Indonesia government awares pig flu introduction into country.

Indonesia government instructs every harbor and airport activating thermo scan to prevent introduction of swine flu into the country. This device will detect anybody with body temperature over 38.5℃.

Symptoms of swine flu are high fever accompanied with headache, fatigue and sore eye. The disease has appeared in Mexico and has killed 68 people. Total 20 of victims have been confirmed to be infected by swine flu. Up to Saturday (25/4), 24 new suspect cases have been reported. To prevent further transmission, Mexico government closes several public facilities and prohibits citizens to gather in the public place. People who are not infected appear to come to hospitals to get flu shots.

Meanwhile, more than 100 students developed swine-flu-like illness in News York, United States. Eight victims who have been confirmed to contract swine flu virus in Texas and California previously, are still under treatment. None of victims in the US has any contact history with pigs.

World Health Organization (WHO) announced public health emergency alert. Pig flu disease may have potential to be global pandemic. This is concerned because the disease – influenza H1N1 virus – appears in human and pigs and can be deadly. Also, infection seems to occur among people from the same area without any genetic relation.

“All countries required to watch and inform us about pig flu”, said Margaret Chat, General Director of WHO. “This is important for us to know how far is the disease spreading in human”.

Indonesia Ministry of Health with Ministry of Agriculture are working together to monitor all farm areas. In fact, most farmers haven’t known any information about pig flu. In general, vaccination is done for cholera.

At the beginning of 2005, bird flu started to spread in Indonesia. Numbers of pigs in Tangerang were infected and culled.

 

Source: Indonesia TV news, Liputan 6 SCTV. http://mobile.liputan6.com/?c_id=3&id=176665

 

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