Cuddles
04-27-2009, 02:59 PM
Canada Among Countries Racing To Contain Swine Flu
Monday April 27, 2009
Europeans have been urged to avoid non-essential travel to Mexico and the United States as fears over the swine flu persist.
The European Union's health commissioner, Andorra Vassiliou, met with EU foreign ministers as Spain reported its first confirmed case of swine flu, the first in Europe. Vassiliou advised people with plans to visit either country to avoid doing so "unless it is very urgent for them."
Meanwhile, countries are working to contain the flu following more than 100 deaths in Mexico. That country's health secretary, Jose Angel Cordova, said late Sunday that the number of suspected cases in that country has climbed to 1,614, including 103 deaths.
World Health Organization Peter Cordingly said the new virus could show up anywhere and the threat that it could turn into a pandemic could not be ignored.
Outside of Mexico and Spain there have been confirmed human cases of the virus in both the United States and Canada. Six cases, all reportedly mild, were pinpointed in Nova Scotia and British Columbia.
In New Zealand, there were reports of suspected cases in a group of teenage students returning from Mexico.
Asian countries, meanwhile, uncovered thermal scanners used during the SARS outbreak to scan passengers returning from Mexico for potential flu symptoms.
Tests were also underway in Israel, France and Spain on people exhibiting flu-like symptoms.
On Monday the European Union requested an emergency meeting to gauge how serious this virus could be. Though the current health emergency is limited to North America, EU officials are watching the situation closely to see whether more cases pop up on that continent.
WHO Director-General Margaret Chan has advised governments around the globe to improve their surveillance of suspicious outbreaks.
Many countries have now issued travel warnings for Mexico.
Up to 500,000 people travel at any given time, meaning human-to-human viruses can easily spread between countries.
Canada's Foreign Affairs department has posted information on its website on the health situation in Mexico but is not telling Canadians to stay away from the country.
More than one million Canadians travel to Mexico each year, and about 600,000 Mexicans visit Canada.
The federal government has a telephone hotline and websites for information about the virus.
The phone number is 1-800-454-8302, and the websites are
www.fightflu.ca, www.voyage.ca and www.phac.gc.ca.
What are the symptoms of swine flu in humans?
The symptoms of swine flu in people are expected to be similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/symptoms.htm) and include the following:
fever
lethargy
lack of appetite
coughing
Some people with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
For a Q&A on some of the most common questions about swine flu, click here (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swine/key_facts.htm).
Monday April 27, 2009
Europeans have been urged to avoid non-essential travel to Mexico and the United States as fears over the swine flu persist.
The European Union's health commissioner, Andorra Vassiliou, met with EU foreign ministers as Spain reported its first confirmed case of swine flu, the first in Europe. Vassiliou advised people with plans to visit either country to avoid doing so "unless it is very urgent for them."
Meanwhile, countries are working to contain the flu following more than 100 deaths in Mexico. That country's health secretary, Jose Angel Cordova, said late Sunday that the number of suspected cases in that country has climbed to 1,614, including 103 deaths.
World Health Organization Peter Cordingly said the new virus could show up anywhere and the threat that it could turn into a pandemic could not be ignored.
Outside of Mexico and Spain there have been confirmed human cases of the virus in both the United States and Canada. Six cases, all reportedly mild, were pinpointed in Nova Scotia and British Columbia.
In New Zealand, there were reports of suspected cases in a group of teenage students returning from Mexico.
Asian countries, meanwhile, uncovered thermal scanners used during the SARS outbreak to scan passengers returning from Mexico for potential flu symptoms.
Tests were also underway in Israel, France and Spain on people exhibiting flu-like symptoms.
On Monday the European Union requested an emergency meeting to gauge how serious this virus could be. Though the current health emergency is limited to North America, EU officials are watching the situation closely to see whether more cases pop up on that continent.
WHO Director-General Margaret Chan has advised governments around the globe to improve their surveillance of suspicious outbreaks.
Many countries have now issued travel warnings for Mexico.
Up to 500,000 people travel at any given time, meaning human-to-human viruses can easily spread between countries.
Canada's Foreign Affairs department has posted information on its website on the health situation in Mexico but is not telling Canadians to stay away from the country.
More than one million Canadians travel to Mexico each year, and about 600,000 Mexicans visit Canada.
The federal government has a telephone hotline and websites for information about the virus.
The phone number is 1-800-454-8302, and the websites are
www.fightflu.ca, www.voyage.ca and www.phac.gc.ca.
What are the symptoms of swine flu in humans?
The symptoms of swine flu in people are expected to be similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/symptoms.htm) and include the following:
fever
lethargy
lack of appetite
coughing
Some people with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
For a Q&A on some of the most common questions about swine flu, click here (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swine/key_facts.htm).