used it once in Alice Springs( the Outback ) in Australia.

Wish I would have had taken it with me when I was in Alexandria Egypt...as I got the flu here on the last day of my holidays...what a long,tired ,sick plane ride it was coming home !

The drug is not cheap.....but it has a 5 years shelf life.

Yes,you can take Tamiflu BEFORE your trip.

1.It comes in a 75 mgm capsule ( half yellow ,half grey)

2. To try to prevent the Flu before a trip...you take one 75 mgm capsule once a day for SEVEN Days.

3. To treat the Flu once you have it ...you take 75 mgm twice a day for 5 days. (That is why there are 10 capsules in a box )

4. BUT if you get the flu or better still if you feel the flu coming on... you MUST take the capsule within 40- 48 hours of the onset of your symptoms

5.If you do not take the pills in this time interval ....then save your money...it will not help much ( if at all after that !!)

6. I will tell you why !

7. Once the virus infects your cell...it replicates ( doubles itself)....this goes on very quickly...and you start feeling sick.

8. BUT in order for the virus to keep moving to other cells it requires and enzyme called Neuraminidase (this is easly available right on the new viral particle....

so the virus goes on infecting cell after cell... BUT !! guess what Tamiflu does !

Yes !!!it inhibits this enzymes that is so vital for the virus to keep infecting your other cells.

Now you can see that the earlier you STOP this process, the better off for you....so you have to stop this infecting process within 40 to 48 hours....

after 48 hours,it is like trying to stop a leak in a Dam with gum!!

I always take Tamiflu with me ...winter or summer holidays ,like I said it is good for 5 years.

Doctors were on the news tonight saying they hope people DON'T take Tamiflu as a preventative because that will cause further problems. Just like people taking antibiotics every thime they have a sniffle has caused certain strains of infections to become resistant to the antibiotics, taking Tamiful "just becaue" could cause the same thing to happen to the fllu.

and it will deplete the already limited supplies of the medecine, so that folks who are truly sick won't have any when they need it.

I have no idea why a doctor would say he hopes people do not use Tamiflu.

It has been extensively studied in both Canada and the USA and IS approved for prophylaxis.

Some bacterial have mutated over time and become resistant to the action of certain antibiotics....

This is NOT the case for tamiflu... the virus can and doses mutate BUT it still requires neuraminidase.

Let me explaina little:

Viruses are divided into many subtypes on the basis of TWO proteins on their surface.

The "H" proteins is hemagglutinin and this is where the "H" comes in .

The "N component" is for NEURAMINIDASE.

Therefore when the experts say on the news that the strain is
H1N2 or H3N2.......they are giving you the subtype..

however, in any case, the N is for Neuraminidase, which Tamiflu inhibits.!

Now as I said Tamiflu is only slightly beneficial once you are infected.

In reality ...it will reduce your sick time by about 2 days at most.

BUT, where it helps most importantly is that it REDUCES the severity of your symptoms.... so though you are still sick, you are not totally wiped out !!

Right now ( if you could get it ) a Flu vaccine shot will do nothing for the Swine Flu.

Vaccines are created from antigens (and other substances) that stimulate the production of antibodies (against this antigen) when it is introduced into your body.

There is no vaccine right now to protect you against the HN subtype of the swine Flu !

I disagree with Percy's recommendation. The concern is one of supply. If individuals start stockpiling Tamiflu for prevention use, where will it be for treatment when it's needed? No one lives for travel more than I do, but society's needs in a possible public health emergency take priority in my book.

The typical pharmacy stocks maybe one or two boxes of Tamiflu outside of normal flu season, and maybe not even that. This is not aspirin where you keep an entire shelf of the product. Given that Tamiflu turned out to be less effective against the routine strains of flu this past flu season, that's why I say "and maybe not even that." So if someone else who goes to your pharmacy beats you to that one bos, you have to wait. In a community pharmacy, you dispense a prescription item and it gets reordered from the wholesaler or distribution center for the next day, but if there's some kind of run on the product, I could see it being back-ordered.

There's also the matter of Tamiflu's side effects. All in all, they're not bad, but about 10 percent of adults who take it develop nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea. It's slightly higher with kids. Not an unsubstantial number. If you are self-medicating, and you're one of that 10 percent, are you going to be able to distinguish between routine drug side effects and flu symptoms themselves?

I think this is not a good idea. Save getting Tamiflu for after the fact, if it should come down to that, and let's hope it never does. :)

Schmerl, you're right too. Tamiflu does help prevent the flu, but there's a real worry that resistance will develop if it is used willy-nilly. It's one thing to administer the drug to prevent the flu possibly to nursing home residents during flu season. That's a population siginificantly at risk. If everybody traveling to Mexico starts taking it, though, resistance could be a real worry.

