by Alejandra del Palacio
MEXICO CITY, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Latin American countries announced
preventive measures against swine flu, whose outbreak in Mexico has killed at
least 20 people.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon Sunday called on all Mexicans to maintain
calm amid the spreading of the epidemic.
The president asked them to go to medical centers rather than stay at home
for self-medicating when related symptoms appear.
He also said contact with potential virus carriers should be avoided.
The World Bank said it would provide Mexico with more than 200 million U.S.
dollars in loans to help the country in its fight against the outbreak.
The Mexican Education Ministry has ordered to close all educational
institutions from nurseries in the affected areas until May 6.
The Argentine government has also issued an epidemic alert for airport and
airlines staff.
The Argentine Health Ministry requested all airlines flying from Mexico to
Argentina to report any case of passengers with flu symptoms. The government
also asked all people with symptoms, who have been in the outbreak area, to seek
medical assistance.
The Brazilian government announced measures such as passenger and luggage
controls at airports to impede the virus.
Crew from airplanes coming from Mexico and the United States must report
any case of people with flu symptoms.
In Venezuela, Health and Social Protection Minister Jesus Mantilla
announced on Sunday the establishment of a National Committee of Preparation and
Answer against Flu in an effort to deal with the contagious disease.
Mantilla said that the mechanism of sanitary control at airports will be
reinforced.
He also suggested that Venezuelans should cancel tours to Mexico and the
United States and to avoid visiting live-stock markets.
In Bolivia, the government said on Sunday that it would start checking all
passengers coming from the United States and Mexico from Monday as a preventive
measure.
It said that main check points would be installed at airports to identify
people with flu-like symptoms.
In Costa Rica, Health Minister Maria Luis Avila told Xinhua on Sunday that
the government had taken preventive measures, while in the last few hours three
cases with suspicious symptoms were tested negative.
Also the country's Agriculture and Live Stock Ministry has been closely
observing pig spices, and the transportation authorities have reinforced their
attention at airports.
Meanwhile, the Chilean government activated on Saturday the National
Commission of Answer to Outbreaks and Sanitary Emergencies.
Chile also set checkpoints at airports to exam passengers coming from
Mexico and the United States, and any person with breathing disease symptoms
will be taken to a specialized hospital for medical evaluation.
The Ecuadorian government announced on Sunday that it had boosted the
sanitary vigilance and set check points at airports.
The Ecuadorian health minister Sunday rejected reports on any swine flu
outbreak in the country.
He announced that the government had taken measures such as establishing
check points at airports to prevent the epidemic.
Meanwhile in Guatemala, a country bordering southern Mexico, the
authorities have issued yellow (preventive) alert and installed checkpoints at
all ground and aerial entrances to the country to check all the people coming
from Mexico and the United States.
In Honduras, the Health Ministry decreed on Sunday a "state of alert" and
"permanent vigilance" in all the border points.
The Nicaraguan government also announced on Sunday extreme vigilance
measures at border points and international airports.
The country's Health Minister Guillermo Gonzalez said that all the people
with symptoms would be checked carefully.
He also said that a commission under the government would meet on Monday to
analyze the situation and define if it was necessary to enhance the measure.
Meanwhile, the Peruvian authorities have announced such preventive measures
as sending doctors to airports.
The Panamanian health minister also launched a sanitary alert due to the
outbreak. The alert was designed for ports, airports and ground borders,
according to a statement of the ministry.
The Panamanian authorities also said that they had upgraded the epidemic
alert to detect suspicious cases.
In Uruguay, General Director of Health Jorge Basso was quoted as saying by
local press on Sunday that "we are going to promote the vaccination against the
flu and we will set check points" as measures to impede the virus.
Swine flue is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza
viruses. Outbreaks of swine flu happen regularly in pigs. People do not normally
get swine flu, but human infections do happen.
Most commonly, human cases of swine flu happen in people who are around
pigs and it is possible for swine flu viruses to spread from person to person
also.
The new strain found in Mexico and the United States is a mixture of swine,
human and avian flu viruses.
