RFI - Swine flu "most likely" in France

Swine flu "most likely" in France

Article published on the 2009-05-01 Latest update 2009-05-01 17:02 TU

A passenger wears a protective mask as he passes screens with information about H1N1 at Charles de Gaulle Airport north of Paris April 29, 2009
(Photo : Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters)

French officials have said that there are five probable cases of swine flu in the country, but that none are confirmed.

Health officials gave a detailed account of France's monitoring of the H1N1 virus at a press conference on Friday.

They said that among the likely cases, three are in the Paris region, one in the region of Aquitaine, and the other in the region of Midi-Pyrénées.

There had been concern about the infection of a 9-year old girl admitted into an emergency room in Paris, but officials said that it turned out not to be H1N1.

Prime Minister François Fillon annouced that the country has raised its emergency level to 5A out of 6. 5B is considered a true epidemic. Stocks of medicine and face masks are being "put into place", and each administrative department will have a coordination point. Also, France is launching a public information campaign "in the next few days", officials said, and they added that all passengers originating in Mexico will receive a medical examination.

President Nicolas Sarkozy, speaking on a trip in Upper Savoy, said that France was taking all necessary measures, given the propagation of H1N1 around the world.

France had called for a suspension of all European flights to Mexico, but EU health ministers, meeting in Luxembourg, ruled out this plan at least temporarily. The Czech EU presidency said that travel restrictions should be decided country-by-country.