Treyfish
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National alert on polio find
It is the first case of the disease reported in this country in more than 20 years.
Victoria's Chief Health Officer John Carnie said the student was admitted to Melbourne's Box Hill Hospital after complaining of symptoms on his return from a holiday in Pakistan. He is in isolation.
Australia's Chief Medical Officer John Horvath said the case was worrying, but airline passengers who travelled with the man were in little danger.
"It's a pretty low risk, but it is a very infectious disease," Dr Horvath said.
Polio symptoms include fever, vomiting and muscle stiffness, and if it progresses to a major illness, severe muscle pain and stiffness of the neck and back with flaccid paralysis.
"While he (the student) had initial symptoms consistent with polio they have now resolved and his condition has continued to improve," Dr Carnie said.
"He will be kept in isolation as a precautionary measure until he returns successive negative test results for polio.
"Test results from the National Poliovirus Reference Laboratory in Melbourne confirmed the presence of the polio virus."
A national health alert was issued last night after information the infected man had travelled on Thai Airlines flight TG999 from Bangkok to Melbourne on July 2.
Authorities are in the process of contacting the 249 passengers who were aboard the flight, who were mostly from Victoria.
Passengers are urged to phone the National Health Info hotline on 1800 004 599.
All hospital emergency departments around the nation have been alerted to look out for symptoms of the disease.
Polio has been eradicated in most parts of the world, but the disease is still found in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. Australia was declared polio-free in 2000. :tiphat: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,22071732-23289,00.html
Can't be good.
- <LI class=byline><CITE>Nicola Berkovic</CITE>
- July 14, 2007
It is the first case of the disease reported in this country in more than 20 years.
Victoria's Chief Health Officer John Carnie said the student was admitted to Melbourne's Box Hill Hospital after complaining of symptoms on his return from a holiday in Pakistan. He is in isolation.
Australia's Chief Medical Officer John Horvath said the case was worrying, but airline passengers who travelled with the man were in little danger.
"It's a pretty low risk, but it is a very infectious disease," Dr Horvath said.
Polio symptoms include fever, vomiting and muscle stiffness, and if it progresses to a major illness, severe muscle pain and stiffness of the neck and back with flaccid paralysis.
"While he (the student) had initial symptoms consistent with polio they have now resolved and his condition has continued to improve," Dr Carnie said.
"He will be kept in isolation as a precautionary measure until he returns successive negative test results for polio.
"Test results from the National Poliovirus Reference Laboratory in Melbourne confirmed the presence of the polio virus."
A national health alert was issued last night after information the infected man had travelled on Thai Airlines flight TG999 from Bangkok to Melbourne on July 2.
Authorities are in the process of contacting the 249 passengers who were aboard the flight, who were mostly from Victoria.
Passengers are urged to phone the National Health Info hotline on 1800 004 599.
All hospital emergency departments around the nation have been alerted to look out for symptoms of the disease.
Polio has been eradicated in most parts of the world, but the disease is still found in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. Australia was declared polio-free in 2000. :tiphat: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,22071732-23289,00.html
Can't be good.
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