Mexican Officials Hope Early Swine Flu Case Can Yield Clues LA GLORIA, Mexico – Edgar Hernandez is a playful five-year-old with spiky black hair and a Cheshire cat grin. He also happens to be the earliest known victim – so far – of the swine flu that is spreading across Mexico, the U.S., and beyond.
Edgar's mysterious case is at the center of a search in Mexico to find out how the epidemic, which has now spread to seven countries, began.
Edgar's mysterious case is at the center of a search in Mexico to find out how the epidemic, which has now spread to seven countries, began.
Edgar, like many residents of la Gloria, got sick in late March or early April, running a high fever and complaining of a headache and pains, according to his mother Maria del Carmen Hernandez. But after a quick visit to the doctor and some pain pills, he recovered.
During the town's flu outbreak, health officials tested residents and concluded they had ordinary influenza. Some of those samples were saved and sent to Mexico City. Once the outbreak of swine flu was confirmed in other parts of the country, Mexico sent the samples from La Gloria to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta for further testing. The samples came back negative, except for the one that belonged to Edgar.
Now, Edgar is an active boy with a round face who likes practical jokes. When a group of reporters gathered around his small house in this village on Tuesday, he coughed and grabbed his throat, looking up to see the reaction. Asked how he was feeling, he said: "Bad, very bad"-- prompting his mother to chide him: "Edgar, stop it."
Late Tuesday, the Mexican government said there are 159 suspected swine flu deaths in the country. Seven of the deaths are confirmed to be a result of the virus. Officials have confirmed 26 cases of the virus among some 2,498 people treated with severe pneumonia since outbreak began.
During the town's flu outbreak, health officials tested residents and concluded they had ordinary influenza. Some of those samples were saved and sent to Mexico City. Once the outbreak of swine flu was confirmed in other parts of the country, Mexico sent the samples from La Gloria to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta for further testing. The samples came back negative, except for the one that belonged to Edgar.
Now, Edgar is an active boy with a round face who likes practical jokes. When a group of reporters gathered around his small house in this village on Tuesday, he coughed and grabbed his throat, looking up to see the reaction. Asked how he was feeling, he said: "Bad, very bad"-- prompting his mother to chide him: "Edgar, stop it."
Late Tuesday, the Mexican government said there are 159 suspected swine flu deaths in the country. Seven of the deaths are confirmed to be a result of the virus. Officials have confirmed 26 cases of the virus among some 2,498 people treated with severe pneumonia since outbreak began.
Mexican officials hope Edgar's case can help piece together the epidemic's early days. But so far, his case is raising more questions. While other villagers also got bad colds at roughly the same time as Edgar, he appears to be the only one in the area who contracted the deadly swine flu. Adding to the mystery, no one else in the family got swine flu, though Edgar sleeps in the same bed with his three-year-old baby brother and his parents.
"We just don't know how he got sick. Maybe it was a genetic accident of some kind," said Orlando Oscanga, a doctor who works for the state government and oversees public health issues in the municipality where Edgar lives.
"We just don't know how he got sick. Maybe it was a genetic accident of some kind," said Orlando Oscanga, a doctor who works for the state government and oversees public health issues in the municipality where Edgar lives.
Fuente: Diario The Wall Street Journal
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