BALTIMORE – As the number of confirmed cases of swine flu continued to grow in the United States,
U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), chairman of the Homeland Security and Terrorism Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today held an informational meeting to discuss the growing threat from the swine flu virus with his Health Advisory Committee and members of the Maryland health care community.
 

The Senator was joined by Jeff Rivest, CEO of the University of Maryland Medical Center, Dr. Albert Reece, Dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Albert Romanosky of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and infectious disease experts from the University of Maryland Medical Center and the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Senator Cardin, who also is Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told the gathering that a “coordinated, international response is necessary” to combat the spread of the disease, which originated in Mexico.
 

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The swine flu is a clear example of how interconnected our world has become and because of that we need a worldwide, coordinated response.
  We must rely on our public health infrastructure, emergency preparedness, and funding and coordination among the World Health Organization, various federal departments led by the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services, and local and state health departments.
 

“I want to assure Marylanders that the nation and our State have prepared for this eventuality and that we have resources available to help citizens cope with this outbreak.
  The key is that we must work together, monitor the progress of the disease, take the proper precautions, and seek medical treatment.”