Deadly Swine Flu prompting closures and precautions

Hello, and stop right there. Not too close, please. News outlets and health officials are putting out the red alert on an outbreak of deadly new influenza strains, which are being referred to as swine flu. The Associated Press and the New York Times report that there have been at least 16 recent deaths in Mexico due to the swine flu, and according to the NYT:

"The World Health Organization reported about 800 cases of flu-like symptoms in Mexico in recent weeks, most of them among healthy young adults, with 57 deaths in Mexico City and 3 in central Mexico."

Today, officials closed schools throughout the capital city and the neighboring Estado de México, a measure not taken since the massively destructive 1985 earthquake in Mexico City. Health officials also urge precautions such as that people avoid crowded spaces like the metro, stay home from work if they have flu-like symptoms, and refrain from the typical kiss-and-handshake greeting.

Mexico's Health Ministry lists symptoms that include: fever higher than 38 degrees Celsius, frequent and intense coughing, headache, loss of appetite, and nasal congestion. This outbreak appears to be hitting young, healthy adults the hardest, according to news reports.  

Regarding treatment, Mexico City's health minister, Armando Ahued, was quoted in the Agence France-Presse, as saying: "This new virus is susceptible to a specific antiviral, and the cases that are detected and determined as flu will be perfectly treated."

However, the AFP story also noted that: "The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says on its website that there is no vaccine to specifically protect humans from swine flu, only to protect pigs."

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides a definition and FAQ about swine flu on its website.