And what would summertime be without another global pandemic? "The Center for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) of Hong Kong Special Administration Region announced on Wednesday that two pig samples taken in a flu virus test were positive for H1N1, but no significant genetic reassortment of viruses was found. The result came from a regular influenza virus surveillance in pigs conducted by the University of Hong Kong (HKU) at Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse from February to April. Under the program, pigs at the slaughterhouse were tested by blood, tracheal and nasal swabs twice a month. A CFS spokesman said given the wide transmission of the pandemic H1N1 virus in humans, detection of the virus in pigs would not be a surprise. It was expected that positive findings might appear from time to time in the surveillance program in future. The spokesman said that all imported live pigs from the Chinese mainland must come from registered farms and be accompanied with animal health certificates issued by the Chinese mainland authorities." [Xinhua] more ›

Yay! According to the World Health Organization, swine flu is officially over and done with - the pandemic has "largely run its course" and the world is no longer at phase six of the influenza alert level! So if you're out tonight, pour a drink to the disease that caused no amount of frustrations and hardships for the last year. more ›

While it hasn't been in the news recently, H1N1 hasn't actually left the country. In fact, seven people died from swine flu in March, bringing the current death toll of the flu to 800. Also last month, 429 people were confirmed to be infected, 70 of whom were hospitalized. So yeah, hopefully you got inoculated when the government was giving out free shots (and hopefully those shots were real). more ›

Good news on the H1N1 front! It seems like we’ve finally hit the peak and are now coming down in terms of infections and deaths. According to the Health Ministry’s weekly report, there were 1,556 confirmed cases of the flu since January 11, about 500 less than the week before. Then again, with the upcoming Spring Festival, the flu could become much easier to spread, what with all the people returning home for family reunions and all. Yeesh, we say bunker down and wait for it all to be over. more ›

As we take a look back at the last year of our reporting, Shanghaiist brings to you a list of the most important news events of 2009. Whether they be political, cultural, or social, these were the things that happened that changed our lives and perceptions of the world around us, for the better or worse. more ›

Uh oh - like the rest of the nation, Shanghai's really racking up the swine flu fatalities now. A 57-year-old man became the fifth person to die from H1N1 this morning, following four other deaths - including Shanghai's first child victim - in just the last two weeks. He was confirmed to have the flu on November 28 when he was admitted with serious pneumonia. Health authorities say that that despite the recent uptick in deaths, Shanghai is still safe. more ›

Oof, just a day after the third H1N1 death in Shanghai comes the first child swine flu fatality. A five-year-old girl died of complications, including severe pneumonia and multi-organ failure at the Shanghai Children's Hospital yesterday afternoon. Despite the sudden rise in swine flu deaths, health officials say there is no epidemic outbreak in Shanghai communities or schools, and the general incidence of swine flu is stable. more ›

A 53-year-old man became the third person to die from H1N1 in Shanghai yesterday, after he succumbed to swine flu complications at Xinhua Hospital. He was suffering from other chronic illnesses as well, according to Shanghai Daily. The two previous deaths - a 60-year-old man and 50-year-old woman - happened over the weekend. So far, the city has detected 2,256 swine flu cases. The China mainland has had 194 fatalities in just November alone, and almost 10,000 new cases were confirmed this week. We're reaching epidemic time people, start popping those Vitamin Cs and make sure you get your flu shot. more ›

Ruhr oh, while H1N1 might have already hit its peak in the West, it seems like deaths from it are only rising in China. The number of deaths caused by swine flu here have increased sharply over the past few weeks, with he Ministry of Health’s website stating late Tuesday that the reported number of people killed has jumped to 178 from 53. "The epidemic situation in our nation remains grim,” the statement said. Back in May, we gave a couple of tips for preventing, identifying and treating H1N1. Guess it’s time to brush the dust off that again. more ›

Feeling a bit lonely this winter? Now you can add a new addition to your life! Shanghai residents can adopt stray cats from the Botanic Gardens. Even better, they will desex them for you. Aww, how puurrfect. [Shanghai Daily] The second wave of H1N1 vaccines is now available for college students and those over 60 in Shanghai. Too bad we still don't know the long term implications. [Shanghai Daily] more ›

• What is it with Slate columnists and inane articles about this country? First Daniel Gross of Slate can't find a chocolate bar in China, and now somebody's tricked him into writing an entire article based on Tiananmen slogans that were never there.
• East South West North picks the top ten Hollywood movies that suck up to China. Of course, 2012 makes top pick with its theme of the People's Liberation Army saving the world, but how did you feel about Dragonball Evolution's surprising Chinese twists?
• Alibaba, China's internet service for busineses to find and sell to each other has 45 million registered users and a market cap of over $17 billion. Forbes talks to the man behind the magic, David Wei.

