ID :
57811
Tue, 04/28/2009 - 06:19
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/57811
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India issues travel advisory for visit to flu-hit nations
New Delhi, Apr 27 (PTI) The Indian Government Monday
issued a travel advisory for those travelling to countries
affected by swine flu and put in place a screening system for
passengers coming from these nations.
All passengers coming from the affected countries --
Mexico, United States, United Kingdom, France, Canada and
New Zealand -- would be screened and those who have reached
here till 10 days back would be tracked down and asked to
report to the nearest medical centre, Director General Indian
Council for Medical Research (ICMR) Dr V N Katoch said at a
press conference here.
The Government is also instituting surveillance of
ports and international airports along with monitoring through
Integrated Disease Surveillance units in the states, he said.
The country already has a stockpile of the effective
drug Tamiflu which was used during the bird flu epidemic. "We
have also asked for an additional one million Tamiflu to be
procured," he said.
"As of now we are concentrating on prevention of the
infection spreading from person to person as in India there is
no scenario of the diseases spreading from animals till now,"
Director of the National Institute of Communicable Diseases
(NICD) Shivlal said.
The states have also been advised to review their
preparedness to investigate and contain any suspected cluster
of influenza like illness. Guidelines to this effect have been
sent to all the state surveillance officers.
Apart from this, a 24-hour call centre would be
attending to calls from the public regarding reporting of
influenza like illnesses.
The screening of passengers would be done at a total
of nine airports across the country including Mumbai, Delhi
and Kolkata.
In Delhi, 32 additional doctors would be working in
four shifts to help in the screening process. Passengers would
be handed a proforma where they can voluntarily disclose if
they have any symptoms or they can call back at the given
numbers within 10 days in case they develop any of the
symptoms.
Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry Vineet
Chaudhary said in India the threat was negligible as there was
little organised rearing of pigs unlike the United States and
Mexico.
The decision was taken at a meeting attended by senior
officials of the health ministry this morning.
In Mexico, the number of cases under observation have
reached 1,614, from 1,324. Deaths have also been reported from
the United States.
Swine influenza is known to be caused by influenza A
subtypes H1N1,[4] H1N2,[4] H3N1,[5] H3N2,[4] and H2N3.
It infects people every year and is found typically in
those who have been in contact with pigs, although there have
been cases of person-to-person transmission.
Its symptoms include fever, disorientation, stiffness
of the joints, vomiting and loss of consciousness leading to
death. PTI
issued a travel advisory for those travelling to countries
affected by swine flu and put in place a screening system for
passengers coming from these nations.
All passengers coming from the affected countries --
Mexico, United States, United Kingdom, France, Canada and
New Zealand -- would be screened and those who have reached
here till 10 days back would be tracked down and asked to
report to the nearest medical centre, Director General Indian
Council for Medical Research (ICMR) Dr V N Katoch said at a
press conference here.
The Government is also instituting surveillance of
ports and international airports along with monitoring through
Integrated Disease Surveillance units in the states, he said.
The country already has a stockpile of the effective
drug Tamiflu which was used during the bird flu epidemic. "We
have also asked for an additional one million Tamiflu to be
procured," he said.
"As of now we are concentrating on prevention of the
infection spreading from person to person as in India there is
no scenario of the diseases spreading from animals till now,"
Director of the National Institute of Communicable Diseases
(NICD) Shivlal said.
The states have also been advised to review their
preparedness to investigate and contain any suspected cluster
of influenza like illness. Guidelines to this effect have been
sent to all the state surveillance officers.
Apart from this, a 24-hour call centre would be
attending to calls from the public regarding reporting of
influenza like illnesses.
The screening of passengers would be done at a total
of nine airports across the country including Mumbai, Delhi
and Kolkata.
In Delhi, 32 additional doctors would be working in
four shifts to help in the screening process. Passengers would
be handed a proforma where they can voluntarily disclose if
they have any symptoms or they can call back at the given
numbers within 10 days in case they develop any of the
symptoms.
Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry Vineet
Chaudhary said in India the threat was negligible as there was
little organised rearing of pigs unlike the United States and
Mexico.
The decision was taken at a meeting attended by senior
officials of the health ministry this morning.
In Mexico, the number of cases under observation have
reached 1,614, from 1,324. Deaths have also been reported from
the United States.
Swine influenza is known to be caused by influenza A
subtypes H1N1,[4] H1N2,[4] H3N1,[5] H3N2,[4] and H2N3.
It infects people every year and is found typically in
those who have been in contact with pigs, although there have
been cases of person-to-person transmission.
Its symptoms include fever, disorientation, stiffness
of the joints, vomiting and loss of consciousness leading to
death. PTI
