Presidents are not immune to illness. However, it is not common to see a head of state sneezing in the middle of a speech. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe was suffering from a fever, headache, backache and congestion after he returned from a summit in Argentina with other Latin American leaders; then he began sneezing uncontrollably during a public appearance. It turns out this was not just a simple cold or allergy, but rather the virus that has the whole world on edge, Influenza A(H1N1).

Uribe is the second Latin American head of state to be diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, popularly known in many areas as the swine flu. Costa Rican President Oscar Arias also came down with the highly contagious flu in mid-August, and has since recovered. Their illness is a crude reminder that this deadly virus does not discriminate. It can attack anyone, at any place and any time, and no entourage of secret service agents or bodyguards can protect a person from it.

The Colombian government took immediate action, sending a warning via diplomatic messages to those who came in close contact with Uribe during the UNASUR summit (Union of South American Nations). At least two high-level officials traveling with Uribe also came down with the H1N1 flu. Colombian health authorities have taken measures to try to control the outbreak of flu among its citizens, as have many other governments in the region.

As of now, Latin America is the region most affected by the H1N1 virus. Brazil has the highest number of deaths in the world -- more than 580 as of the end of August -- followed by the U.S. The pandemic also has left a deadly trail in Argentina, Mexico, Chile and Peru. Experts attribute the phenomenon in part to the weather -- it is winter in the Southern Hemisphere and rainy season in parts of the Northern Hemisphere -- and also the high level of traveling from Mexico to the southern end of the continent.

Ironically, it is Mexico, the country where the swine flu is believed to have originated, that is now a model for others to follow. According to an article by The Associated Press, while Mexico might have made some mistakes in its handling of the outbreak, authorities deserve credit for acting quickly in informing the country's citizens of the threat of the flu. The  
public-awareness campaign had people washing their hands constantly.

There might have been some overreaction on the Mexican government's part when it asked everyone to wear protective masks and decided to close schools, restaurants, museums and other public places as well as restrict travel. In the end, those measures ended up hurting the country's already ailing economy. Mexican authorities have said they prefer to have erred on the side of caution.

The Obama administration is trying to do the same thing. A new strategy is being put into place to try to contain the virus from spreading after a very bleak outlook by health authorities a few weeks ago. They warned that half of the U.S. population could become infected with the H1N1 virus this flu season, that 1.8 million could end up in the hospital and that up to 90,000 could die. The average annual death toll for the flu is between 30,000 and 40,000.

Those numbers are pretty scary, and should be taken seriously. The federal government is working with local and state officials as well as education institutions to implement a rapid-response plan, and is trying to speed up the process to make the H1N1 flu vaccine available to all on a voluntary basis. 

But from the World Health Organization down to your local doctor, the most important recommendation for protecting you from this deadly virus is to practice good personal hygiene. If you are a head of state, it's probably not very presidential to walk around with hand sanitizer at your next summit, but at least the average person doesn't have to worry so much about diplomatic skills and can try to avoid shaking so many hands.

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(Maria Elena Salinas is the author of “I AM MY FATHER'S DAUGHTER: LIVING A LIFE WITHOUT SECRETS.” Reach her at www .mariaesalinas.com)

© 2009 by Maria Elena Salinas

Distributed by King Features Syndicate