Backgrounder: Key facts about swine
flu
WASHINGTON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A new swine flu strain
has killed as many as 20 people and sickened more than 1,300 across Mexico.
Eleven U.S. people were also confirmed to be infected with the virus.
The World Health Organization announced Saturday that the
outbreak in Mexico and the United States constituted a "public health emergency
of international concern."
Mexican stadiums closed for fear of
swine flu
MEXICO CITY, April 26 (Xinhua) -- A game in Mexico City's
Aztec Stadium has to be played before an empty house on Sunday as swine flu
fears forced stadiums to be closed.
The capacity 105,000 Aztec Stadium was empty when Mexico
City's America team played at the normally jam-packed stadium against Tecos. Full story
Britain on alert for swine flu
outbreak
LONDON, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Britain has said it is
monitoring closely the spread of swine flu as three potential cases had been
reportedly found in the country by Sunday.
So far, at least 86 deaths linked with the virus have been
reported in Mexico, and more cases have been identified in other countries. Full story
Mexican gov't warns against improper
advertising regarding swine flu
MEXICO CITY, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Mexican government
on Sunday warned that firms should not take advantage of the nation's swine flu
panic with false advertising.
Any advertising that is "unauthorized or that tries to
confuse or surprise users, will be taken off the air immediately and sanctioned
with the full weight of the law," the Federal Commission Against Health Risks of
the Health Ministry said in a statement. Full story
Portugal issues swine flu
alert
LISBON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Portugal's health authorities
said Sunday that there are no confirmed cases of swine flu in the country so far
while the government is on alert for a "potential pandemic risk."
The General Health Directorate said Portugal has issued an
alert asking residents experiencing symptoms like a swift increase in
temperature, intense headache or muscular pain to see doctors and give samples
for analysis, especially when they recently visited Mexico, Canada or the United
States or had contact with people from those countries. Full story
New Zealand upgrades alert level to
Code Yellow for swine flu
WELLINGTON, April 27 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Prime
Minister John Key said on Monday that New Zealand was well prepared to handle
swine flu and has increased surveillance.
The health authorities has put the alert status for
response to a potential influenza epidemic up from white to yellow, a stand-by
phase which is one below the code red response phase. Full story
Spain investigating seven possible
swine flu cases
MADRID, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Spain's Health Ministry on
Sunday announced that the country is investigating seven possible cases of swine
flu in four autonomous regions.
The Health Ministry will take at least 48 hours to confirm
if these are cases of swine flu, and has called a meeting of officials from the
autonomous regions to discuss possible emergency measures. Full story
Mexico president calls for calm on
swine flu
MEXICO CITY, April 26 (Xinhua) -- President Felipe
Calderon on Sunday called on Mexicans to avoid flu infections and maintain calm
while facing the swine flu, which has infected 1,384 and killed 20 in the
nation.
"All Mexican should make a special effort to avoid contact
with potential virus carriers," he said. "We are facing an epidemic not because
of the number of cases but because it is a mutation of the flu virus. This is a
new virus that has affected several states, but mostly the Mexico City
conurbation," he said. Full story
U.S. declares public health emergency
with 20 swine flu cases confirmed
WASHINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Obama administration
on Sunday declared public health emergency, immediately after at least 20 cases
have been confirmed of swine flu in the United States.
The Department of Health and Human Services "will declare
today a public health emergency in the United States," Homeland Security
Secretary Janet Napolitano told a White House briefing. Full story
Obama orders active measures to deal
with swine flu
WASHINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack
Obama has ordered his administration to take active and aggressive measures to
deal with swine flu, which has infected at least 20 people in the United States.
As one of the measures, the administration declared a
public health emergency on Sunday. Full story
Probable swine flu death toll reaches
81 in Mexico
MEXICO CITY, April 25 (Xinhua) -- An outbreak of swine flu
in Mexico may have killed up to 81 people so far this month while more than
1,300 were suspected to be infected, Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said
late Saturday.
Since April 13, "there have been 81 registered deaths
which are probably linked to the virus, of which only 20 cases have virological
checks," Cordova told a news conference after meeting with health officials from
across the country. Full story
More swine flu cases crop up in
California
A total of seven swine flu cases have been reported so far
in California, indicating the potential for a swine flu pandemic, health
officials warned on Sunday.
