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May 7, 2009

Post-9/11 Rules Impeded Swine Flu Response
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US health officials have confirmed they were delayed in responding to
the swine flu outbreak because of Bush administration rules imposed
after the 9/11 attacks. The Financial Times reports Mexican officials
sent samples from infected patients in mid-April. But US restrictions on
imported biological materials meant the samples first had to be sent for
analysis in Canada. American scientists had already analyzed several
swine flu cases without realizing it was the same virus. There have now
been two confirmed swine flu deaths in the US, both in Texas.



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