Northwest passenger arriving at Narita tests positive for influenza

Thursday 30th April, 09:43 PM JST

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Molenir at 01:25 AM JST - 1st May

Oh please, this whole thing is such a joke. Ok, its a new strain of the flu, but you don't exactly see people dropping dead left and right. It may come as a shock to some of you, but people actually die from the regular flu too! I was reading about my home state of Arizona, they recently had their first confirmed case of this new flu. Oh, but apparently he was sick, and has already gotten better... Go figure. Still shut his school down though.

By all means though, feel free to keep panicking.
northlondon at 01:33 AM JST - 1st May

And so what ? You're saying it's 'influenza'. I had influenza just over a year ago and so did most of my family and most of my office. What we are talking about in Mexico is 'Swine Influenza'. Totally different ballpark.
Goldensea at 01:45 AM JST - 1st May

She was not positive of swine flu, but A-Hong Kong type.
cathrynm at 02:23 AM JST - 1st May

You know, why not test BEFORE they got on the plane, not after.
SiouxGirl at 02:32 AM JST - 1st May

I'm not worried about any of it. I figure, either I'll live or I'll die. Well, I'm sure I'll die sooner or later. When exactly is the only open question.
Ultrashaman at 03:09 AM JST - 1st May

Time to start banning mass production of flesh. This Influenca can't be stopped from spreading now. But we can stop the next one from starting.

Because wild animals don't naturally reproduce as fast as possible and influenza does not evolve to infect new targets?

The average farm animal is healthier and less diease-ridden than a wild animal. Getting rid of farms is not an end-all cure for future problems. The main vehicle for the current flu spreading is human anyways.
coolj at 03:28 AM JST - 1st May

Interesting story in Newsweek on the effectiveness of the type of screening that they are doing in Narita:

"There was a meta-analysis of thermoscanner use that shows it didn't work well during the SARS outbreak because it had a lot of false negatives. It wasn't getting people who were symptomatic. Airport screening is going to get done, I guarantee it, but it typically doesn't work particularly well with flu. With flu, there's a time frame between when you get infected and become contagious. In that area, you don't know you're sick even though you're contagious. Thermoscanning in airports is not effective in picking up the people you want to."

and the article:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/195296
motytrah at 04:03 AM JST - 1st May

It's not about getting the situation under control, it's about the appearance of getting the situation under control.
Smythe at 05:46 AM JST - 1st May

It is bering spread over so many places in the world. They cannot say such & such a lot of normal working to travelling people have THIS flue.

So it is chancing it all the time in trying to keep clean to hands washed to also watching one's self or family if they are married & have kids.

I take not of fellow h/guners that come to the gun range & so far not a sniffle from any of them. Though I know in some cases they did not turn up in feeling-----well a bit under. Proof that some people are trying their best.
zaboomba at 05:58 AM JST - 1st May

the general advice:

good hygiene can help to reduce transmission of all viruses, including the human swine influenza. This includes covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using a tissue when possible and disposing of it promptly

how often this is done worldwide, and particularly in Tokyo Japan makes me shudder at this point.
IvanCoughalot at 06:55 AM JST - 1st May

I've noticed that this hysterical panic hasn't actually made anyone leap to any real action - such as having soap available in station bogs. Just wait for the flu virus to hybridise with faecal matter. That'll be fun.
zaboomba at 07:07 AM JST - 1st May

It's no fun, Ivan. I too regret the lack of any form of soap detergent at public places, but then I avoid them all the time. And always carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer.
IvanCoughalot at 10:01 AM JST - 1st May

zaboomba - I try to avoid public kharzies as well, but I have to use trains, and lift buttons, and coins...and 20 million people in Tokyo are not able to wash their hands once they get through the ticket barriers. If there's a place for disease to mutate and spread, this is it.
stipend at 11:24 AM JST - 1st May

Bulletin: The flu season is over!

So why does this show up now? Until a week ago there were bodies piled up in Mexico's streets, dozens of drug war deaths, thousands in total and the population was getting upset.

If this flu strain came from Mexico that is strange in itself.

Where did the last swine flu come from, 1976? -US military base, Fort Dix. Who died then? And who is dying now? This time it's only Mexicans? That is pretty strange.

Let's see.. part swine flu, bird flu, and human flu all miraculously combined -just brilliant! So it too was created in a lab then? I want to see this asked on CNN.
Ultrashaman at 12:43 PM JST - 1st May

Let's see.. part swine flu, bird flu, and human flu all miraculously combined -just brilliant! So it too was created in a lab then? I want to see this asked on CNN.

Your lack of concrete facts and unhealthy speculation forces me to believe you.