Australia reports community spread of novel flu in Victoria

[Siegfried X]

Australia changes the pandemic level for the state of Victoria.

Jun 3, 2009 (CIDRAP News) ? Australian health officials acknowledged today that the novel H1N1 influenza virus has achieved sustained community transmission in the state of Victoria, where 521 cases were reported today, an increase of 126 since yesterday.

The Australia Department of Health and Ageing said the pandemic response for Victoria has been raised from "contain" to "sustain." The resulting measures "will enable Victoria to more appropriately respond to the relatively higher number of cases and the sustained community transmission of the infection in Victoria," the agency said in a statement...

The state will provide antiviral treatment only to those who have novel flu infections and their household contacts, require people with confirmed cases to isolate themselves for 3 days after starting treatment, conduct intensive surveillance in high-risk settings such as nursing homes, and enhance community surveillance for illnesses and changes in the circulating influenza strains.

Schools will no longer automatically close if a student has a flu-like illness, though large numbers of confirmed cases in a school might warrant closure.