Fear has spread throughout Gaza, Palestine as the first 12 swine flu deaths occurred, including the loss of a well-known surgeon. To help the region cope with the outbreak, Israeli officials have made arrangements to transfer at least five seriously ill Palestinian swine flu victims to regional hospitals for treatment.

Meanwhile, after North Korea reported 7 swine flu fatalities and closed schools a month early to slow the viral spread, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak requested that medical aid be sent unconditionally to the country.

Although the world’s swine flu cases, both fatal and mild, are far more in number than officially recorded, government agencies have reported at least 12,054 lost lives since April 2009.

The total death toll in Israel has now reached 67, and in Turkey, confirmed swine flu deaths rose by 55 in just 3 days to a sum of 296. Meanwhile, the Netherlands has reported the third fatality due to a mutated form of the swine flu virus, while 42 people so far have died of the original virus.

Concern still runs high about the ongoing risk of swine flu combining with other viral diseases at large, such as bird flu. In Ireland, nearly 500 people have experienced severe adverse reactions to the swine flu vaccine, which involves the brutally inhumane treatment of monkeys and chickens in its production.

We join in grief and worry for people’s exposure to these contagions. Our gratitude, South Korea and Israel for your care for the lives of suffering fellow humans as we pray that such livestock-borne diseases are eliminated through the consumption of fresh and vital plant-based foods.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/07/world/AP-AS-Koreas-Swine-Flu.html
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/12/08/200912080071.asp
http://www.france24.com/en/node/4943387
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/08/world/AP-ML-Israel-Gaza-Swine-Flu.html
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/298367,palestinian-doctor-dies-of-swine-flu-in-israeli-hospital.html
http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/third-victim-mutated-ah1n1-virus
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/health/2009/1208/1224260295775.html
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-194871-100-swine-flu-death-toll-reaches-296-in-turkey.html
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aIPrpfMix5