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Your View: Is concern about swine flu overblown?
Last Updated: Thursday, June 11, 2009 | 11:33 AM CT
CBC News
Microbiologist Beth Weiman tests a suspected swine flu sample at the Washington State Public Health Laboratories in Shoreline, Wash., on April 30. (Elaine Thompson/Associated Press) Is the swine flu more of a threat than seasonal flu or is it being overblown?
During a normal flu season, between 4,000 and 8,000 Canadians — mostly seniors — will die from pneumonia related to flu, according to Health Canada.
So far, swine flu — also known as H1N1 influenza A virus — has been blamed for three deaths in the country and 141 across the world.
On June 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared swine flu the first global flu pandemic in 40 years. The last global flu pandemic was declared in 1968, when the Hong Kong flu killed about 1 million people worldwide.
As of June 11, more than 27,700 cases of swine flu were confirmed across several continents. The virus has primarily caused mild symptoms with headaches and vomiting.
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