Chile takes measures to prevent swine flu

Special Report: World Tackles Swine Flu

SANTIAGO, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Chilean government has taken preventive measures to deal with the swine flu outbreak in North America although the country has no confirmed cases yet, the authorities said on Tuesday.

President Michelle Bachelet requested all Chileans pay attention to the information about the symptoms of the epidemic and the instructions of the

"To the moment we have not confirmed any case, so we do not have cases of swine flu in our country," Chilean Health Minister Alvaro Erazo said on Tuesday.

Currently there are 18 suspected cases being tested. Erazo said that another three suspects had been proved negative earlier.

"The patients under analysis are isolated till we get the confirmation, according to the clinic guide we are using in the country," Erazo said.

Chile set a sanitary barrier on April 23 requiring all passengers coming from Mexico and the United States to be checked at the airport of Santiago by taking temperature and discarding high fever.

The swine flu is a sub-kind of the seasonal flu (H1N1), which mutated from pigs to humans.

The swine flu symptoms are similar to those of the common flu, but with high fever, coughing, headache, pain in muscles and joints, red eyes, running nose, as well as vomits and diarrhea.

The Chilean health ministry has set a plan in face of these kinds of emergencies since 2002 by building a national network of health centers.

Chile has reserves of antiviral medicines to be delivered to all the health services, with 36,000 treatments have already been made.

Chile has suggested its citizens to avoid traveling to the countries affected by the flu and to follow related official health instructions.

Chile also launched the National Commission of Answer to Outbreaks and Health Emergencies to handle any infection case in the country.