One Swine Flu case under investigation in T&T

The Ministry of Health in Trinidad & Tobago is investigating one case of Swine Flu (the World Health Organization is now calling it the H1N1 flu) and has cleared six other suspected case. Health Minister Jerry Narace is insisting that while there is cause for concern "there is no cause cause for alarm."

The country's chief medical officer, Dr Anton Cumberbatch, told reporters Thursday the patient is one out of seven who had travelled through Mexico and had showed signs of the flu virus. The person is not in quarantine, he said, but declined to say where the patient is being treated.

Narace told reporters that his ministry is taking extra precautions. "The World Health Organisation advises not to restrict travel at this time. However, we decided to take some additional travel measures," he said.

He added that the government will ask all airlines to inform passengers on the plane and before they reach their destination that they need to report to the port health officer if they return from an affected area.

Narace said all passengers arriving from affected countries will be checked upon arrival and at the immigration check-points, before being allowed into the public.

He also said the ministry is stepping up its information and public education campaigns, starting immediately.

The Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) has reported that several suspected cases of the flu are under investigation in Belize, forcing the cancellation of all major public events there. In the Bahamas 10 students and two teachers, who recently returned from a trip in Mexico, are under observation.

The latest bulletin from the WHO says the situation continues to evolve rapidly. "As of 06:00 GMT, 1 May 2009, 11 countries have officially reported 331 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.

"The United States Government has reported 109 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death. Mexico has reported 156 confirmed human cases of infection, including nine deaths.

"The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (34), Germany (3), Israel (2), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (3), Spain (13), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (8).

The organization also reiterated that there is also no risk of infection from eating "well-cooked pork and pork products" and it continues to advise individuals to regularly and thoroughly wash hands with soap and water and seek medical attention any symptoms of influenza-like illness develop.