[googlemap lat=”19.410636″ lng=”-99.130588″ width=”300px” height=”150px” zoom=”3″ type=”G_NORMAL_MAP”]Mexico[/googlemap]

You can chart the progress of the “swine flu” here at google maps.

Swine Flu as of Monday April 27, 2009

• Mexico 1,600 infected, 149 dead (as of 3 PM)
• United States diagnosed  in Texas, California, including (100) in New York
• New Zealand 13 students returned from Mexico may have the flu
• Netanyahu a man was hospitalized at the Laniado Hospital after returning from Mexico with signs of flu.
• Spain  3 suspect cases
• France  2 suspect cases

Pigs were the mixing bowl for this virus. Birds can’t pass bird flu to people. But pigs are uniquely susceptible to getting flu viruses that infect birds. Experts have long worried that a pig would catch a bird strain of the flu and then the virus would mutate inside the pig to a form that could also infect other mammals. That may be what happened in this case. Pigs can also be infected with more than one influenza virus at a time, allowing the viruses to share genes, called “genetic reassortment,” creating new and potentially much more virulent viruses. You can do a lot more than wash your hands to prevent the flu!  

First recognize that the flu is not a cold. A cold can come on gradually after a tough work weak, after a long walk in rainy cold weather or a big argument–all of which weaken immunity. Flu symptoms–fever, cough, difficulty breathing–come on suddenly and violently. They require swift anti-inflammatory antiviral protection.

With a cold you may feel weak, chilled, and have a sore throat or stuffed sinus and body aches. Usually staying in bed, drinking lots of warm tea with ginger and lemon and clearing sinus congestion with essential tea tree oil works well. Swab out your nose with a Q tip dipped into Australian tea tree oil to clear your head. The ginger eases sore throat and brings on sweating. That is important. If you don’t sweat out chills, you will continue to feel weak.

For sore throat and swollen neck glands at the first sign of a cold I usually take 3 pills of a Chinese antimicrobial herbal combination: Chuan Xin Lian. The ingredients are dandelion, isatis (Chinese: 板藍根; pinyin: bǎn lán gēn) an antimicrobial used by Chinese herbalists for mumps and sore throat, and andrographis used in China, Scandinavia for colds.. The combination can be taken by adults 3 pills or a smaller dose by children (1 pill) with warm water up to three times daily. Usually one dose at bedtime works for me.

Along with the Chuan Xin Lian, I take 4 – 5 pills of Ganmaoling tablets. They contain holly and vitex, to enhance circulation and ease chest congestion, evodia and chrysanthemum flowers for fever or headache symptoms, and honeysuckle flower (Lonicera japonica) a broad-spectrum antibiotic herb useful for severe pneumonia and SARS.

Chuan Xin Lian and Ganmaoling can be taken in larger doses for curbing fever discomforts of flu. It is important not to suppress natural immunity with sedative drugs and cold raw foods. You need to sweat out aches  and kill germs with antibiotic herbs. Many bitter herbs, such as dandelion, isatis, oil of oregano capsules, and others are simultaneously antibiotic for bacterial infections (sore throat and red, raw tonsils) and antiviral for flu. If you use antibiotics herbal or otherwise for more than a couple of days, add acidophilus before meals 1 – 3 times daily. Stay warm. Stay inside, eat lightly, and give yourself a forced vacation!

If you are a frequent traveler take along Flu Away instant beverage. Use it during the flight and, if possible, wear a face mask. Spray your face, hands, and the inside of the mask with pure essential lavender oil spray – another pleasant antiseptic herb. To prevent symptoms add one packet of herbs to a cup of hot water as a tea or to juice. To treat germs, add 2 or 3 packs to a glass of juice once or twice daily. Flu Away is made from finely powdered antibiotic herbs to ease sore throat, fever, and aches. Add the powdered herbs to juice for kids. The formula is made in a Chinese hospital so it is not kid stuff but serious flu medicine in a practical, easy to use form.  Flu Away contains honeysuckle, schizonepeta, ligusticum, burdock, forsythia, peppermint, vitex, licorice. Scizonepeta combined with mint induces sweating, as the Chinese say, “To clear the surface” which means to bring out or clear an excess condition that should not be there . . . in this case cold chills. Forsythia bark and burdock reduce fever and reduce toxins, and ligusticum and vitex enhance circulation.

You can find Flu Away and other Yin/Yang Sisters instant beverages such as Breathe Free at Lin Sisters Herb Shop in Chinatown. They are located at 4 Bowery Street (phone:  212 962 5471) and at  18 A Elizabeth Street (phone: 212 962-8083.

[googlemap lat=”40.714289″ lng=”-73.997688″ width=”300px” height=”150px” zoom=”15″ type=”G_NORMAL_MAP”]New York, NY 10013[/googlemap]