Reid: Feds will assure cash-strapped states are prepared

John Bazemore / Associated Press

Acting Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Richard Besser discusses the outbreak of swine flu at the the CDC in Atlanta on Tuesday.

By Cara McCoy

Tuesday, April 28, 2009 | 3:39 p.m.

Swine flu reaction in California

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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said during a conference call he hosted today that although Nevada is hurting financially, the federal government is working to make resources available to states so they can respond to a swine flu outbreak.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services are working in tandem with state and local agencies to share information as it becomes available. Reid said regardless of a state’s financial situation, the federal government should assure states are prepared.

While a case of swine flu has yet to be reported in Nevada, Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said today that all Americans should be cautious because the flu strain could turn deadly in the United States as it has in Mexico.

"The situation that we're facing here is rapidly evolving and there's much that we don't know, but we're working to respond aggressively so we can minimize the effect on public health," said Besser, speaking Tuesday from the CDC headquarters in Atlanta.

Three people in California and two in Texas have been hospitalized because of swine flu. There are 64 confirmed cases of the flu in five states -- 45 in New York, one in Ohio, two in Kansas, six in Texas and 10 in California -- while cases have been reported in other states but aren't confirmed.

Each year, 36,000 people die from influenza, "so it's an infection that can be very serious," Besser said.

The CDC on Monday announced a travel advisory to Mexico, where scores of people have died from the illness. The agency is urging travelers to avoid nonessential travel across the border.

"While we have been seeing a different spectrum of disease in the U.S. compared to what's in Mexico, I don't find this encouraging," Besser said. "As we continue to look for cases, the spectrum of diseases in the U.S. will broaden ... (and) unfortunately, there's a very good chance we will see deaths."

He said the border hasn't been sealed because the disease has appeared in noncontiguous parts of the country, so "the idea of trying to limit the spread to Mexico is not reasonable."

He said a national stockpile of influenza vaccines, as well as other medical supplies, is being disseminated.

"The investments that we've made over the past couple of years in preparedness have been absolutely critical," Besser said.

President Obama today asked Congress for an additional $1.5 billion to use for the stockpiling and development of vaccines. The money, which would be a supplement to this year's budget, would also be used for coordinating the response to the flu with the governments of other countries.

U.S. agencies are working with scientists in Mexico and Canada to study the virus and its evolution, Besser said.

"I know that people are concerned and we really hope that people take this concern and it leads to planning and action," he said. "We are in the early phases of this outbreak."

The World Health Organization raised its pandemic level from three to four on Monday. That doesn’t mean that a pandemic is occurring, but provides more resources, medical personnel and medicines in case a pandemic is declared at level six.

Besser stressed prevention and awareness as key factors in mitigating the threat of the flu. He urged those who develop flulike symptoms to contact their health care provider to determine if a visit to a doctor is necessary.

Reid and Besser both said that although proper livestock handling procedures should be followed, in general, people shouldn't be concerned about catching the flu from swine.

"Don't worry about pigs, worry about people," Reid said.

"The name swine flu is a misnomer from a public health perspective,” Besser added. “Eating pork is not how this disease is transmitted.”

On Wednesday, the Nevada Assembly Health and Human Services Committee will hear a presentation on swine flu. The committee hearing, which starts at 1:30 p.m., will be videoconferenced to Room 4401 of the Grant Sawyer State Office Building at 555 W. Washington Ave. in Las Vegas.