• Wow, that's a huge amount: 1.5 million people per day are getting innoculated with the swine flu vaccine. [AP]
• This year's Chinese Blogger Conference was held in an ancient cave in Lianzhou, Guangdon. Why? You'll have to watch this video to find out. [WSJ]
• A government report has said that China's Three Gorges Dam has doubled in cost and has been plagued with multiple problems. Here's a summary of them. [Al Jazeera (on Youtube)]

Since up until now, we've only seen the third case of serious swine flu emerged in Shanghai, you may well be wondering, “how bad could all this hullabaloo get anyway?" more ›

Shanghai has now recorded its third serious case of swine flu - a 43-year-old local man who is now in stable condition at the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center. According to Shanghai Daily, the city has detected 1,538 cases of H1N1 since the first patient in the city was reported in May. So far, there have been no deaths directly related to the flu, but experts expect an increase in serious cases soon. Altogether, China has recorded 43 deaths and 67,000 infections related to H1N1 thus far, which actually isn't bad when compared to the toll the flu's taken on the United States. more ›

Xinjiang has been through a lot of political and social trauma in the last couple of months, what with the riots in July, syringe attacks in September, the executions that followed, continuous H1N1 scares, and an internet blackout throughout the province. more ›

Two months after the first swine flu-related death in China, Shanghai has been hit with its own number one serious victim. A 35-year-old migrant worker is currently comatose and suffering from multiple organ failure in Shanghai No. 1 People's Hospital thanks to the A/H1N1 virus. He fell ill on Thursday and was confirmed to have the flu on Friday. His status comes as over 100 people across China were infected with A/H1N1, which according to Xinhua means that the peak season for flu has begun. Better start reviewing that PSA we wrote up about preventing, identifying and treating this dastardly disease. more ›

Just like they warned, China's now reported its first death related to swine flu - though they're not sure if the death was actually caused by the virus. A 34-year-old female patient in Zhejiang province had been recovering from H1N1 when she was found dead on her toilet yesterday morning. The hospital said her temperature had been normal for a week, she was coughing only occasionally and her other symptoms were disappearing. The death was ruled as accidental, though police are still investigating. The total number of mainland infections is currently at 867. Source: SCMP more ›

More photos on the Shanghaiist Contribute page. To see your photos on our Contribute page, use Flickr and tag your photos “shanghaiist”. Or you can email your photos to photos@shanghaiist.com and they will automatically appear on our site (and here). more ›

Welp, they tried. Despite the makeshift hazard suit wearing airplane temperature checkers, the proposals for ever more stringent visa regulations, and everything else the government has done to try and stop swine flu, it looks like localized "cluster outbreaks" of H1N1 just can't be avoided. As Guangdong struggles with the mainland's first community outbreak, the Ministry of Health has warned that there will likely be "serious cases or even deaths." Guangdong currently has 233 known infections, the most in China. Health officials are predicting that it may be the first place in the country to experience a swine flu-related death as well. Source: SCMP more ›

• Baskin-Robbins just opened two new stores in Shanghai, bringing the total of the chain-with-31-flavors up to six in the city. [China Retail News]
• NPO Roots and Shoots' Tori Zwisler talks to Danwei about charity in Shanghai. [Danwei]
• The Shanghai Health Bureau reported four new cases of swine flu yesterday, bringing the total of cases here up to 84. [Eastday]

• The Seven People You’ll Meet in Hotel Quarantine [A Product Guy] "Having now spent almost 3 days here in Hotel Quarantine, and adjusted to life in the Big House, I’ve noticed some common patterns among the types of people I’m encountering and sharing these experiences with. Generally, they fall into one of seven categories."
• Police fatally wound man during protest in China's Xinjiang [AFP] "Police in China's western-most Muslim region of Xinjiang fired warning shots to disperse a crowd protesting against a real estate project Tuesday, fatally wounding a man, state media said. The incident occurred in the regional capital Urumqi when a policeman identified as Kudelet Kurban accidentally fired his gun into a crowd of about 60 people, Xinhua news agency reported."
• U.S. may be within N. Korea missile range in 3 years, official warns [LA Times] "North Korea may be able to overcome technical difficulties and assemble a missile capable of hitting West Coast cities within three years, a top Defense Department official said Tuesday, but it is unlikely to be able to deliver a nuclear warhead in that time frame. The U.S. assessment came as North Korea's rulers show signs of preparing for additional weapons tests in the face of international condemnation and new United Nations sanctions."

• China halts £18bn hydropower dam project over environmental concerns[guardian.co.uk] "China's environment ministry sought to reassert its authority on Friday by blocking a 200bn yuan (£18bn) cascade of hydropower dams near Shangri-la that would generate as much electricity as the Three Gorges Dam. Despite pressure from local governments that want to push ahead with big ticket development projects to offset the financial downturn, the ministry suspended approval of the project along the Jinsha iver in Yunnan province for failing to carry out adequate assessment of the environmental impact."
• All Eyes Inward [Newsweek] "Until recently, the way Chinese artists got famous was to talk politics. The generation that grew up during the Cultural Revolution and the difficult years that followed was highly politicized and gained global recognition for its tongue-in-cheek images of Mao Zedong and Tiananmen Square, often rendered in eye-popping color... Though still hot, those new-wave artists are giving way to a very different group: the "me-first" generation, whose members talk about each other and themselves."
• New tax plan sparks China protest [BBC] "Protesters in the south-eastern Chinese city of Nankang have overturned police cars and blocked roads over plans to more strictly enforce payment of taxes. Officials in Nankang said several hundred protesters blocked a major road while others delivered a petition to a local government office."