Four cases were reported in San Diego County and three in
Imperial County, both in Southern California. The latest victim, a35-year-old
Imperial County woman diagnosed April 4, has since fully recovered, according to
the California Public Health Department. Full story
Spain reports three suspected cases of
swine flu
MADRID, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Health Minister
Trinidad Jimenez said on Sunday that three Spanish nationals had developed
symptoms similar to swine flu a few days after they returned from a Mexico trip.
Currently, the three were placed in isolation and treated
at different hospitals, said Jimenez. Full story
Two people in swine flu alert in
Scotland
LONDON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Two people have been admitted
to a hospital in Scotland after returning from Mexico on April 21 because they
displayed mild flu-like symptions, BBC reported here Sunday.
But the two patients were not giving cause for concern,
said Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon. She said there was "no immediate
threat to public health in Scotland." Full story
Canada confirms six cases of swine
flu
OTTAWA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Six cases of swine flu have
now been found in Canada, health officials confirmed Sunday.
Four cases have been confirmed in the eastern Nova Scotia
province. The patients are high school students who recently traveled to Mexico.
All have minor symptoms and are recovering, provincial health officials said. Full story
Eight swine flu cases confirmed in New
York
NEW YORK, April 26 (Xinhua) -- New York Mayor Michael
Bloomberg said Sunday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
confirmed that eight high school students from city have been infected with
swine flu.
Bloomberg told a press conference the cases are mild and
that many are recovering. Full story
Report: Israeli man in hospital on
suspicion of swine flu
JERUSALEM, April 26 (Xinhua) -- A 26-year-old Israeli man
was hospitalized Sunday in Netanya after returning from Mexico with signs of
swine flu, local news service Ynet reported.
The man has been isolated and doctors are trying to
determine whether he has been infected with the swine flu virus, which has led
to the death of dozens of people in Mexico, said the report. Full story
WHO says world better prepared to deal
with possible pandemic
GENEVA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The world is now much better
prepared to deal with a possible pandemic than five years ago, a senior World
Health Organization (WHO) official said on Sunday.
"The past five years have put us in the best possible
position to handle this kind of situation," Keiji Fukuda, acting WHO
director-general for health security, told a telephone press conference on the
current threat of swine flu. Full story
World Bank provides Mexico with over
$200 mln to address swine flu
WASHINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank is giving
Mexico more than 200 million U.S. dollar in loans to help the country tackle a
recent outbreak of swine flu, Mexican Finance Minister Agustin Carstens said
here Sunday.
Carstens said 25 million U.S. dollars will be used for
immediate needs like purchasing medicine and medical equipment, while another
180 million in loans will deal with long-term needs. Full story
Canada says well-prepared to handle
swine flu outbreak
OTTAWA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Canada's Health Minister
Leona Aglukkaqon Sunday said the country is well-prepared to deal with the
outbreak of swine flu and pledged to take whatever measures to keep the public
safe.
The remarks came after six cases of swine flu were
confirmed in the country earlier Sunday. Full story
California on alert as swine flu death
toll increases in Mexico
LOS ANGELES, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Public health officials
in California on Sunday warned of the potential for a swine flu pandemic as the
death toll of the disease increased in Mexico and cases cropped up in the United
States.
A total of seven cases have been reported so far in
California, with four in San Diego County and three in Imperial County,
officials said. Full story
Mexico City takes measures against flu
outbreak
MEXICO CITY, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The municipal
government of the Mexico City Friday announced a series of immediate steps to
stop the flu outbreak in the city.
Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said at a press conference that
the main aim is to protect all the inhabitants of the city, especially
vulnerable people such as children and elders. Full story
WHO declares swine flu outbreak
"public health emergency"
GENEVA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The World Health
Organization (WHO)on Saturday declared the swine flu outbreak in Mexico and the
United States a "public health emergency of international concern" and urged
countries to be alert.
