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Source: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/0...mexico865.html
Canadian health officials warn against travel to Mexico
Swine flu cases confirmed in Middle East, South Pacific; WHO says travel restrictions not needed
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 | 10:49 AM ET
A Canadian health agency is warning against travel to Mexico, where there's an outbreak of human cases of swine flu, unless absolutely necessary.
The Public Health Agency of Canada issued the warning late Monday, saying travellers should postpone any non-essential travel to the country until further notice.
The agency urged travellers to take precautionary measures such as getting a flu shot, frequently washing their hands, and covering coughs and sneezes.
The United States issued a similar warning earlier Monday, suggesting "non-essential travel to Mexico be avoided."
The warnings come despite World Health Organization officials advising against travel restrictions or border closures. The WHO says such restrictions will not stop the spread of the virus, and have instead called on countries to boost domestic efforts to contain the spread of the illness.
WHO spokeswoman Sylvie Briand told CBC News on Tuesday the health agency supports governments providing information to travellers about the risks of going to a country where the virus is circulating.
"What we don?t support is to ban travel ? because we think it will not have an impact on the spread of the disease itself," Briand said in an interview from Geneva.
The European Union's health commissioner also said Tuesday she sees no reason to impose travel restrictions.
New Zealand, Israel confirm cases
In Mexico, at least 152 people are suspected to have died from a new strain of swine flu virus. Authorities say more than 1,900 people have been hospitalized, but 1,070 have been released. The illness has been confirmed in six people in Canada, 50 in the United States and three in Europe, but there have been no deaths.
Dr. Keiji Fukuda, the WHO?s assistant director general, said Monday that "a pandemic is not considered inevitable at this time," but cautioned people who are ill to delay travel.
On Tuesday, New Zealand confirmed 11 cases of human swine flu, making it the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to do so. Israeli health officials also confirmed two cases of human swine flu in two men who recently returned from Mexico.
No country outside Mexico has yet seen severe disease caused by the virus.
The food agency of the United Nations, meanwhile, said Tuesday it would send some of its animal health experts to Mexico to verify if the virus is directly linked to pigs.
In a statement, the Food and Agriculture Organization said the evidence that the new strain entered the human population directly from pigs "has not been established.
?There is no evidence of a threat to the food chain; at this stage, it is a human crisis and not an animal crisis, but we have to be alerted and prepared,? said FAO chief veterinary officer Joseph Domenech.
WHO raises alert level
On Monday, the WHO raised its global pandemic alert to Level 4 from Level 3, signalling the global health body feels the virus causing the swine flu outbreak can easily transmit between people.
Of the six confirmed cases of the H1N1 swine flu virus in Canada, four are in Nova Scotia and two are in British Columbia. All six people, health officials said, have relatively mild symptoms and have recovered.
Dr. David Butler-Jones, Canada's chief public health officer, said Monday that Canada would see more illnesses, "and we will likely, unfortunately, see some deaths as well.
"We hope not, but it is a normal part of an influenza outbreak," added Butler-Jones, head of the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Canadians who returning to airports from Mexico on Monday were greeted by mask-wearing customs officers. Many passengers were also wearing masks.
At Pearson International Airport in Toronto and Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau airport, passengers were handed a Health Canada pamphlet detailing information on the illness, and were advised to visit a doctor immediately if they felt sick in the next seven days.
With files from The Canadian Press
Canadian health officials warn against travel to Mexico
Swine flu cases confirmed in Middle East, South Pacific; WHO says travel restrictions not needed
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 | 10:49 AM ET
A Canadian health agency is warning against travel to Mexico, where there's an outbreak of human cases of swine flu, unless absolutely necessary.
The Public Health Agency of Canada issued the warning late Monday, saying travellers should postpone any non-essential travel to the country until further notice.
The agency urged travellers to take precautionary measures such as getting a flu shot, frequently washing their hands, and covering coughs and sneezes.
The United States issued a similar warning earlier Monday, suggesting "non-essential travel to Mexico be avoided."
The warnings come despite World Health Organization officials advising against travel restrictions or border closures. The WHO says such restrictions will not stop the spread of the virus, and have instead called on countries to boost domestic efforts to contain the spread of the illness.
WHO spokeswoman Sylvie Briand told CBC News on Tuesday the health agency supports governments providing information to travellers about the risks of going to a country where the virus is circulating.
"What we don?t support is to ban travel ? because we think it will not have an impact on the spread of the disease itself," Briand said in an interview from Geneva.
The European Union's health commissioner also said Tuesday she sees no reason to impose travel restrictions.
New Zealand, Israel confirm cases
In Mexico, at least 152 people are suspected to have died from a new strain of swine flu virus. Authorities say more than 1,900 people have been hospitalized, but 1,070 have been released. The illness has been confirmed in six people in Canada, 50 in the United States and three in Europe, but there have been no deaths.
Dr. Keiji Fukuda, the WHO?s assistant director general, said Monday that "a pandemic is not considered inevitable at this time," but cautioned people who are ill to delay travel.
On Tuesday, New Zealand confirmed 11 cases of human swine flu, making it the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to do so. Israeli health officials also confirmed two cases of human swine flu in two men who recently returned from Mexico.
No country outside Mexico has yet seen severe disease caused by the virus.
The food agency of the United Nations, meanwhile, said Tuesday it would send some of its animal health experts to Mexico to verify if the virus is directly linked to pigs.
In a statement, the Food and Agriculture Organization said the evidence that the new strain entered the human population directly from pigs "has not been established.
?There is no evidence of a threat to the food chain; at this stage, it is a human crisis and not an animal crisis, but we have to be alerted and prepared,? said FAO chief veterinary officer Joseph Domenech.
WHO raises alert level
On Monday, the WHO raised its global pandemic alert to Level 4 from Level 3, signalling the global health body feels the virus causing the swine flu outbreak can easily transmit between people.
Of the six confirmed cases of the H1N1 swine flu virus in Canada, four are in Nova Scotia and two are in British Columbia. All six people, health officials said, have relatively mild symptoms and have recovered.
Dr. David Butler-Jones, Canada's chief public health officer, said Monday that Canada would see more illnesses, "and we will likely, unfortunately, see some deaths as well.
"We hope not, but it is a normal part of an influenza outbreak," added Butler-Jones, head of the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Canadians who returning to airports from Mexico on Monday were greeted by mask-wearing customs officers. Many passengers were also wearing masks.
At Pearson International Airport in Toronto and Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau airport, passengers were handed a Health Canada pamphlet detailing information on the illness, and were advised to visit a doctor immediately if they felt sick in the next seven days.
With files from The Canadian Press