Another Area Doctor Spearheads Swine Flu Task Force
Posted: 5:40 pm EDT April 28, 2009Updated: 6:18 pm EDT April 28, 2009
PITTSBURGH -- A Pittsburgh-area researcher is tracking the spread of the swine flu outbreak online.“We just started,” said Dr. Henry Niman. “The government already expressed an interest.”INTERVIEW: Dr. Niman Talks About Swine Flu
Niman is the researcher responsible for a computer-generated map that shows how and where the swine flu is spreading worldwide. He spent his career studying the evolution of viruses.The map shows instances of suspected and confirmed cases, and its up-to-the-minute tracking of the virus has the government interested in the information it can provide.“The spread is probably more than what is represented by the dots on the map because they are really trailing (the progress of the virus),” said Niman.Though the virus has not made its way to the Pittsburgh area yet, Dr. Donald Burke, Dean of the School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh, spearheaded the formation of a group to deal with the flu when it does show up.
INTERVIEW: Dr. Burke Discusses Swine Flu
Burke said the threat the swine flu poses is “big enough that we’re going into emergency mode and putting together a task force.”His swine flu task force held its first meeting on Tuesday afternoon, and Burke is now planning a public meeting in which city officials and residents can come and address any concerns they may have.
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