US President Barack Obama (left) on Monday urged Americans to remain calm in the face of a widening outbreak of swine flu, saying that the illness is a 'cause for concern' but not alarm. --PHOTO: REUTERS
WASHINGTON - US PRESIDENT Barack Obama on Monday urged Americans to remain calm in the face of a widening outbreak of swine flu, saying that the illness is a 'cause for concern' but not alarm.
In remarks delivered at a gathering of the National Academy of Sciences, the US leader said that the ailment, which has killed more than 100 people in Mexico, 'requires a heightened state of alert. But it is not a cause for alarm.'
The president added that US health officials 'are closely monitoring the emerging cases of swine flu in the United States,' which has had 20 confirmed cases of the illness across five states, and prompted the federal government to declare a US health emergency.
But Mr Obama said that the declaration was made out of an abundance of caution.
'The Department of Health and Human Services has declared a Public Health Emergency as a precautionary tool to ensure that we have the resources we need at our disposal to respond quickly and effectively,' the president said.
'I'm getting regular updates on the situation from the responsible agencies, and the Department of Health and Human Services as well as the Centers for Disease Control will be offering regular updates to the American people so that they know what steps are being taken and what steps they may need to take,' Mr Obama said.
Despite the president's calming words, US health officials warned the public on Monday to brace for more swine flu cases and possibly even death from the killer disease which already has claimed more than 100 lives in neighboring Mexico.
'From what we understand in Mexico, I think people need to be ready for the idea that we could see more severe cases in this country and possibly deaths,' Richard Besser, acting head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told ABC television on Monday.
His remarks came as new cases of the virus, which erupted into public awareness last week in Mexico, spread to Europe, with at least 10 people under observation in Denmark and Sweden, and at least one case in Spain.
Meanwhile, World Health Organisation experts were meeting Monday to decide whether the swine flu alert level should be raised from the current level three to four, which signals a 'significant increase in risk of a pandemic.' -- AFP
