Denmark: 3 swine flu suspects

[Gert van der Hoek]

Medical experts call emergency meeting over swine flu fears

Monday, 27 April 2009 12:26 KR News

The National Board of Health has called an emergency meeting to discuss what measures will be taken should the fatal swine flu virus break out in Denmark

Worries that the swine flu currently sweeping through Mexico may have reached Denmark are increased as three patients are admitted to hospital with flu-like symptoms

A third Dane has been admitted to hospital for observation as doctors examine patients for signs of the fatal swine flu, which has been linked to 103 deaths in Mexico.

Two people were admitted to Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen at the weekend after returning from Mexico with flu-like symptoms. Public broadcaster DR reports that both are doing well. One was found to have regular influenza, while doctors are awaiting the results of the second patient.

A third patient has now been admitted to Hvidovre Hospital for observation as the National Board of Health calls an emergency meeting this afternoon.

Health officials worldwide have expressed concern that the outbreak of swine flu could reach pandemic levels. In addition to the hundreds hospitalised in Mexico, there have been confirmed cases in the US and Canada and others are being tested in countries such as New Zealand and the UK.

Swine flu is a respiratory disease that usually affects pigs. The latest strain appears to be a genetic combination of a virus that affects humans, birds and pigs and can be spread from human to human.

The national disease control centre, Statens Serum Institut, has asked all hospitals to look out for influenza symptoms among patients and advised travellers from Mexico to contact their doctor if they feel unwell on return.

People who may have been infected are asked not to visit their doctor, but rather to ring them and prevent the possibility of spreading the virus to others.

The health board is meeting later today to investigate how prepared the country is, should swine flu break out in Denmark.

http://www.cphpost.dk/news/national/88-national/45499-medical-experts-call-emergency-meeting-over-swine-flu-fears.html

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Denmark: 3 swine flu suspects

Three suspects in Denmarkt at the moment. There were five, but swine flu was ruled out in the case of two patients.


10 people in swine flu alert in Denmark and Sweden

(AFP)

27 April 2009

COPENHAGEN - At least 10 people are under observation in Denmark and Sweden for possible swine flu after visiting Mexico and the southern United States, health authorities in the two countries said Monday.

At least five people are undergoing examinations in Sweden, according to Mia Mrytting, an official at the national institute for the control of infectious diseases, told the TT national news agency.

In Denmark, three women and a man who came back from a trip to Mexico and the United States last week were under observation in a hospital at Hvidovre, west of Copenhagen, the senior doctor at the hospital told TV2 news.

A fifth person was hospitalised in the northern city of Aalborg with flu symptoms after a visit to the southern United States, near the Mexican border.

But Danish authorities ruled out swine flu in the case of two people hospitalised over the weekend.

An international alert has been sounded after more the Mexican authorities said the probable death toll from the outbreak there had risen to 103.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/international/2009/April/international_April2178.xml&section=international

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Denmark: 3 swine flu suspects

Google translated

More Danes hospitalized with influenza

Published 27.04.09 kl. 13:15 - Updated kl. 16:02

Two more people are now checked for swine flu at Hvidovre Hospital. Five people have been tested and are no longer in isolation.

Patients have come independently of each other and have not travelled together, informs oversygeplejerske Hellenicos Ingmer from Hvidovre Hospital in DR News.

At Aalborg Hospital is a 50-year-old man hospitalized in the morning isolation room at Aalborg Hospital in swine flu-like symptoms, writes tv2nord.dk.

Patients between 15 and 30 years

The four patients at Hvidovre Hospital are young people who all were born between 1979 and 1994. They are also placed in special isolation rooms, but Hvidovre Hospital prepares to move patients from other departments to provide the necessary space for the new embedded.

Bell 14 today convened the emergency meeting of experts and authorities, who must undergo emergency, so it is updated and ready if the infection comes to Denmark. Sundhedsstyrelsen announced late yesterday that the disease is not found in Europe, but this morning was a case detected in Spain.

Else Smith, head of the Health Authority's Center for Prevention, points out that Denmark has medication to treat the disease and are well prepared for a pandemic plan.

- Tamiflu is effective against this virus, she says to TV2 News.

Only a mild influenza-type

In contrast to avian flu , swine flu clearly infects between people.

- Fortunately, we can see from the cases already reported and well documented primarily from North America that it is very mild cases. People have hardly had to hospitalized. So it seems to be a mild form of influenza. Nevertheless, we must keep an eye on it, says the head of the Health Management Center of prevention.

If you suspect to be infected, you should call your doctor, but not take the bus there and risking infecting others.

http://jp.dk/indland/article1675375.ece