Eduardo Machuca - Photographer: Information about the Swine H1N1 Influenza Virus in Mexico

First, to my three readers: I haven't updated neither this Blog nor my homepage galleries because I've been working on a whole redesign for my homepage, which has taken me much more than expected. So, there are several weddings and family portrait session that still are not shown in the public galleries.

Now, with regards to the swine virus situation.

Quick important info for your wedding or family portrait session in Cancun and the Mayan Riviera

The new strain of the H1N1 virus is not any more mortal than other types of influenza. As a matter of fact, it is much less mortal than the regular influenza. In any case, and for your peace of mind when traveling to Mexico, please consult your doctor and ask about:

Oseltamivir (brand name Tamiflu ®) is approved to both treat and prevent influenza A and B virus infection in people one year of age and older.
Zanamivir (brand name Relenza ®) is approved to treat influenza A and B virus infection in people 7 years and older and to prevent influenza A and B virus infection in people 5 years and older.

Both antiviral drugs not only treat the symptoms, if you caught the virus, but also PREVENT you from catching it. Your doctor should prescribe the proper usage. Full information on this CDC Antiviral page

Also, some sanitary recommendations: do not shake hands with strangers nor kiss hello/goodbye. In other words, use a Japanese greeting :-)

Not Mexican

Let me start by saying the Swine Virus IS NOT Mexican. The first appearance of the virus was with the Spanish Flu or Influenza in 1918. As a matter of fact, the influenza is cataloged as Euro-Asian in origin.

USA Swine Flu Influenza outbreak in 1976

Yes, in 1976 there was an influenza outbreak in the USA, a variant of H1N1 virus plus another variant of the H3N2 virus. Around 30% of the US population was vaccinated at that time, but the program stopped because the vaccine seemed to kill people, and probably caused 500 cases of the Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), of which 25 died. So, the swine virus remained among the USA population.

USA 1988 swine flu quasi-outbreak

Yes, there was another swine flu outbreak in Wisconsin, USA but the authorities did not considered it an outbreak, even though one pregnant women died and several other people and health personnel were found infected.

USA 1998 Swine Flu Influenza Outbreak

Yes, there was yet another swine flu outbreak in the USA in 1998. This time, the swine flu was found in pigs in four US States, as a recombinant form of flu strains from birds and humans.

Philippine 2007 outbreak

There was another influenza outbreak in the Philippines in 2007, this time also in pigs.

2009 H1N1 Swine flu Outbreak

Again, I must stress this virus is not Mexican but American, if you want to give it names, which I don’t. The USA Center for Disease Control has traced this new swine virus back to California, then to Texas and finally into Mexico.

From this CDC page: “H1N1 (referred to as “swine flu” early on) is a new influenza virus causing illness in people. This new virus was first detected in people in April 2009 in the United States. Other countries, including Mexico and Canada, have reported people sick with this new virus.”

The first outbreak of this virus in Mexico was in a small town in the State of Veracruz, close to a pig farm owned by a USA Company. This Company has previously been fined for environmental damage in the US. In October 2000 the supreme court upheld a $12.6m (£8.6m) fine levied by the US environmental protection agency which found that the company had violated its pollution permits in the Pagan River in Virginia which runs towards Chesapeake Bay. The company faced accusations that fecal and other bodily waste from slaughtered pigs had been dumped directly into the river since the 1970s .

So, this new swine virus should have been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the US authorities when they first found it earlier this year in California. But they didn’t. Just as when China covered the Avian Flu Outbreak of 1997, so as not to lose business and tourism.

So, it just happens that our nice and polite Mexican officials reported this swine virus to the WHO, and decided to shut-down a 110 million people country, long before it was really necessary. Given the over-reaction of our government, and that is was Mexico and not the US, the one reporting the virus, the whole world has taken Mexico as the origin of this virus.

Worse yet, Mexican tourists in other countries are being hunted down by the authorities and local people, to be returned to Mexico as soon as possible. When, again, this virus has been alive for decades among the US population and it was California the first appearance of this new virus strain.

Just so you know, 36000 (thirty six thousand people) die of influenza every year in the US alone. Worldwide, there are 250 million cases of Malaria, of which 1 million die every year. And no other country is closing its doors nor being blamed for that.

As close as January 2009, China had another dead because of the Avian Flu. Yet again, no pandemic-paranoia was made nor China closed down its country doors, like Mexico did.

Now you see international authorities and other countries tanking Mexico for notifying about the virus and taking the extreme measures the country is taking to contain it, despite the great cost to the Mexican economy, already in crisis.

But of course, what else could you tell to a country that commits economic hara-kiri and puts its citizens at the center of discrimination, on behalf of human kind?

Only Mexicans Die

According to the World Health Organization, on its May 4 update:

4 May 2009 -- As of 18:00 GMT, 4 May 2009, 21 countries have officially reported 1085 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection.

