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Reports are now suggesting that the swine flu which has already infected people in 30 countries can be as severe as the 1957 “Asian flu” pandemic that was responsible for the death of 2 Million people.

About 4 of 1000 people infected with the new H1N1 virus in Mexico by late April died. Now scientists are trying to determine if the swine flu will mutate and become more deadly as it spreads to the southern hemisphere and back. The virus is more contentious than the seasonal flu. A “Moderate” pandemic like the 1957 Asian flu could kill 14.2 million people and shave 2% from the global economic the first year itself. The swine flu being categorised as “Severe” can do much more.

“While substantial uncertainty remains, clinical severity appears less than that seen in 1918 but comparable with that seen in 1957,” the Science study authors wrote.

So how did the global pandemic flu actually form in the first place? Well, flu pandemics occur when is a strain of the disease to which few people have immunity evolves and began spreading. Pandemics usually after 2 to 3 times a century, scientists have said. A worldwide outbreak as severe as the 1918 Spanish flu might cause 180 million to 360 million deaths, according to a 2005 study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The last pandemic that hit this century was in 1968 and the health officials have been anticipating another since the H5N1 virus began spreading widely in birds in 2003.

As of now swine flu has been confirmed 4694 people, according to World Health Organization and the health agency of the United Nations. And 61 people how been killed, the majority being from Mexico where 56 people have been killed and three in the US. The rest are, one from Canada and one from Costa Rica. US tops the list in the most confirmed cases of swine flu which is 2618 cases in 44 states according to the centres for disease control and prevention.

Thailand and Cuba today have reported their country’s first confirmed case of swine flu. Thailand’s Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and the former Cuban President Fedel Castro confirmed it today. These figures are not included in the world health organization’s latest tally.

A new study has said that each person infected with swine flu in Mexico in April gave at least 1.4 more people on average. While these figures are in the lower range of transmission for a pandemic, it is quicker than most seasonal flus.

As swine flu continues to spread in many countries across the world in the time of global recession, the swine flu can also be a major factor that melts the economy.

Reports are also confirming that swine flu is more prone to people with asthma and diabetes.

The US now has 2532 confirmed cases of swine flu after a jump in figures in recent days official say. It is really a staggering increase, the cases are now up around 600 since Friday. This means the US has now surpassed Mexico as the most affected nation. In Mexico there are currently 1626 confirmed cases and it is trying to get back to normal but as far as US is concerned there is only three confirmed deaths whereas in Mexico there are at least 48 people who have died due to swine flu.

In Mexico people worked over the weekend to clean and disinfect primary schools which are due to resume classes after a two week break but this is not the same case in all the states in Mexico some states are planning on delaying the return to school for another week amid more suspected new cases.

Secondary schools and universities have already reopened last week as part of a gradual resumption of business after a shutdown of several days ordered by the Mexican government in a bid to stem the outbreak. Mexico was the first country where the outbreak of swine flu came to light. Globally now there are at least 4300 confirmed cases of swine flu across 30 different countries this includes China which on Monday reported its first case on the Chinese mainland.

Most of the cases in US has been mild with the third death being reported on Monday.

“More cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths from this outbreak will occur over the coming days and weeks, ” a CDC statement said.

“This increase in testing capacity is likely to result in an increase in the number of reported confirmed cases in this country which should provide a more accurate picture of the burden of disease in the United States,” the CDC said.