China : 'H1N1 infects many communities' ?

[Gert van der Hoek]

06/13/2009 1
CHINA

China under threat of Swine Flu epidemic

Some sources of infection cannot be traced and are of local origin. But the WHO claims the country is ?well prepared? to contain the epidemic. So far there are 141 infections.


Hong Kong (AsiaNews/Agencies) ?The World Health Organisation has declared that China is facing a mass Swine Flu epidemic because it is unable to trace some of the sources of infection.

Mao Qunan, spokesman for the Ministry of Health, said yesterday the outbreak on the mainland had entered a new phase, in which local infections with uncertain sources were occurring and spreading in the community.

Yesterday the WHO declared a state of global pandemic asking governments to set up controls and prepare anti-viral medicines ahead of the winter season (in the Northern Hemisphere)

Since May 10 China reported cases of HINI infections, but they were immediately isolated and recognised as having been carried from abroad by people travelling from America or Mexico. Now the sources are local and there are infecting many communities.

By yesterday, the mainland had reported 141 cases of swine flu, including 16 new cases from Thursday. Sixty patients had been cured and released from hospital. There have been no reports of deaths.

Hans Troedsson, the WHO's China representative said China ?is quite well prepared? to contain the epidemic.

http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=15510&size=A
http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=15510&size=A

 

[the doctor]

Re: China : 'H1N1 infects many communities' ?

If there were 60 cases hospitalized out of 141 confirmed infections, the virus is much more severe in China or they have a whole lot more cases than 141. I favor the later.

"Mao Qunan, spokesman for the Ministry of Health, said yesterday the outbreak on the mainland had entered a new phase, in which local infections with uncertain sources were occurring and spreading in the community."

This probably means that there has been a dramatic rise in ILI on the mainland.

In HK they have moved from prevention to mitigation and I interpret the above statement to mean the same thing.

GW