April 12, 2009: In the central Mexican city of San Luis Potosi, a 39-year-old woman infected with swine flu (later labelled as H1N1 flu) dies of severe viral pneumonia. Mexican health authorities have already started noticing an outbreak of a flu-like illness.
April 16, 2009: The Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO), a division of the World Health Organization, is told of the swine flu outbreak by the Mexican health department.
April 17, 2009: The Mexican government asks the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg to help test samples to determine the cause of the illness.
April 21, 2009: A 10-year-old boy and a nine-year-old girl living 210 kilometres apart in California test positive for swine flu.
April 22, 2009: The Mexican health ministry learns that 20 people in Mexico have died from a flu-like illness this year and issues a nationwide alert.
Mexican samples arrive in Winnipeg for testing.
April 23, 2009: Mexican samples tested in Winnipeg reveal that the strain of the flu in the Mexican cases is identical to the strain in California.
Mexican health authorities acknowledge the link between the outbreaks there and in the U.S. American researchers identify seven more cases: five in California and two near San Antonio, Texas.
April 24, 2009: More testing by the Public Health Agency of Canada confirms that the virus is human swine influenza.
Mexican authorities announce that they have identified more than 900 suspected cases and 62 deaths linked to swine flu:
“¢ Mexico City: 854 cases of pneumonia resulting in 59 deaths
“¢ San Luis Potosi: 24 cases of flu-like illness and three deaths
“¢ Mexicali: four cases of flu-like illness, no fatalities.
April 25, 2009: Mexican officials say more than 1,300 suspected cases and 81 deaths are "probably linked to the virus."
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirms 11 cases of swine flu: seven in California, two in Texas and two in Kansas.
According to New York City health commissioner Dr. Thomas Frieden, 200 ill students at a high school in the city are suspected of having swine flu.
April 26, 2009: Health officials in Nova Scotia confirm there are four cases of swine flu in the province, while officials in British Columbia confirm two cases. The CDC confirms 20 cases in the U.S.
New Zealand health minister Tony Ryall says 10 students who recently returned from Mexico likely have swine flu.
April 27, 2009: The WHO raises its global pandemic alert level from three to four. The change reflects the fact that the WHO feels the virus can easily be transmitted between people.
The Mexican government confirms 103 deaths resulting from swine flu, and more than 1,600 suspected cases. The U.S. confirms 40 mild cases of the illness, two cases are confirmed in Scotland and one case is confirmed in Spain.
Nova Scotia health officials say two of the four victims in that province, all students at the same private school, recently visited Mexico. There are now six confirmed Canadian cases. Health officials in Ontario are investigating 10 to 12 potential cases, while officials in P.E.I. are investigating eight potential cases.
Governments in Malaysia, India and Australia advise citizens to restrict travel to Canada, as well as other countries where swine flu is detected: Mexico, the U.S., and New Zealand.
The Public Health Agency of Canada issues a travel warning advising against any non-essential travel to Mexico, and Air Canada and WestJet offer travellers to Mexico refunds on any plane tickets purchased to the country.
April 28, 2009: Ontario confirms four cases of swine flu in the province, while Alberta confirms two: one case in Calgary and another in northern Alberta. B.C. confirms a third case, bringing the Canadian total to 13.
Israel and New Zealand both confirm their first cases of swine flu, while Spain confirms a second. The United States reports a new total of 64 cases.
April 29, 2009: Canada adds three more cases of swine flu to its national toll, bringing the Canadian total to 16. The three new cases are in Ontario, and all are mild.
The U.S. confirms that it has the first swine flu death outside of Mexico after a toddler from Mexico City became sick and died while visiting relatives in Texas.
Costa Rica, Germany, Austria and England all confirm cases of swine flu. Many more countries await test results to confirm whether they have it within their borders.
April 30, 2009: Health Canada, the CDC and World Health Organization began referring to the swine flu virus consistently as influenza A (H1N1). The WHO and CDC say the change was made in part because of complaints that the name was causing an unjustified clampdown on pork trade.
May 1, 2009: Mexico starts a five-day shutdown of most offices and businesses to try to halt the spread of H1N1 influenza. Officials express optimism at signs the number of new cases are dropping.
Canadian public health officials confirm 17 new cases: one in New Brunswick (the province’s first); six in Nova Scotia; four in Ontario; two in Alberta and four in B.C. The new cases bring Canada’s total to 51.
Hong Kong confirms the first case of H1N1 in Asia.
May 2, 2009: Federal and provincial officials announce that a 2,200-head pig herd in central Alberta is under quarantine after preliminary studies indicate some of the animals are infected with the H1N1 virus.
Federal officials believe the infected pigs – the first known case of humans transferring the new strain into animals – contracted the virus from a Canadian worker who returned from Mexico on April 12 and arrived on the farm two days later, showing flu symptoms shortly after that.
The WHO reports 937 confirmed cases of H1N1 flu in 18 countries.
May 3, 2009: Canada reports 16 new cases of swine flu, bringing its total to 101.
The Mexican government says the H1N1 flu outbreak is past its peak, while the U.S. CDC says the new flu has spread to 30 U.S. states and infected 226 people.
The WHO says its laboratories have identified 787 H1N1 flu infections in 17 countries, including Ireland. Its toll lags national reports but is considered more scientifically secure.
May 4, 2009: A young Alberta girl is hospitalized with a serious case of human swine flu in what appears to be the first time a more severe form of H1N1 flu has appeared in Canada.
Alberta identifies six new infections from H1N1 influenza A, while Ontario’s total number of cases rises to 31. The national total is now 130.
Twenty countries worldwide impose bans on Canadian pork imports, including Russia, China, Switzerland, Croatia, Indonesia, Thailand and Ecuador.
The WHO reports 1,025 confirmed cases, including 26 deaths. Cases have been confirmed in 20 countries.
May 11, 2009: China reports its first confirmed case of swine flu in a student who had returned from the United States.
May 18, 2009: Canada lifts a travel advisory to Mexico as the swine flu begins to wane for the season, according to Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. David Butler-Jones.
June 4, 2009: Two people in the remote Manitoba community of St. Theresa Point First Nation, about 600 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, are diagnosed with swine flu.
June 5, 2009: Canada’s federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announces $10.8M to fight swine flu.
June 8, 2009: A Quebec woman becomes the fourth Canadian to die after contracting swine flu.
June 9, 2009: Canada and the world are "really very close" to a full-blown flu pandemic, World Health Organization officials warn.
June 11, 2009: The WHO declares swine flu pandemic and raises the alert to level 6.
Nine cases of swine flu have been confirmed in St. Theresa Point First Nation.
August 28, 2009: Reports emerge of a severe form of swine flu that directly affects the lungs, and cause serious illness in otherwise healthy patients.
October 5, 2009: The swine flu vaccine becomes available.
October 24, 2009: President Barack Obama declares H1N1 a national emergency.
February 18, 2010: The WHO recommends that H1N1 shots be included in the seasonal flu shot.
May 29, 2010: The CDC no longer reports flu activity on a weekly basis.
June 18, 2010: The WHO reports 18,172 deaths associated with H1N1 in 214 countries.
August 8, 2010: The WHO declares an end to the swine flu pandemic.
With files from Canwest News Service
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