I actually used Tamiflu this past February for the first time. My DD came down with the flu. She was swabbed and diagnosed. I was shocked because we all had the flu shot. Go figure. Anyway, she was early enough to start on Tamiflu. My other DD and I took it as a preventative since my DH had a heart attack only 6 months before. We were trying to contain it to the one person. It worked. The rest of us stayed healthy. I also clorox wiped everything. Normally we would not have taken the Tamiflu.
I would not travel to Mexico any time soon. It is not worth the risk. I am surprised they are still allowing travel.

Hi Jeff

I just watch Larry King Live and they had three Medical Experts on there.

I am glad that one of the 3 Experts ...Dr.Bob Arnot agreed with my previous comments on the use of Tamiflu.

I am not advocating stock piling Tamiflu. I have two boxes of Tamiflu at home and the expiry date in 2011 and 2012.

I take it with me on holidays just as I take Cipro and Imodium, but always hoping that I never have to use it.

If I was going to Mexico right now (and I am not )and IF I was worried about the Flu, then I would take Tamiflu...and only because right now that is where all the problem is .

But if I was going to Cancun or Huatulco, I would not take Tamiflu prophylactically because in my opinion I feel the risk there is very little ( right now!).

But for those that are booked to go to Mexico and if you are concerned ...then you have an option... you can take Tamiflu.

I agree that the side effects of Tamiflu and mild and I have not heard from any of the people I know who have ever taken it that they had a side effects...so it is pretty well tolerated.

Not only was Tamiflu less effective against the routine strains of flu viruses this season...BUT the flu vaccine as a whole was less effective.

Hopefully the Experts decision for this coming year's vaccine will be a little more accurate in their "guesstimate" for the vaccine.

Thanks Jeff...always like hearing from you :)

I just talked to a friend who came back yesterday from Cancun. not much going on there with the pig flu. I am slated to go to Acapulco May 20th. I think I will wait a week to see what happens in Mexico and go to Costa Rica if travel is halted to Mexico. CUrrently this is being blown out of proportion IMHO.

It may be blown out of proportion ( a bit !) BUT if the government did not take action and keep the people informed

we would all be hollering for their lack of action and slow to recognize the seriousness of the situation!!

I guess better to have a little overkill right now, then to be guessing about some things !!

By May 20 HoDale...you will for sure know what the situation is.

Have a good time.

Always nice to hear from you too, Percy. :)

No, probably no one individual is stockpiling Tamiflu. One box will do. If everybody traveling to Mexico, though, gets a box "just in case," it'll have the same effect, and that'll be that much less available in an emergency. There's my concern.

Price is another issue. Some prescription insurances do not cover Tamiflu when used this way to prevent the flu. That's been the case up until now, although who knows what could change with this situation? In a nursing home situation as I mentioned above, of course, they always have. In travel situations, though, so far, it's not automatically covered under some plans. The retail cost runs over $100.

Hmm Wow $100.00 is a high cost.

It cost about $60.00 here and the government health care plan does not cover it.

But the Flu vaccine is covered for many , for example if you have Diabetis...your flu vaccine is free.

I have had my Tamiflu for 3 years now.

I know you have to take it almost at the first sign of being sick.

Two years ago when I was in Tasmania..it was 72 F, I did not get sick!!

Then I flew from Tasmania to Melbourne Australia...it was 85 F in Melbourne...I did not get sick in Melbourne!!!

then I flew from Melbourne to Alice Springs in the Outback and it was 105 F !!! THAT is when I got sick.

Can you imagine 105 F outside and you start getting a fever.!!

So I took two Tamiflu right away at the first sign of what could be the Flu ( and went to bed early) and the next day I took two more Tamiflu and on the following day I was much much better and was able to go touring around.

I am one of those people that gets sick ( with the Flu) at the drop of a hat!!!

But I have to say that once I get the flu and I am good and sick...then taking Tamiflu on day 3 or 4 or 5 ..makes little difference,at least I do not notice the reduction of symptoms in myself...so it is bed rest and fluids and achy bones for the next 7-10 days !! :)

Good Night Jeff

I don't think it is being blown out of proportion. Teaching in a school with a student population who travels frequently to Mexico, I'm keeping my ears wide open--and my hands washed, advising the same to students. In matters of this nature, I would prefer my government err on the side of caution. As I heard on the news tonight, best case scenario would be that there have actually been many millions affected in Mexico, way more than currently reported, making the death toll less dramatic per number infected.

tamiflu or not, why would anyone go to mexico at this point. how relaxing do think it will be with every local ( waiters, bellman, cooks, maintenance, housekeeping ) employee freaked out about their family or getting sick. i don't think i want to be served dinner from a waiter wearing a surgical mask. not to mention the risk to your own health. unless you're an adventurer, nothing says "adventure" like a stay in a mexican hospital :)
i feel for the locals because this " pandemic" will certainly not help the tourist industry.

