The United States is not the only nation that is having economic crisis. Just recently, a case of the newly discovered Swine flu was discovered in Mexico. This influenza is common in swine and rare in humans. People who work with swine, especially people with intense exposures, are at risk of catching swine influenza if the swine carry a strain able to infect humans. However, these strains rarely are able to pass from human to human.
Unfortunately, the strain that is able to survive in humans is spreading at epidemic levels throughout Mexico City. An article by Jens Erik Gould describes the outbreak. So far, the flu is suspected of killing around one hundred and fifty people. The flu has caused officials to order the shutdown of all 35,000 restaurants in Mexico City. Because of the business problems and the percentage of people that have died, economic activity in Mexico City has fallen by about sixty percent.
The NY Times also writes about this epidemic. It compares this epidemic to the SARS epidemic and the effects that that virus had on different places throughout the world. This spread is not nearly as worse as the SARS epidemic, 800 people, for example have died in 7 different countries due to Swine flu, which is not necessarily catastrophic, but it will still have its effects.
The Swine Flu is slowly creeping its way throughout the United States. This is something to be mildly, or perhaps even severely concerned about. Because the Swine flu has had such a drastic effect on Mexico's economy, it is quite possible that it will begin to have it's effects on the United States' already weakened economic situation. As for now, however, the situation is not as drastic as it is in Mexico City and many measures are being taken to contain the flu.
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