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  • Botswana - Cases - 13

    Swine flu begins to spread in southern Africa

    7/10/2009, 2:38 p.m. EDT

    The Associated Press

    (AP) ? JOHANNESBURG - Botswana's health ministry says it has confirmed the country's first case of swine flu as the H1N1 virus begins to spread in southern Africa.

    Spokesman Themba Sibanda said Friday the patient is a male from Botswana.

    Zimbabwe has also reported its first two cases while in South Africa the number of infected patients has risen to 48. There have been no deaths in the region.

    South African health officials said Thursday that 16 new cases were connected to a squash tournament held last week in Johannesburg with participants from all over the country.

    A Zimbabwean athlete who took part in the sporting event was also infected.

    Zimbabwe's other case involves an Asian man placed in quarantine soon after arriving in the country after he tested positive to the virus.

  • #2
    Re: Botswana - Cases - 4

    By WENE OWINO, NATION Correspondent
    Posted Wednesday, July 29 2009 at 12:17
    Swine flu spreads in Botswana
    GABORONE, Wednesday

    Swine flu (H1N1) has spread to Botswana?s second city of Francistown, health authorities reported on Tuesday.

    A spokesman for Nyangabwe Referral Hospital in Francistown Mr Caiphus Gabana said that out of eight suspected cases, one has been confirmed to be Swine Flu. By Tuesday, the hospital was still waiting for the test results of the other patients to come back from South African laboratories.

    Mr Gabana told the government owned Botswana Press Agency (BOPA) that one of the suspected cases in a South African who is critically ill at Nyangabwe. Another patient whose condition is stable has been admitted at Ntshe Clinic, which has been reserved to deal exclusively with Swine Flu cases in Francistown.

    The confirmed Swine Flu patient in Francistown is a Motswana man. He has been admitted at Nyangabwe in an isolation ward for treatment. Four other patients in Francistown have been released to wait for tests results at home.

    Botswana reported its first case of Swine Flu, on July 10 in the capital Gaborone. Since then more cases have been reported in the city after tests in South Africa. A clinic in Gaborone?s Block Eight residential area on the way to Sir Seretse Khama International Airport has been set aside to deal exclusively with Swine Flu cases.

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    • #3
      Re: Botswana - Cases - 13

      Botswana to build flu laboratory
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      By WENE OWINO, NATION CorrespondentPosted Friday, July 31 2009 at 08:20
      IN SUMMARY

      GABORONE

      The number of confirmed Swine Flu cases in Botswana has shot up from four to 13 as the country?s health authorities announced plans on Wednesday to set up a testing laboratory with the assistance of the United States.

      The Botswana director of public health Ms Sheenaz El-Halabi said at a press conference that the Swine Flu testing laboratory will be up and running by the end of next month. She said the America Centre for Disease Control (CDC) has agreed to help in the establishment of the facility.

      Botswana currently uses South African laboratories to test Swine Flu samples. Ms El-Halabi said that even if the Botswana facility starts operating they will still send some samples to South Africa for verification tests.

      She added that of the 13 confirmed cases of Swine Flu in Botswana, six are female while seven are male. All the people had been outside the country or had contact with those who had travelled abroad.

      The second city of Francistown recorded the highest number, with six while the capital Gaborone follows with five. The disease has spread to the mining town of Jwaneng and Gantsi in the remote north.

      All the Swine Flu patients in Botswana have been released from hospital but Ms El-Halabi warned that the disease will spread further. Unconfirmed reports indicated that the health authorities in Francistown had panicked because of the spread of the disease in the city.

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