I imagine that they are not blowing it out of proportion. That it is the complete opposite. Mexico does not want to hurt their tourist trade and probably kept the lid on it longer than it should have. I doubt they have high standards when it comes to making sure it doesn't spread.They haven't even gone to the homes of the people who died. Those people were all living with the people who died and of course were exposed. They can barely take care of the ones who show up sick at the hospital. I would guess that people are showing up at their sickest rather than looking for preventative care in Mexico.
I would stay away from Mexico right now. And I do feel sorry for all the workers who depend upon the tourist trade.
I hope Mexico gets the spreading of the flu under control soon.

girlonthego, you realize Mexico is a huge country though, right? If you look on that CDC map you will realize there are many parts of Mexico that are farther from Mexico City than many US cities, and of course a virus won't respect borders. I think in the next few weeks we'll see which way this is going--much ado about nothing or something so dire nobody should get on a plane to anywhere.

We are suppose to be leaving for Cancun on May 8th and having our small beach wedding ceremony on May 12th...We have already paid for everything granted we only have a couple of friends coming thank goodness cause that would have been a mess....I'm left wondering what now...we still want to go but not sure that it is a good idea....what should we do???

I'm with you shillmac !

When the government did not repond quickly to the Kathrina Disaster...the out cry was wide and deep.

When China did not respond ( but actually tried to cover it a bit) during the SARS problem.
We all know how the world criticized China ( and rightfully so).

In 1976 President Ford asked for all American to be vaccinated

He had to stop the programme about 2 months later because of the Guillian Barre side effect that about 60 Americans got.
But
Ford did the right thing back then.

shandilee83:

You do have a concern problem ...and you have everything paid for already.

The airlines are being very flexible about altering your flights ( but this may be only to Central Mexico right now).

Personally ,right now I would carry on with your plans....unless as the days go bye, the situation worsenes in Mexico and starts to involved the tourist areas (which it has not as of right now).

Your the classic case to take Tamiflu with you.

I hope you listened to Larry King Live last night and heard what Dr. Bob Arnot said about Tamiflu....it is about 100%) ( okay 99% :) ) of what I have said above about using Tamiflu.

People have returned from Cancun last night and out local news reporters and camera men were at the airport interviewing
everyone......but NO problem,other than many places were closed, due to trying to avoid over crowding.

Monitor the situation on a daily basis.. you have 2 weeks yet.

Good Luck

Hi shillmac

I have a number of friends living and working today in the Yucatan. If it were me, based on what I'm hearing today, I'd go. I do agree though the situation should be monitored daily. I'm still thinking of booking something for later in May.

And as for staying in a (gasp) Mexican hospital, I know several people who have had life threating issues down there and their hospital stays were every bit as professional as any they've had in the US. Just so ya know, Mexico is not entirely 3rd world any more.

What about all the students in Queens, NY, who traveled to Cancun and returned with swine flu? I thought Cancun was one of the problem areas. Those kids were some of the first reported here in the U.S. I don't want to put a damper on anything, but do want the facts to be straight for shandilee83. Please correct me if I am wrong.

The kids from Queens; never confirmed as Swine Flu.

Costa Rica now appears to have its first case: a woman who had just returned from a trip to Mexico. She is apparently recovering.

Look at this CDC Google map, you'll see where the cases are and how far from Cancun they currently are. That student group could have been booked through Mexico City. http://tinyurl.com/d3s6eb

Do you realize how much a course of Tamiflu costs? It is more than $1500?

Marginal

I hate to disagree but a course of Tamiflu is not anywhere near $1500.00

I do not know what it sells for in the USA, but in Canada it is $60.00 ( for a box of 10 pills )

I just got off the phone talking to my Pharmacist to make sure I had the price right, it IS $60.00 in Canada.

I don't think it's being blown out of proportion. I would do everything possible to avoid Mexico right now. I feel sorry for the people there dependent upon the tourist trade, but based on past behavior by the Mexican government, I don't think that you can really trust that they're being completely forthright because they are so heavily dependent upon tourism for money, especially coming on the heels of the p.r. damage the recent border violence has caused.

How can you relax with a tropical drink on the beach in Mexico if you're worried about contracting a serious virus? Plus, by most news accounts a lot of Mexico is shut down--all schools are closed and residents are urged to stay near home. How is that a vacation?

I'm not one to freak out when the media starts reporting something, but this seems serious and far from contained.