U.K PREPARES MASS GRAVES FRO SWINE FLU VICTIMS
One of the countries with a high likelihood of swine flu pandemic within next year is Britain. Hence, the UK Home Office has announced that it plans to construct mass graves to bury the victims in case the disease spreads quickly.
- London is to set up mass graves for the victims of the swine flu pandemic after a 59-page official report predicted that Britain will be witnessing the pandemic disease in fall.
- Britain's Department of Health has warned the UK officials and policy-makers to announce a state of emergency in the country.
- The official report confirms the UK government plans to set up mass graves for the victims of the swine flu pandemic.
- It is predicted that if no concrete measures are taken for preventing the spread of swine flu, the number of swine flu victims will reach to two billion worldwide in 2011 that will undoubtedly result in deaths of 10 to 20 percent of the patients.
- In its latest report published on August 21, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced over 182,000 confirmed cases worldwide, 1,800 of which have been fatal.
- Source: Press TV
MALAYSIA TAKEN STEPS TO COMBAT SWINE FLU
KUALA LUMPUR: As the swine flu threatens to become a pandemic with the World Health Organisation warning that no region was safe from the outbreak, Malaysia's National Preparedness Plans for Pandemic Influenza is being primed for activation.Director-General of Health Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican will chair a NPPPI meeting with officers from all relevant ministries, departments and agencies.
Dr Ismail was responsible for drafting the NPPPI in 2006 after the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and high pathogenic avian influenza.
Malaysia was commended by the WHO for the NPPPI and also effectively putting in place containment measures during the outbreak of SARS and avian influenza.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said Malaysia averted major outbreaks because of close collaboration among the government agencies, especially between the Veterinary Services Department and the Health Ministry."Each time an outbreak occurs, we immediately swing into action and implement our Preparedness Plan, including culling and detecting people with symptoms of the diseases," he said.
Liow said Dr Ismail would coordinate the entire operation again as many of those, especially in other ministries and departments were new and need to be briefed and guided on the NPPPI
"To avert
an outbreak, we need to have a contingency plan which comprises stringent surveillance at all entry points including airports, ports and borders, a national operations centre, medical service, public health and laboratory responses and media updates," he said.Courtesy: The New Strait Time
SWINE FLU: ASIANS WERE ALSO ON HIGH ALERT
Asian countries were also on high alert, with the Philippines and Japan tightening health surveillance measures for all passengers.
The Philippines has ordered measures to keep the country safe from the swine flu outbreak in Mexico that could spread around the globe.Health Secretary Secretary Francisco Duque III said on Saturday the immediate step is to heighten quarantine procedures such as thermal scanning of all visitors.
Passengers also will be asked to indicate in a clearance form whether they have been to Mexico.
A large number of Filipinos live in US states close to the Mexican border and many make regular visits to their home country, Duque said.
The virus, called swine flu, is contagious and spreading from human to human, the Centres of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a website statement.
At least 68 died and more than 1,000 became sick with flu-like symptoms in the Mexico City region in the past month, said Jose Cordova, Mexico's Health Minister. Authorities are investigating 900 suspected cases.
The new influenza strain, a conglomeration of genetic fragments from swine, bird and human viruses, is the biggest threat of a large-scale flu pandemic since bird flu, said William Schaffner, an influenza expert at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee.
The World Health Organization (WHO) went on high alert, dispatching top experts to the United States and Mexico amid concern that the new virus could beco
me a global epidemic.
We are taking this very seriously," said Gregory Hartl, a spokesman for WHO. The disease is affecting "otherwise healthy adults," he said.
The United Nations agency hasn't labelled the situation a pandemic - a concentrated outbreak across multiple countries.
A large number of Filipinos live in US states close to the Mexican border and many make regular visits to their home country, Duque said.
The virus, called swine flu, is contagious and spreading from human to human, the Centres of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a website statement.At least 68 died and more than 1,000 became sick with flu-like symptoms in the Mexico City region in the past month, said Jose Cordova, Mexico's Health Minister. Authorities are investigating 900 suspected cases.
The new influenza strain, a conglomeration of genetic fragments from swine, bird and human viruses, is the biggest threat of a large-scale flu pandemic since bird flu, said William Schaffner, an influenza expert at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee.
The World Health Organization (WHO) went on high alert, dispatching top experts to the United States and Mexico amid concern that the new virus could beco
me a global epidemic.We are taking this very seriously," said Gregory Hartl, a spokesman for WHO. The disease is affecting "otherwise healthy adults," he said.
The United Nations agency hasn't labelled the situation a pandemic - a concentrated outbreak across multiple countries.
Courtesy: Gulf News
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