• James Fallows puts the spotlight on a writer currently quarantined in Shanghai, who is experiencing a nightmare of helpless frustration in the face of such illogical preventative measures (current Shanghaiist editors hope they won't be facing something similar on entry). [The Atlantic]
• Schools around Shanghai are now being ordered to equip computers with the Green Dam software, effectively guaranteeing that they'll be infected by malware. [Shanghai Daily]
• China Eastern and Shanghai Airlines might be merging soon, which means that over 50% of air travel in the city will soon be under one company. [Bloomberg]

Hong Kong's Chief Executive Donald Tsang announced today that beginning tomorrow all kindergartens, primary schools, and care centers in the city will be closed for 14 days. It was decided after it had been determined that the recent H1N1 flu cases had been transmitted within the local community. From Bloomberg.com: "The government is well prepared and will monitor developments closely," Tsang said. "There's no need to panic." more ›

• In China, a new breed of dissidents [WSJ] "Political consciousness is beginning to spread," says Merle Goldman, professor emerita of history at Boston University and associate at Harvard University's Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies. "Ordinary people use the term 'rights' now," she says. "The problem is, of course, that there's not much they can do about it at this point. But the concept is there."
• Nine cases added to mainland total [Shanghai Daily] "The Guangdong Health Department said last night that three new cases in Shenzhen had been confirmed. They were two Chinese sisters aged 18 and 20 who flew in from New York on Thursday and a 13-year-old Canadian girl who arrived in Shenzhen from Canada on Saturday."
• 'Mass hysteria' in Jilin: Fair call, or fog? [Caijing] "More than 1,000 workers at the Jilin Chemical Fibre Group Co. Ltd. in the northeastern city of Jilin reported dizziness, nausea and other symptoms during a three-week health crisis that so far has defied clear explanation."

Shanghai confirmed its fifth case (already!) of swine flu over the weekend. This time, the patient was a 23-year-old female college student who had been studying in the U.S. She had taken a flight from New York to Hong Kong on Thursday. On Saturday, she developed a fever and was quarantined at Shanghai No.1 People’s Hospital. Eight family members and friends are under medical observation for the week. Shanghai’s first case, a businessman who had flown in from Melbourne, has recovered and is now out and about town. more ›

Despite China's strident attempts to protect itself from the A/H1N1 virus, a domestic case was discovered yesterday in Guangdong province. The patient had been in direct contact with another suspected flu patient, one who was confirmed to be a carrier of the virus on Thursday. more ›

Those two suspected cases we told you about this morning have now been confirmed! That means that Shanghai has now gotten its first swine flu victim. The 30-year-old who arrived from Australia on Saturday was hustled straight to the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center after registering at 38.8 degrees upon getting off the plane. He had first started experiencing symptoms, including runny nose and fever, three days before his flight. 24 people who were in close contact with him on the plane are now under quarantine and the Shanghai government is on the look out for 20 more passengers that ought to be under observation as well. If you were on or know anyone who was on the Air China CA178 flight from Melbourne on Saturday, please contact authorities now by calling 12320. Source: Shanghai Daily more ›

There have now been nine confirmed cases of H1N1 on th Chinese mainland, with two new patients cropping up in Beijing and Fujian province over the weekend. In Fujian, a two-year-old girl tested positive for swine flu after returning from the U.S. with her family via Hong Kong. Meanwhile, in Beijing, the confirmed was a 46-year-old man surnamed Zhang who had flown over from Canada. Unfortunately, he took the subway several times before showing symptoms, possibly contaminating all of Beijing. Meanwhile, there are two suspected cases in Zhenjiang province and Shanghai. The Zhenjiang patient is a 19-year-old boy who came to New York. The Shanghai case is a 30-year-old Chinese man working for an Australian company who flew in from Melbourne. So far, swine flu has claimed no casualties in this country. Source: China Daily more ›

Yet another swine flu patient has been found in Beijing, making it the third case to be discovered this week and China's fifth case overall. The latest patient is a 21-year-old Chinese Canadian male who came over from Toronto. He arrived in Beijing on May 16 and sought treatment for a fever on the 19th. It seems like there really is an uptick in H1N1 discoveries recently, which makes us really worry about our plans to head out of the country this summer. It also brings up the question: how many more cases before we stop reporting them individually and start in bulk? Source: Economic Observer Online more ›