Mexico has reported 590 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 25 deaths. The United States has reported 286 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (101), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Costa Rica (1), Colombia (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (2), France (4), Germany (8), Ireland (1), Israel (4), Italy (2), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (6), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (1), Spain (54), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (18).

NOTE: the one person in the USA that is reported as dead because of the virus, was a Mexican baby that was already very ill when they crossed the border, and died in a US hospital.

So, it seems to be very curious that out of 1085 cases confirmed worldwide, ONLY MEXICANS DIE.

There can be only three possible explanations for that. One, that this new swine virus was engineered to attack only the Mexican genome, if such thing is possible. Which I don’t think it is, because there is not such thing as a Mexican race.

Our country's blood is a mixture of several, and very different, American Indians races, with the blood of Spanish, and French, and Arab people. Later on, there was a great Chinese immigration into the country. And now we have had a great immigration wave of people from Argentina and Venezuela, among most of the other Central America and South American countries.

Two, that our doctors in Mexico are really really stupid (there is a lot of prior evidence that can confirm this) and our social health system is even worse than that of the Antarctica; which by the way, doesn’t have one.

And third, a cultural explanation. You see, if you live in a first-world country, when you get sick you go to a doctor. While in Mexico, when people feel sick they will first self-medicate. You can buy anything at the drug stores without a prescription.

Then, after self-medicating, if you continue to feel sick, you will most likely seek the advice of a Shaman or a Witch or go get a Tarot reading to find out who is “sending” you these bad vibes that affects your health.

Only when you feel about dieing, you will go see a doctor.

So, if you combine this cultural behavior with the low quality of doctors and health system, you end up with dead people because of a simple flu.

Throw into the equation even stupider politicians, and you have a paranoia of epidemic proportions.

The fact remains that no one in the whole world, except for Mexicans, have died of the swine virus.

So, you may wonder why if this virus was born in the USA, no one have died there? Because in the USA, doctors treat every symptom of influenza with either oseltamivir, zanamivir, amantadine or rimantadine.

The first two have now been tested to treat and even prevent the new virus strain. And the first one is the most prescribed in the USA, with the brand name of Tamiflu.

In Mexico, most doctors in the social health system will treat influenza symptoms with an Aspirin and a recommendation to go home and rest.

In any case, the new strain of the swine virus is not any more deadly than the former strains of influenza.

Twenty Mexican people have died of this new strain, or 21 if you count the Mexican baby that died in the US. Whereas 36,000 die of the regular, or now common influenza every year in the USA, and 10,000 in Mexico.

The geography of the Swine influenza virus in Mexico

If you see the international news, the message is clear: the whole country of Mexico has the swine virus, and we are all wearing masks. Nothing further from the truth.

The occurrence of the new strain of the swine virus is mostly confined to Mexico City, the State of Mexico, which is the same for all practical purposes, and the State of San Luis Potosi.

That’s only 2 out of 31 Mexican States, plus Mexico City. And so you know, the Yucatan Peninsula, comprised of the State of Quintana Roo (Cancun and the Mayan Riviera), the State of Yucatan (Merida, where I live), and the State of Campeche, is free as of this writing, from the new strain of the swine virus.

The 8 kids from New York that have been reported as catching the virus while vacationing in Cancun, either caught the virus if they traveled through Mexico City’s airport, or already had the virus before coming into Mexico (remember the origin of this virus is the USA, not Mexico).

Beyond the swine virus: The swine virus and politics

Conspiracy theories are very creative. But even more are Mexican politicians.

There is a long tradition among the politicians in power, to give the nation the bad news when people is on vacations, such as price increases. Also, “something” always happens before elections, to divert the attention of the people. And this time is not the exception. In case you don’t know, we have Federal Elections on June.

With the excuse of the virus, the government secluded everybody at home, and with everybody’s attention focused on the virus, they took this golden opportunity to do the following:

The Senate approved the law to carry drugs for personal use. So now, you can carry small amounts of marihuana, cocaine, opium, LSD, heroine, crystals and methamphetamines.

So, on the one hand, you have 1,500 people killed every month in Mexico because of the war against drugs, and on the other hand, politicians approve the carrying of drugs. Did I mention Mexican politicians are beyond stupidity? But yes, they are very creative.

Also got approved the Law for the Federal Police, which gives them the following powers:

The use of police man without a uniform. We are going back to the times of the infamous “El Negro” Durazo police, with undercover cops and armed civilians, meaning, more crime and more impugn kidnappings.
The power to intervene telephone and cellular conversations.
The power to intervene electronic email and messages and internet websites.
The power to ask for private information about its employees or customers to private companies.
So, given the historical, and still current, abuse of power by Mexican authorities, this is not a law that will work against crime, but rather against the civilian population.

Now the Secretary of Health has the power to establish checkpoints on roads, airports, and maritime routes, and to search and detain.

