by Joshua Mccracken

Created on: May 30, 2009   Last Updated: June 02, 2009

Statistics reveal that the greatest threat when it comes to influenza in the modern world is present in the hysteria that surrounds it. Every year an estimated 36,000 Americans die from complications relating to influenza. A relatively small number, when you consider that there are over 350,000,000 people living in the USA. Influenza accounts for a mere 3.2 percent of deaths in adults age 65 and over and 4.8 of deaths of adults 85 and over and those are the highest percentages, as of 2001, according to the CDC. These statistics remain largely unchanged despite growing hysteria over the latest strains. Influenza accounts for 2.5 % of deaths in children 1-4 years of age and 1.3 of the deaths of children from age 5-9. Obviously, the death toll is negligible.

The latest hysteria is surrounding the notorious swine flu, known as H1N1. As of Monday May 4th, authorities have confirmed only 985 cases of the swine flu in 20 countries, according to the World Health Organization. The number of fatalities was at 26, which includes a single death in the USA, CNN reported.

A panicky Vice President Joe Biden, fueled hysteria on Thursday April 30th during a television interview, where he warned Americans not to travel in confined spaces such as airlines or subways. Biden spoke of warning his own family about enclosed spaces such as classrooms and vehicles, before Biden spokesperson Elizabeth Alexander, corrected him in an effort to counteract the hysteria that his statements would doubtlessly perpetuate.

As the climate of fear takes hold, countless livestock have been slaughtered needlessly, fueling the panic. In Egypt, officials slaughtered an estimated 400,000 pigs, even though the swine flu is primarily transmitted from person to person and rarely through the animals. It is not transmitted at all by eating pork. Russia responded to the atmosphere of panic by banning pork imports from Spain and Canada.

Congressman Ron Paul notes the hysteria, recalling the previous swine flu outbreak in 1976. At the time, congress voted to inoculate the entire country and as a result, 25 Americans died from the vaccination and only one American died from the actual swine flu, a 22 month old boy in Texas who was visiting from Mexico.

According to CNN, in Mexico around 2,500 people have allegedly been infected with the swine flu. Mexican authorities suspect that around 159 people have died from infection, though they have only been able to confirm less than a dozen of these deaths. In

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