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Kenya screens visitors for swine flu
By MIKE MWANIKIPosted Thursday, April 30 2009 at 15:20
In Summary
More than 1,000 travellers have been screened for the swine flu virus at Kenya's main airport as health authorities step up surveillance on the killer disease.
Speaking to the Nation, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport port health public health officer in-charge Philip Ndania said the authorities were screening passengers from Mexico, US and Europe where an outbreak of the virus has been reported.
?So far, I would like to reassure Kenyans that no case has been detected by the authorities,? Mr Ndania said.
The flu has spread to seven countries across three continents and by Thursday had killed 159 people in Mexico and at least one in the US.
Mr Ndania said the screening involved asking passengers to fill a swine flu surveillance form 1 where they are requested to give information on their current health status.
The form requests the travellers to state whether they have exhibited fever or hotness of body, cough, sore throat, difficulty in breathing, chest pain or shortness of breath in the last two weeks.
?In case we suspect a passenger might be infected by the disease, our officials are expected to take a nasal swab in our isolation room and the specimen taken for immediate testing,? Mr Ndania, who was flanked by his deputy, Ms Jessica Omae said.
At the same time, Ms Omae said since December 10, the JKIA port health officials were also screening passengers from DRC Congo for Ebola as well as routine testing for yellow fever on passengers from Central and West Africa and South America.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation has requested Kenya to strengthen surveillance at airports and other border entry points following the outbreak of the swine flu.
WHO disease control programme officer Joyce Onsongo said due to increased emergence and re-emergence of disease threats such as the current swine flu, Kenya and other countries should strive to meet International Health Regulations (IHR) standards.
?The world is currently facing an outbreak of swine flu which started in Mexico and in just a few weeks, new cases have been reported in USA, Canada, France and Spain among other countries...
?Following the outbreak of the pandemic, the WHO director-general has declared this event as a public health emergency of international concern and has called upon member states to invoke the IHR 2005 in tackling the occurrence.?
The new flu strain, a mixture of various swine, bird and human viruses, poses the biggest risk of a large-scale pandemic since the avian flu broke out in 1997, killing several hundred people.
Dr Onsongo said the purpose of the new IHR guidelines are to prevent, protect against, control and provide public health response to the international spread of diseases.
By MIKE MWANIKIPosted Thursday, April 30 2009 at 15:20
In Summary
- Authorities screening passengers from Mexico, US and Europe where an outbreak of the virus has been reported.
- Passengers to fill a swine flu surveillance form 1 where they are requested to give information on their current health status.
More than 1,000 travellers have been screened for the swine flu virus at Kenya's main airport as health authorities step up surveillance on the killer disease.
Speaking to the Nation, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport port health public health officer in-charge Philip Ndania said the authorities were screening passengers from Mexico, US and Europe where an outbreak of the virus has been reported.
?So far, I would like to reassure Kenyans that no case has been detected by the authorities,? Mr Ndania said.
The flu has spread to seven countries across three continents and by Thursday had killed 159 people in Mexico and at least one in the US.
Mr Ndania said the screening involved asking passengers to fill a swine flu surveillance form 1 where they are requested to give information on their current health status.
The form requests the travellers to state whether they have exhibited fever or hotness of body, cough, sore throat, difficulty in breathing, chest pain or shortness of breath in the last two weeks.
?In case we suspect a passenger might be infected by the disease, our officials are expected to take a nasal swab in our isolation room and the specimen taken for immediate testing,? Mr Ndania, who was flanked by his deputy, Ms Jessica Omae said.
At the same time, Ms Omae said since December 10, the JKIA port health officials were also screening passengers from DRC Congo for Ebola as well as routine testing for yellow fever on passengers from Central and West Africa and South America.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation has requested Kenya to strengthen surveillance at airports and other border entry points following the outbreak of the swine flu.
WHO disease control programme officer Joyce Onsongo said due to increased emergence and re-emergence of disease threats such as the current swine flu, Kenya and other countries should strive to meet International Health Regulations (IHR) standards.
?The world is currently facing an outbreak of swine flu which started in Mexico and in just a few weeks, new cases have been reported in USA, Canada, France and Spain among other countries...
?Following the outbreak of the pandemic, the WHO director-general has declared this event as a public health emergency of international concern and has called upon member states to invoke the IHR 2005 in tackling the occurrence.?
The new flu strain, a mixture of various swine, bird and human viruses, poses the biggest risk of a large-scale pandemic since the avian flu broke out in 1997, killing several hundred people.
Dr Onsongo said the purpose of the new IHR guidelines are to prevent, protect against, control and provide public health response to the international spread of diseases.
