Swine flu: Benin announces suspected case of swine flu
Benin - The Benin Public Health minister, Mr. Issifou Takpara, on Friday announced that health officials have found a suspected victim of the swine flu with a virus of A H1N1 type.
He said the 25-year-old woman, who was diagnosed on 27 April, had returned to Be nin from Mexico one week earlier.
The victim, Mr. Takpara said, had flu symptoms similar to the description of the World Health Organisation (WHO), adding that investigations were ongoing to confirm the case. Three other persons who had had direct contact with the victim were being observed, he added.
To date, the patient and the other persons who had been in contact with her were responding to treatment, the minister said, and reassured the nation and the international community that measures had been taken to contain the situation.
A senior health official, Dr Christophe Monsia, indicated that the virus of the new flu A H1N1 was not of ?swine? origin, explaining that this qualification was exaggerated from the scientific point of view, as no clinical case of original ? swine? flu had been established.
He said the case discovered in Benin was yet to be confirmed by different biomed ical analyses and investigations were ongoing. He urged those who work in the piggery sector to continue their activities while taking the usual elementary precautions.
He also said pork and pork products should be cooked properly before consumption.
WHO defines as suspect case ?any individual with high fever (temperature equal or higher than 38?5C) with flu symptoms (cough, sneezing, fatigue, headaches, nasal discharge) associated or not to a respiratory infection, in a context of recent travel or contact with a traveller in an endemic country.?
The outbreak of the current swine flu was first recorded in Mexico and has spread to some 10 countries. The disease has claimed at least 100 lives in Mexico.
Cotonou - 02/05/2009
Benin - The Benin Public Health minister, Mr. Issifou Takpara, on Friday announced that health officials have found a suspected victim of the swine flu with a virus of A H1N1 type.
He said the 25-year-old woman, who was diagnosed on 27 April, had returned to Be nin from Mexico one week earlier.
The victim, Mr. Takpara said, had flu symptoms similar to the description of the World Health Organisation (WHO), adding that investigations were ongoing to confirm the case. Three other persons who had had direct contact with the victim were being observed, he added.
To date, the patient and the other persons who had been in contact with her were responding to treatment, the minister said, and reassured the nation and the international community that measures had been taken to contain the situation.
A senior health official, Dr Christophe Monsia, indicated that the virus of the new flu A H1N1 was not of ?swine? origin, explaining that this qualification was exaggerated from the scientific point of view, as no clinical case of original ? swine? flu had been established.
He said the case discovered in Benin was yet to be confirmed by different biomed ical analyses and investigations were ongoing. He urged those who work in the piggery sector to continue their activities while taking the usual elementary precautions.
He also said pork and pork products should be cooked properly before consumption.
WHO defines as suspect case ?any individual with high fever (temperature equal or higher than 38?5C) with flu symptoms (cough, sneezing, fatigue, headaches, nasal discharge) associated or not to a respiratory infection, in a context of recent travel or contact with a traveller in an endemic country.?
The outbreak of the current swine flu was first recorded in Mexico and has spread to some 10 countries. The disease has claimed at least 100 lives in Mexico.
Cotonou - 02/05/2009
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