AlaskaDenise
In Memoriam
Beijing Bracing Itself For Swine Flu Virus
China is bracing itself for an outbreak of swine flu, where in the last 48 hours, measures have been stepped up to prevent the deadly virus from entering the country.
The new strain is a mixture of swine and avian flu viruses, but China's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said no cases have so far been reported here.
Although there is no vaccine to fight the virus so far, the centre said swine flu was "preventable, controllable and treatable."
Notices have been posted at airports across the country advising people who return from disease affected regions to report flu like symptoms at the point of entry.
Walk-through thermal scans have been activated to detect travellers with a high fever.
A series of tough measures has also been announced in Hong Kong, where the Sars virus (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) killed hundreds of people in 2003.
Southern China has proved a viral melting pot in the past. Conditions are perfect for the spread of the virus.
Millions of people live in close proximity to their animals which increases the spread of the disease.
The leading virologist at the University of Hong Kong professor Malik Peiris says swine flu has been prevalent in Southern China for "many years."
But the deadly H1N1 strain that can be transmitted from human to human has yet to arrive in this country.
"The next 48 hours will be crucial," he told Sky News. "If it continues to spread in the United States and more clusters are reported it is inevitable that it will come to China. This is an area of huge population and high population density.
"If it came to China, or infact anywhere in Asia, it could spread very quickly. This would prove a trying time."
Chinese authorities have already been stockpiling the Avian flu anti viral Tamiflu.
Local GPs in Beijing have been told the health authorities have plans to administer the Tamiflu at selected hospitals in case of a pandemic.
And independent health clinics have been told they would have to surrender their stocks of the drug to the Government health department in the event of a declared emergency.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Wo...r_Virus_Outbreak_Steps_Up_Protection_Measures
China is bracing itself for an outbreak of swine flu, where in the last 48 hours, measures have been stepped up to prevent the deadly virus from entering the country.
The new strain is a mixture of swine and avian flu viruses, but China's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said no cases have so far been reported here.
Although there is no vaccine to fight the virus so far, the centre said swine flu was "preventable, controllable and treatable."
Notices have been posted at airports across the country advising people who return from disease affected regions to report flu like symptoms at the point of entry.
Walk-through thermal scans have been activated to detect travellers with a high fever.
A series of tough measures has also been announced in Hong Kong, where the Sars virus (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) killed hundreds of people in 2003.
Southern China has proved a viral melting pot in the past. Conditions are perfect for the spread of the virus.
Millions of people live in close proximity to their animals which increases the spread of the disease.
The leading virologist at the University of Hong Kong professor Malik Peiris says swine flu has been prevalent in Southern China for "many years."
But the deadly H1N1 strain that can be transmitted from human to human has yet to arrive in this country.
"The next 48 hours will be crucial," he told Sky News. "If it continues to spread in the United States and more clusters are reported it is inevitable that it will come to China. This is an area of huge population and high population density.
"If it came to China, or infact anywhere in Asia, it could spread very quickly. This would prove a trying time."
Chinese authorities have already been stockpiling the Avian flu anti viral Tamiflu.
Local GPs in Beijing have been told the health authorities have plans to administer the Tamiflu at selected hospitals in case of a pandemic.
And independent health clinics have been told they would have to surrender their stocks of the drug to the Government health department in the event of a declared emergency.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Wo...r_Virus_Outbreak_Steps_Up_Protection_Measures