Insurance Guide

By Ross Colvin

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – United States said on Sunday the public health emergency due to an outbreak of swine flu that has been diagnosed in 20 people in that country, the same strain is suspected that killed 81 people inMexico.

The outbreak is another distraction for the president when Barack Obama focuses on economy rescue its worst crisis in decades. His government will also have in mind the harm caused to the former president George W. Mishandling of the Bush administration to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

At this moment, an important priority is to ensure that communication is strong and medical surveillance efforts are fully activated, said John Brennan, assistant to the President on National Security, at a briefing at the White House.

Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, for its acronym in English) told a separate briefing that he feared that some people die in United States while the virus was spreading.

Health Officials and National Security announced measures to free up some of the U.S. stocks of Tamiflu and Relenza anti-drugs.

The officials recommended that local planning authorities possible closure of schools and that anyone with symptoms to stay at home to reduce the chance of transmission.

The White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said it was too early to say what impact the outbreak could have on efforts to ensure that the economy recovers. The costs of health and greatly affect the economy.

's Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said that the declaration of a public health emergency was needed to release resources from federal, state and local and authorize release of funds to purchase additional antivirals.

This is a standard operating procedure, said Napolitano, adding that similar statements had been issued in the past to help states to overcome flooding or hurricanes.

The CDC confirmed 20 cases of swine flu in the United States and said that all patients had recovered and only one person had to be hospitalized. Officials said they were not taking tests for the virus to those who have traveled by air from Mexico.

The CDC is preparing yellow cards to hand out to passengers and provide information on symptoms of the flu and should take what precaucioens, Schuchat said. U.S. health officials are emphasizing the frequent hand washing as the first lindea defense against viruses.

(Additional Reporting by Kim Dixon, Donna Smith and Maggie Fox, published in Spanish for Burin Gabriel)