Will there be confirmed cases of swine flu on every continent by July 1?

As of 4/27 @ 7:24 PM EDT:

COUNTRY: suspected cases / confirmed cases / deaths
---------------------------------------------------
MEXICO: 1995 / 26 / 149
UNITED STATES*: 212+ / 42 / 0
CANADA: 20+ / 6 / 0
UNITED KINGDOM: 21 / 2 / 0
SPAIN: 35 / 1 / 0

New Zealand: 111 / 0 / 0
Colombia: 12 / 0 / 0
Australia: 7 / 0 / 0
Switzerland: 5 / 0 / 0
Denmark: 4 / 0 / 0
Ireland: 4 / 0 / 0
Czech Republic: 3 / 0 / 0
Poland: 3 / 0 / 0
France: 3 / 0 / 0
Guatemala: 3/ 0 / 0
Israel: 2 / 0 / 0
Argentina: 1 / 0 / 0
Costa Rica: 1 / 0 / 0
Norway: 1 / 0 / 0
Peru: 1 / 0 / 0
Russia: 1 / 0 / 0

That makes it confirmed on two continents, and suspected on all other but Africa...and you can imagine that won't hold for long... :-|

Now confirmed in New Zealand and Israel, which puts it on four of the six continents in play: North America, Europe, Asia*, and Oceania. Still waiting for confirmation on South America (43 suspected cases in 5 countries)--expected today--and first news of any cases in Africa.

* - The first confirmed case is in Israel. Israel won't call it the "swine flu", however (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ieHZRubAS3lyjn2GBiCPkXkHrXwwD97QROAG0) but that doesn't matter here, right? :-)

Are you including Antarctica as a continent?

dingoh, you might want to read the background and cat ed clarification.

For clarification, where do North America and South America start and finish?

Normally, it's the Panama Canal, but for purposes such as this where a country can't be divided, Panama is considered part of North/Central America, and it directly abuts Colombia, which is in South America. Here's a nice map:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Continents_vide_couleurs.png

As I stated earlier, the only continents with no confirmed cases are South America and Africa. Given that there are dozens of suspected cases in Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, and Chile, South America will likely be added to the list no later than tomorrow. Africa? Well, we'll see...

Still no confirmed South American cases, but that will "...most likely come today [Wednesday]", according to the WHO; with nearly 100 suspected cases in Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, and Uruguay, it's only a matter of time. There are still no reports from Africa, though the WHO is--quite understandably--worried about the virus getting into any or all of that continent's crowded and generally hygiene-poor, medically-inadequate big cities.

Egypt is slaughtering all their pigs.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090429/ap_on_he_me/ml_egypt_swine_flu_2

South Africa just reported its first suspected cases of swine flu. (http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=nw20090429144821696C561369)

wow...i really didnt expect it to spread like this...first death in u.s. is a 23-month old baby in texas

Ah, the wonders of modern air travel... :-|

FWIW, the baby that died in Texas was a Mexican resident who was infected there, but was being treated in Houston. What's that mean? Beats me...

It means that Mexicans abandon their government run health care and come to the United States when in need.

and then they die????

April 29, 2009
A member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has dismissed claims that more than 150 people have died from swine flu, saying it has officially recorded only seven deaths around the world.

Reports have put the likely death toll from the virus at 152, with Mexican officials confirming 20 deaths.

The number of cases under observation in Mexico alone has reportedly reached 1,614.

But Vivienne Allan, from WHO's patient safety program, said the body had confirmed that worldwide there had been just seven deaths - all in Mexico - and 79 confirmed cases of the disease.

"Unfortunately that (150-plus deaths) is incorrect information and it does happen, but that's not information that's come from the World Health Organization," Ms Allan told ABC Radio on Wednesday morning.

"That figure is not a figure that's come from the World Health Organization and, I repeat, the death toll is seven and they are all from Mexico."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/2372751/Only-seven-confirmed-swine-flu-deaths-WHO

According to the US government, the country of Mexico--the entire country--has a bit over $400,000 to spend on pandemic prevention. Yes, that's about 40 odd cents for every one of the 105 million (or so) men, women, and child living there. In light of that, 152 doesn't seem incredible at all...

FWIW, Reuters is reporting that Africa's "burden" of existing diseases such as TB, pneumonia, and malaria--all of which have many symptoms in common with swine flu--may be masking a number of cases of A/H1N1, making both detection and treatment of the virus extremely difficult...

Israel have apparently now discounted their 2 cases of swine flu, if so that's no cases in Asia now

Sorry, ignore me... the 2 new possibles have been discounted not the original 2

Don't forget about South Korea's 1 (for now) confirmed case, also--obviously--in Asia.

Confirmed In Peru now; that leaves only Africa...

Flu strain amok, Obama warns against anti-swine bias



“...The president has ordered Attorney General Eric Holder to draft Justice Department guidelines labeling violence against domesticated hogs has a "hate crime" punishable by 10-years-to-life in prison, on top of the customary sentence. Mr. Holder has also created a special investigative unit of the FBI to focus on anti-swine crime.”...

..."This pandemic will be overcome the same way we triumphed over every other threat," Obama said, "through dialogue with our enemies, reasonable restrictions on your Constitutional rights, and higher taxes on those whose unfettered greed has already made them the largest tax payers."...

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columns/scottott/Flu-strain-amok-Obama-warns-against-anti-swine-bias-43869172.html

To recap: A/H1N1 has been confirmed in 1) North America, 2) South America, 3) Europe, 4) Asia, 5) Australia/Oceania. Since 6) Antarctica is off the table for purposes of this question, that leaves only 7) Africa. With suspected cases in at least Benin (and possibly South Africa), that final continent is bound to close out the list soon...

More than likely it's there already, but has not been identified. Millions are dying from famine, AIDS and malaria, to name a few. h1n1 flu is the least of their problems....