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Swine flu outbreak
First US swine flu death, France requests EU travel ban
Article published on the 2009-04-29 Latest update 2009-04-29 14:07 TU
A nurse prepares a room for any suspected cases of swine flu in Dr Sutomo hospital on 29 April 2009
(Photo: Reuters)
A US official confirmed the country's first death from swine flu on Wednesday, while Germany confirmed three definite cases of swine flu just after Costa Rica joined the list of countries affected by the virus. In Mexico authorities have closed down bars, cafes, gyms, cinemas and tourist sites in order to stem the outbreak. France is to request an EU travel ban.
The Mexican government has revised its confirmed number of cases of swine flu. It says it has confirmed that seven people died after contracting the virus. It suspects that up to more than 100 people could have died from the outbreak, while more than 1,600 people could have been infected.
In Germany, the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin said that a woman in a Hamburg hospital and two patients in separate Bavarian hospitals were infected.
And the French Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot is to ask the EU for a ban on flights to Mexico.
Meanwhile authorities in Israel, New Zealand and Spain also confirmed cases of infection.
The World Health Organisation’s warning level is currently at Phase 4, which states that transmission is “characterised by verified human-to-human transmission of an animal or human-animal influenza reassortant virus able to cause community-level outbreaks”.
They still do not have any information about how the virus transmits, although they have said the virus cannot be contracted by eating meat from pigs. They do not think border screenings help prevent the spread of the virus.
Elsewhere, Thai medical authorities have cleared a woman, whom they suspected of having swine flu. She had been quarantined in a Bangkok hospital. And in Britain, a second couple from Scotland were quarantined after contracting swine flu whilst on honeymoon in Mexico. They were staying in Cancun.
On Wednesday China offered Mexico 3.7 million euros in aid to deal with the flu outbreak. Some media reports had said China was the source of the outbreak, a claim denied by the Chinese government, which has not confirmed any cases of the virus.
 Virus claims first US victim; EU reports new cases |
