U.S. Slow to Learn of Mexico Flu

Canadian Officials Knew of Rare Strain Before Americans Did
By David Brown
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, April 26, 2009

U.S. public health officials did not know about a growing outbreak of swine flu in Mexico until nearly a week after that country started invoking protective measures, and didn't learn that the deaths were caused by a rare strain of the influenza until after Canadian officials did.

The delayed communication occurred as epidemiologists in Southern California were investigating milder cases of the illness that turned out to be caused by the same strain of swine flu as the one in Mexico. the rest

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