Singapore to lower H1N1 flu alert level

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

SINGAPORE, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Singapore will lower its alert level for
Influenza A/H1N1 from "orange" to "yellow," the country's Health Minister said
on Wednesday.

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan told a news conference that the downgrading
will be done progressively over the next five days, but adding that Singapore
will remain vigilant and act nimbly, according to TV broadcaster Channel
NewsAsia.

The Health Minister said that precautionary measures such as temperature
screening at border checkpoints and hospitals will continue, but the one visitor
per patient rule at hospitals will be lifted.

NZ's confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 down to five

Special Report:
World Tackles A/H1N1
Flu


WELLINGTON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed
cases of influenza A/H1N1 in New Zealand dropped one to five on Wednesday, the
Health Ministry said.

More tests were carried out on a sixth person who was
identified on Tuesday as having the influenza A/H1N1 virus but the tests ruled
out the virus.

The Ministry of Health said that there are 14
probable cases - down one from earlier on Wednesday.

The number of suspected cases is 84. Furthermore,
there are 358people in isolation and being treated with Tamiflu.

Meanwhile, six students and two teachers from
Avondale College in Auckland are in self-imposed isolation after traveling on a
plane from America with a person suspected of having the virus.

"Public health staff are working to make sure people
are well informed and as comfortable as possible while in isolation," said
Health Ministry Deputy Director of Public Health Fran McGrath on Wednesday.

McGrath said this was necessary to limit any spread
of the influenza A/H1N1 virus.

"So far we've been successful in stopping the virus
spreading in the community and this is largely due to people being understanding
and cooperating," McGrath said.

Numbers of suspected cases, and those receiving
treatment and in isolation, will fluctuate when more suspected cases are found,
or suspected cases are ruled out.

There is no evidence of community transmission in New
Zealand which is in the containment phase.

"We are continuing to maintain our emphasis on
limiting the spread," McGrath said.

Thai Health Minister: 2 Thais, German free of influenza A/H1N1

Special Report:
World Tackles A/H1N1
Flu


BANGKOK, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Two Thais and a German
tourist are free of the influenza A/H1N1 according to laboratory tests, Witthaya
Kaewparadai, Thai Minister of Public Health said Wednesday.

The three were earlier quarantined at hospitals
shortly after arriving at Thailand's Suvarnabhumi International Airport in
Bangkok since they developed flu-like symptoms.

All of them were allowed to return home, said
Witthaya, Thai language-news agency INN reported.

In a related development, Witthaya disclosed health
ministers of the ASEAN member countries and China, Japan and South Korea have
already confirmed participation in the health ministers' meeting on Thursday and
Friday in capital Bangkok.

The meeting plans to brainstorm in finding
precautionary measures to prevent the influenza A/H1N1 outbreak in the region.

Peru checks 25,000 int'l flight passengers for A/H1N1

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

LIMA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Peruvian authorities have checked about 25,000 passengers and crew members who arrived in the country by international flights due to the spread of A/H1N1 flu.

Health Minister Oscar Ugarte told the Health Commission of the Congress on Tuesday that the Ministry has checked 24,579 flight passengers and crew members, adding that all the health sectors in the country are on alert to avoid a possible access of the disease in Peruvian territory.

Ugarte said Peru has reported 21 possible cases, but all of them have been cleared.

"However, the possibilities is growing," He added.

Ugarte said his ministry has requested 250,000 antiviral tablets and currently the country has 5,300 treatments, with 4,300from the Health Ministry and 1,000 from the Social Security.

WHO rejects raising alert level in Colombia

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

BOGOTA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) in Colombia on Tuesday rejected a warning from the Pan American Health Organization (PHO) that the alert in the country should be raised to phase 6 as more suspected cases of A/H1N1 flu were found.

"The alerts are launched from the WHO central and for the moment we are on phase five. The level 6 has to do with the expansion of the virus. It will be announced if there is a change or not in the alert," WHO director of Public Health, Maria Neira told local radio Caracol Radio.

PHO representative Pierre Paolo Balladelli said on Monday that as suspected cases of H1N1 flu rose to 136 in Colombia, the alert level in the country would be risen to level 6 in a matter of days.

"I would dare to say that we are very near because the number of cases has grown and it is very probable that in hours or days we could reach to a sustained infection in its transmission," Balladelli said.

