Health and Human Rights, Global Update

While it seems the media has (finally)stopped completely sensationalizing the Swine Flu outbreak, Mexico and its citizens are feeling the pandemic squeeze. Several Mexican citizens have been forced into quarantine in China, soccer matches have been called-off with Mexican teams in Chile, and flights from neighboring countries to Mexico have been canceled in recent days. Perhaps improperly labeled, the so-called Swine Flu contains genes from flu viruses that normally circulate in pigs in Europe and Asia, as well as avian and human genes, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. China's reaction has been the most severe (it also placed in quarantine 10 Canadian citizens suspected to be infected with the virus) most likely in response to the last global pandemic SARS, which originated in Hong Kong.