So, one more checkpoint. When I travel from Merida to Cancun and the Mayan Riviera to shot weddings, on any good day I have to pass the following checkpoints:

A police checkpoint within Merida on my way out, on whatever pretext they like: if you are driving alone, it is because you are driving alone. If two guys go on the car, it is because they “have orders” to check any car with two guys alone. I was once taking my son to the airport and got stopped by the police at a checkpoint under that pretext.
A State Police checkpoint around Km. 12, with the pretext of searching for fire arms.
A military checkpoint on the toll-road with the pretext of searching for drugs.
Sometimes, another military checkpoint when turning towards Tulum.
Another State police checkpoint when leaving the Yucatan State.
Sometimes, another military checkpoint on the road from Tulum to Cancun.
A police checkpoint before reaching Playa del Carmen.
And the same the way back. However, if I arrive back at night to Merida, I would have to pass yet another police checkpoint in the city, with the pretext of alcohol-driving.
And the funny thing is, all of this is prohibited by the Constitution! Even the car driving regulation law prohibits the police from stopping you, unless it is clear that you committed a driving infraction.
And yes, all checkpoint have armed guys, not with pistols but with AR-15 rifles. In my opinion, they should be using AK-47’s, as it has been proven to be the most reliable rifle ever.
So now, I will have to pass yet another checkpoint with guys in white lab coats and armed with AR-15’s, with the pretext of searching for viruses.

The International Money Fund approved a 47 Billion dollar line of credit to Mexico on April 18, plus another $205 million dollars from the World Bank, with the pretext of this swine virus. Just so you know, the Mexican Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) has an assigned budget of $614 million dollars, for year 2009 alone, that goes into political parties and their salaries and electoral campaigns. So, more money is expended to feed the politicians, than to combat the virus.

On another theme, pharmaceutical are expected to grow 2.7% this year.

There is an old Mexican saying that reads: Think wrong (suspiciously), and you’ll find the truth.

So, in my very personal opinion, this swine virus thing is a farce, a mockery. A very big, huge lie. Of course, there are many parties that get benefited from this situation, but it is not the Mexican civilian population nor companies.

And yes, it is also my opinion that President Calderon should be held responsible for the great economic damage he has caused to Mexico with this government-created paranoia.

Even inert Mexican product exports are being held at other countries' customs because of the virus. Not to mention all the tourism that has canceled their traveling to Mexico. And all of the Mexican tourists at other countries that are being hunted down and discriminated.

So you know, Mexico has three income streams:

Money sent back into Mexico by Mexicans working in the USA. This is by far the greatest income stream Mexico has.
Sales of crude oil. We sell crude oil, and import refined products, more expensive, such as gasoline, made with our crude oil. This is very funny indeed!
Tourism. Even though the Mexican tourism industry is in the hands of hotel chains and companies from Spain and the USA, it is the third largest income stream for Mexico. Now gone.

As a curiosity, it just happens that a few days after the visit of President Obama to Mexico, the so called virus epidemia was announced. Did President Obama came to convince President Calderon for taking the risk of announcing the virus, in order not to damage the US economy? Which by far, I would agree, it is much more important to the world than the Mexican economy. If this was so, then it would explain the loan given to President Calderon for 47 Billion dollars .

Current estimates indicate that the virus situation will cost Mexico 2,200 million dollars, or 2.2 Billion dollars. Then, President Calderon is being rewarded with an excess 44.8 Billion dollars for taking the blame on behalf of the US. That's a whole lot of money.

As you can guess, we never know were that money goes. Nevertheless, it is the Mexican citizens and companies the ones that have to pay back that debt.

But again, this is just a curiosity, a conjecture. Still, it rises questions.

One final thought. Given the economic distress Mexico is and will continue suffering because of having reported this virus, by following the guidelines of the World Health Organization, and the (bad) reaction of the international community, treating Mexicans as if they had the Bubonic Plague, and prohibiting the entrance of Mexican products, alive, dead, or inert, I only wonder what other country in the future will dare to report a similar situation. Not one, I guess.

And, by the way, the Bubonic Plague appeared in Los Angeles county, California, as close as in April 2006.

And, these are the true final words, finally. I must clarify that I love the US and its citizens; the same way I love Mexico and being Mexican. The opinions I express here are about things above you and I, the common people. Just wondering about what the real truth is.

More curiosities:

It took Radio 38 years to reach an audience of 50 million people
It took TV 13 years to reach an audience of 50 million people
It took Internet 4 years to reach an audience of 50 million people
And, it took President Calderon less than two weeks to create a state of paranoia in a 110 million people country, not to mention the worldwide audience, trow its economy down the drain, and make Mexican citizens everywhere to be hunted dow, taken as hostages (China, Singapur, Cuba, and other countries), and be discriminated worldwide. He should be in the Guinness World Records.