NewsWhore
04-28-2009, 03:00 PM
President Leonel Fernandez convened the National Influenza Commission today to hear details of preventive measures that have been adopted in response to149 deaths reported in the swine flu outbreak in Mexico, where the World Health Organization raised the alert level to 4 on a scale of 6. There is a risk of a global epidemic that the world health authorities are attempting to prevent through mitigation efforts. In addition to the cases in Mexico, there have been others in the US, Canada and Spain.
Fernandez called Public Health minister Bautista Rojas Gomez and Agriculture minister Salvador (Chio) Jimenez into his office after the meeting. They said that the National Epidemiological Vigilance System had been activated.
Bautista Rojas called on the population to remain calm. He said they are monitoring airport arrivals from affected countries, as this is one way for the disease to be spread. Airlines are on alert that any passenger with symptoms of a high fever should be placed under observation for 10 days as required by international protocols. In view of the fact that there are not enough thermographs to measure high temperatures, portable equipment will be on hand at immigration checkpoints, and the inspectors will check for fevers. There are also restrictions in place at seaports and along the Haitian frontier.
The Public Health Minister has delivered materials and equipment for airport employees to help passengers arriving from overseas, especially at Las Americas International Airport (AILA), which receives flights from Mexico. Passengers on COPA Airlines flights from Mexico via Panama were checked, and each was required to fill out a card with their address and telephone number, and advised to call the government hotline in case of any flu symptoms. AILA was placed on alert and the control measures were put into operation at terminals A and B.
The director of the ministry's Livestock Department, Angel Faxas, told Dominicans that they could eat pork without any risk. He explained that no virus could survive the heat required to cook the meat. But the Department of Customs has already suspended pork imports.
The measures that the World Health Organization (WHO) is recommending for swine flu prevention include frequent hand washing, keeping windows open and keeping a clean house. In the case of sneezing, it is recommended the person cover their mouth and nose with disposable tissues that should be discarded at once. Hands should be washed immediately for optimum hygiene. The WHO reminded people that the flu is highly contagious and can be spread to others, even when no symptoms are evident. School-age children are most susceptible to flu contagion.
The US Center for Disease Control reports 45 confirmed cases in New York City, and a total of 64 cases in the US.
See www.cdc.gov/swineflu (http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)
Fernandez called Public Health minister Bautista Rojas Gomez and Agriculture minister Salvador (Chio) Jimenez into his office after the meeting. They said that the National Epidemiological Vigilance System had been activated.
Bautista Rojas called on the population to remain calm. He said they are monitoring airport arrivals from affected countries, as this is one way for the disease to be spread. Airlines are on alert that any passenger with symptoms of a high fever should be placed under observation for 10 days as required by international protocols. In view of the fact that there are not enough thermographs to measure high temperatures, portable equipment will be on hand at immigration checkpoints, and the inspectors will check for fevers. There are also restrictions in place at seaports and along the Haitian frontier.
The Public Health Minister has delivered materials and equipment for airport employees to help passengers arriving from overseas, especially at Las Americas International Airport (AILA), which receives flights from Mexico. Passengers on COPA Airlines flights from Mexico via Panama were checked, and each was required to fill out a card with their address and telephone number, and advised to call the government hotline in case of any flu symptoms. AILA was placed on alert and the control measures were put into operation at terminals A and B.
The director of the ministry's Livestock Department, Angel Faxas, told Dominicans that they could eat pork without any risk. He explained that no virus could survive the heat required to cook the meat. But the Department of Customs has already suspended pork imports.
The measures that the World Health Organization (WHO) is recommending for swine flu prevention include frequent hand washing, keeping windows open and keeping a clean house. In the case of sneezing, it is recommended the person cover their mouth and nose with disposable tissues that should be discarded at once. Hands should be washed immediately for optimum hygiene. The WHO reminded people that the flu is highly contagious and can be spread to others, even when no symptoms are evident. School-age children are most susceptible to flu contagion.
The US Center for Disease Control reports 45 confirmed cases in New York City, and a total of 64 cases in the US.
See www.cdc.gov/swineflu (http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)