Australia : Swine flu breaks out in NT town

[Arkanoid Legent]

A SWINE flu cluster has broken out in a Territory town, with at least 29 cases detected over the past week.

The cluster has prompted warnings for vulnerable people to take the flu vaccine.

The mining town of Nhulunbuy has recorded at least 29 cases of the H1N1 strain of influenza, the NT Centre for Disease Control said yesterday.

http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/06/30/160251_ntnews.html

 

[tetano]

Re: Australia : Swine flu breaks out in NT town

The Northern Territory Centre for Disease Control says there has been a swine flu outbreak in a remote Arnhem Land community.

The centre says 29 cases have been reported in Nhulunbuy, 600 kilometres east of Darwin, in less than a fortnight.

Dr Peter Markey says it is hard to be certain, but he believes the outbreak has reached its peak.

"A couple of people came into hospital but that was all," he said.

"They only stayed a day or two.

"So far there haven't been any serious cases with this cluster."

He says Aboriginal people with health problems are at high risk from swine flu.

"It still can be a pretty severe illness, particularly in those people with the other conditions - pregnant women and Aboriginal people," he said.

"They are the ones who can get seriously ill with it."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/30/2941247.htm