Based on the advice of a WHO emergency committee,
Director-general Margaret Chan "has determined that the current events
constitute a public health emergency of international concern," the UN agency
said in a statement. Full story
China on alert to prevent swine flu
infection
BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- China's General
Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine issued an
emergency notice Saturday night requiring people to report flu-like symptoms at
the point of entry when coming from the deadly swine flu affected places.
This is China's latest move in response to the
outbreaks of human infection of Swine Influenza A/H1N1 in Mexico and the United
States. Full story
Hong Kong to enhance surveillance at
boundary control points for Swine
Flu
HONG KONG, April 25 (Xinhua)
-- Hong Kong will step up local surveillance systems at boundary control points
and the public health laboratory in light of outbreaks of human infection of
Swine Influenza A/H1N1 in Mexico and the United States, the Center for Health
Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health of Hong Kong announced on Saturday.
Travelers from the affected places who are found to have
Swine Influenza symptoms at Hong Kong's boundary control points will be taken to
hospitals for further investigation. Laboratory testing for Swine Influenza will
be conducted for patients with influenza-like-illness who had traveled to the
affected places within 7 days before onset of symptoms. Full story
Macao issues warnings to residents
traveling in nations with swine flu outbreak
MACAO, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Tourism Crisis
Management Office (GGCT) of Macao has sent out an SMS alert to local residents
currently traveling in Mexico, the U.S., Canada and New Zealand to be attentive
to the latest news concerning Swine Influenza, and to avoid crowded public
areas, according to a GGCT press statement released on Sunday.
The move came after the Chinese Embassy in Mexico
issued a notice to Chinese citizens concerning Swine Influenza. Full story
Japan tightens measures against swine
flu threat after outbreak in Mexico
TOKYO, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Japan has tightened
preventive measures against the threat of swine flu as the deadly outbreaks in
Mexico claimed more than 60 human lives.
At a meeting of ministry and agency section chiefs
Saturday, the government decided to strengthen measures to prevent the virulent
strain of swine flu from spreading to Japan and issued an advisory for travelers
to Mexico and the United States, where eight people were infected with the
disease, that urges precautions such as wearing masks and washing hands, and
called on all people returning from either country to report unusual
symptoms. Full story
S Korea to tighten quarantine measures
for U.S., Mexican pork
SEOUL, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The South Korean
government announced to tighten quarantine measures for pork from the United
States and Mexico after outbreaks of swine influenza in these countries, local
media reported on Sunday.
South Korea's National Veterinary Research and
Quarantine Service announced Saturday that U.S. and Mexican pork to be imported
from Monday will be put in quarantine to check if it was infected with the
disease. Full story
Australian health experts meet to
respond to swine-flu threat
CANBERRA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Australia's health
protection officials including chief medical officer Jim Bishop hold meetings on
Sunday to talk about how to guard the nation from the pig flu outbreak in Mexico
and the United States.
"Australia has good communicable disease surveillance
and control systems in place to detect and respond to outbreaks of illness," a
spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Ageing said. Full story
New Zealand school group quarantined
on return from Mexico
WELLINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- A school group from
New Zealand's largest city of Auckland was being quarantined at home after
returning from Mexico, New Zealand media reported on Sunday.
An emergency decree has been declared in Mexico
following the outbreak of a new flu virus suspected of killing 81 people there.
The World Health Organization has declared the outbreaks of influenza-like
illness in Mexico and four U.S. states as a "public health emergency of
international concern". Full story
South American nations on alert for
swine flu
LIMA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Public health authorities
of South American countries took precautionary measures to fend off a possible
pandemic after a deadly swine flu virus claimed dozens of lives in Mexico and
infected at least 11 people in the United States.
In Peru, experts with the Health Ministry said the
ministry had initiated a nationwide precautionary plan to deal with potential
threats, though no suspicious cases have been reported so far in the
country. Full story
Britain on alert for swine flu
outbreak
LONDON, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Britain has said it is
monitoring closely the spread of swine flu as three potential cases had been
reportedly found in the country by Sunday.
So far, at least 86 deaths linked with the virus have
been reported in Mexico, and more cases have been identified in other
countries. Full story
