New quarantine powers enacted in Australia to manage swine flu

CANBERRA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Australian federal Health Minister Nicola
Roxon said on Wednesday Governor-General Quentin Bryce approved to pass the new
quarantine powers for health officials in response to the global outbreak of
swine flu.

"Using disinfectants on planes or at ports, through to the far more extreme
(powers) which are *** sure that people are isolated and perhaps detained if
they don't cooperate and are showing symptoms of this disease," Roxon told ABC
Radio.

But Roxon has stressed they were only precautionary measures and won't
necessarily be used.

"We are not about to take those steps but we want to make sure that all the
powers are there, that we are ready to act if this takes a dramatic turn for the
worst," Roxon said.

Thermal imaging equipment that shows the body's temperature will not yet be
used at Australian airports, Roxon said.

"If we see the situation changing in other countries, if we find that the
disease is being passed on in a more effective way or is being particularly
virulent elsewhere we of course will reassess whether it is necessary," Roxon
said.

Roxon has approached Bryce on Tuesday night to approve the powers, which
include allowing authorities to detain people suspected of having the
potentially deadly virus.

There have been 111 possible swine flu cases being investigated in
Australia, including 22 locals who were on the same flight as three New Zealand
students now confirmed as being infected.

The remaining 89 have been showing flu-like symptoms and were being tested
and results are expected in the next 48 hours.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned on Sunday that an outbreak
of swine flu in Mexico has spread to other countries.

Mexico's Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said late Tuesday 2,498
suspected cases of swine flu have been reported, with 1,311 of the patients
still in the hospital. The probable death toll from swine flu in Mexico rose to
159.