Neira said the H1N1 virus is very sensitive to weather conditions, noting that the low temperature could make transmission of the virus much easier.

"The message is to be careful and be ready, and things must be taken calmly and not with panic. The transmission is through people, and now we continue investigating the origin of the one confirmed case and later we will know which was the origin and the measure to be taken in the future," Neira said.

Colombian prosecutor's office has issued a communique, urging enterprises, public and private entities to take preventive measure.

Colombian government reported on Monday 136 possible cases of H1N1 flu, while only one man of 42 years old has so far been confirmed of being infected. The man is on good health conditions and under medical supervision.

Australian minister says Influenza A/H1N1 likely to arrive

Special Report:
World Tackles A/H1N1
Flu

CANBERRA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Australian Health Minster Nicola Roxon said on
Sunday the influenza A/H1N1 was likely to enter Australia at some point but the
government was ready to act.

"The arrangements are in place for containing that disease if we do have a
confirmed case in Australia," Roxon told local media Ten Network.

"We have no confirmed cases here in Australia," Roxon added.

No one has so far tested positive for the virus, but 80 people have been
waiting for test results in the country, according to the federal Health
Department.

Mexico's flu death toll rises to 19

Special Report:
World Tackles A/H1N1
Flu


MEXICO CITY, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Mexico's confirmed flu death toll has risen to 19 on Saturday and another 454 people confirmed infected, Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said.

People wear surgical masks in Mexico city, May 3, 2009. Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said on Saturday that until Friday night there have been 1,105 tests to detect the influenza A/H1N1, among which 443 in the country were positive.(Xinhua/AFP Photo)
Photo Gallery

The previous data put the death toll at 16 dead and
443 infected.

The minister urged citizens to remain vigilant and
not to let their guard down against the virus.

Meanwhile, Yonhap reported another probable case of
the A/H1N1 flu in South Korea. But the case needs further confirmation.

According to the World Health Organization and
government data, the confirmed infection cases have reached 777 worldwide,
mainly including 454 in Mexico and 184 in the U.S.

In addition, 16 countries and regions have reported
laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths, including Austria (1), Hong Kong,
China (1), Denmark (1), Netherlands (1), Ireland (1), France (1), Costa Rica
(1), Italy (1), Switzerland (1), South Korea (1), Israel (2), New Zealand (4),
Germany (6), Spain (15), Britain (15) and Canada (85).

Health Minister: Bulgaria not able to identify swine flu

SOFIA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarian Health Minister Evgeni Zhelev has said that Bulgaria has no capacity to identify swine flu if it spreads to the country, local press reported on Tuesday.

Zhelev said that no such tests have been developed because this has not been necessary so far.

He pointed out that any people suspected to have the virus will be quarantined and samples from patients will be sent to the World Health Organization (WHO), which will conduct the tests and send back the results.

There is enough anti-flu medicines stockpiled in Bulgaria to deal with a serious epidemic, Zhelev stressed, adding that all the hospitals and medical centers have been given strict instructions of what to do in the case of a possible swine flu outbreak.

"Local GPs will also be notified regarding the symptoms to lookout for and all hospitals in Bulgaria have been put on red alert," Zhelev said.

"At this stage, we have no reasons to speak about pandemic, the situation should not be dramatized and panic should not be spread," Zhelev said. He added that in Europe there are just a few cases of virus infections and seven patients who may have contracted the disease.

Meanwhile, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday advised Bulgarian citizens against traveling to Mexico unless they have urgent reasons to do so. 

China's health ministry protests ungrounded swine flu reports

Special Report: World Tackles Swine Flu

BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Health (MOH) said Wednesday
that China "strongly opposes" the contents of overseas media reports on the
country's swine flu situation, which were made "regardless of truth and
scientific common sense."

MOH spokesman Mao Qun'an told Xinhua that some overseas media reports
claimed the source of the current swine flu epidemic was in China. He did not
specify any particular stories or organizations.

Mao said the government had been vigilant after the disease broke out in
the United States and Mexico.

"No human cases have been found in China, nor has the virus been found in
the country's pigs," he said.

He added that several government departments had taken coordinated
prevention efforts.

He said China would work with the World Health Organization and governments
of the countries affected by the outbreak.

"Getting through the epidemic is our common goal. We are glad to offer as
much support and assistance as we can" to the affected areas, he said.