Ronan Kelly
Retired 2020
09.04.10
Two Swine flu cases hit Swakopmund
By: ADAM HARTMAN
AT least two cases of the H1N1 flu, also known as swine flu, have been confirmed at Swakopmund.
They are the first cases of the flu strain reported in Namibia this year, and come at a time when the health authorities are preparing a national H1N1 vaccination campaign due to start in May.
When The Namibian called Dr Jack Vries, who heads the National Health Emergency Management Committee, for comment on the latest cases, he said it was the first he had heard about it.
?This is very bad news since no one informed us about the cases. There must be a break in communication here,? he said.
?We will have to follow this up immediately.?
A group of 13 Swakopmunders returned to Namibia from a golf vacation in Phuket, Thailand, two weeks ago, and on arrival at Hosea Kutako Airport in Windhoek, most of them were suffering from flu-like symptoms.
According to one of the possible patients, who is still awaiting the results of his test, they went to their respective doctors who took swabs and sent the samples to local pathology centres.
Four days later, it was confirmed that two of the people had the H1N1 virus, but it is believed that more could have tested positive.
One of those who tested positive to H1N1 confirmed it to The Namibian.
?I believe we contracted it in Phuket because one of our members already showed flu-like symptoms there. When we came back to Namibia on the Sunday (March 28), nearly all of us had the flu. But at that stage we were not even thinking of swine flu,? he said.
Most of them received Tamiflu antiviral treatment and are well again.
?By the time I got my result, I had recovered from the flu,? the patient said.
The Namibian contacted a local pathology centre to get more detail. According to them, one patient tested positive for H1N1.
The child of one of the people who had visited Phuket was also said to have contracted H1N1, but when the principal of the child?s school was contacted, he denied the ?rumour?.
?She did go to a doctor, but there was no feedback at all whether she has got H1N1,? he said.
One of the doctors who treated some of the suspected cases said he had not received any confirmation yet about his patients, but added that he did know of two confirmed cases.
?It should be standard procedure that once we get a confirmed case the national emergency committee is notified,? he said.
Another doctor, who had treated one of the two confirmed cases, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Dr Vries said that 220 000 doses of H1N1 vaccine will arrive from the World Health Organisation (WHO) soon, after which a national vaccination campaign will be launched in May.
?It will take place in categories with those most vulnerable to the virus,? he said.
First all health workers will be immunised; then children between the ages of six months and one year, and then pregnant women.
Only after that will people suffering from chronic illnesses come into consideration.
Dr Vries also said that the Namibia Institute for Pathology (NIP) would soon be conducting H1N1 tests in Windhoek and would be able to release results within 24 hours, compared to a week or more, as is the case with samples sent to South Africa.
http://www.namibian.com.na/news-art...l/article/two-swine-flu-cases-hit-swakopmund/
Two Swine flu cases hit Swakopmund
By: ADAM HARTMAN
AT least two cases of the H1N1 flu, also known as swine flu, have been confirmed at Swakopmund.
They are the first cases of the flu strain reported in Namibia this year, and come at a time when the health authorities are preparing a national H1N1 vaccination campaign due to start in May.
When The Namibian called Dr Jack Vries, who heads the National Health Emergency Management Committee, for comment on the latest cases, he said it was the first he had heard about it.
?This is very bad news since no one informed us about the cases. There must be a break in communication here,? he said.
?We will have to follow this up immediately.?
A group of 13 Swakopmunders returned to Namibia from a golf vacation in Phuket, Thailand, two weeks ago, and on arrival at Hosea Kutako Airport in Windhoek, most of them were suffering from flu-like symptoms.
According to one of the possible patients, who is still awaiting the results of his test, they went to their respective doctors who took swabs and sent the samples to local pathology centres.
Four days later, it was confirmed that two of the people had the H1N1 virus, but it is believed that more could have tested positive.
One of those who tested positive to H1N1 confirmed it to The Namibian.
?I believe we contracted it in Phuket because one of our members already showed flu-like symptoms there. When we came back to Namibia on the Sunday (March 28), nearly all of us had the flu. But at that stage we were not even thinking of swine flu,? he said.
Most of them received Tamiflu antiviral treatment and are well again.
?By the time I got my result, I had recovered from the flu,? the patient said.
The Namibian contacted a local pathology centre to get more detail. According to them, one patient tested positive for H1N1.
The child of one of the people who had visited Phuket was also said to have contracted H1N1, but when the principal of the child?s school was contacted, he denied the ?rumour?.
?She did go to a doctor, but there was no feedback at all whether she has got H1N1,? he said.
One of the doctors who treated some of the suspected cases said he had not received any confirmation yet about his patients, but added that he did know of two confirmed cases.
?It should be standard procedure that once we get a confirmed case the national emergency committee is notified,? he said.
Another doctor, who had treated one of the two confirmed cases, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Dr Vries said that 220 000 doses of H1N1 vaccine will arrive from the World Health Organisation (WHO) soon, after which a national vaccination campaign will be launched in May.
?It will take place in categories with those most vulnerable to the virus,? he said.
First all health workers will be immunised; then children between the ages of six months and one year, and then pregnant women.
Only after that will people suffering from chronic illnesses come into consideration.
Dr Vries also said that the Namibia Institute for Pathology (NIP) would soon be conducting H1N1 tests in Windhoek and would be able to release results within 24 hours, compared to a week or more, as is the case with samples sent to South Africa.
http://www.namibian.com.na/news-art...l/article/two-swine-flu-cases-hit-swakopmund/