Swine flu update with epidemiologist Dr. Richard Wenzel and BBC’s Ros Atkins

The World

We are closely tracking the swine flu outbreak in Mexico that is rapidly spreading across the globe. There are confirmed cases in the United States and Canada and now Spain’s health ministry has confirmed that nation’s first case. World health officials are bracing for a potential worldwide pandemic of the swine flu that is being linked to the deaths of more than one hundred people in Mexico. More than 1600 people are believed to have caught the virus. The Takeaway is joined by Dr. Richard Wenzel, immediate past President of the International Society for Infectious Diseases. Dr. Wenzel is currently Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University. He can help us understand the symptoms, the causes, and the best ways to prevent transmission of this flu.

Also on The Takeaway is Ros Atkins, presenter of the BBC’s World Have Your Say. He is in Mexico and joins us with a look at how Mexico is handling the outbreak.

Less than .05% of listeners will donate. Can we count on you?

Our coverage reaches millions each week, but only a small fraction of listeners contribute to sustain our program. We still need 224 more people to donate $100 or $10/monthly to unlock our $67,000 match. Will you help us get there today?