UAE Confirms 2009 H1N1 Case

[sharon sanders]

The UAE's Health Ministry on Sunday confirmed the first swine flu case in the country after a man has tested positive. According to WAM, Dr. Hanif Hassan, Minister of Health, said the man, who came from Canada, was receiving treatment at a hospital in the country.

He did not say where this case was discovered.



http://www.albawaba.com/en/news/246513

 

[Shiloh]

Re: UAE Confirms 2009 H1N1 Case

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-05/25/content_11428676.htm

UAE announces first case of influenza A/H1N1
www.chinaview.cn 2009-05-25 05:12:43 Print

ABU DHABI, May 24 (Xinhua) -- The Health Ministry of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced on Sunday the first case of influenza A/H1N1 in the country after laboratorial tests came positive on a male passenger who came from Canada.

UAE Minister of Health Haneef Hassan said the patient, who arrived in the Gulf Arab country on a flight from Canada, is recovering now at a government hospital after he has received a course of treatment, state WAM news agency reported.

"He will remain under observation and treatment for 10 days as medically recommended. Passengers who were on the same flight have not developed any H1N1 symptoms," he was quoted as saying.

Assuring full coordination among all concerned bodies at federal and local levels, Hassan said the UAE was "taking all precautionary and preventive measures, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO)."

The UAE government has formed a technical committee to coordinate efforts to combat the fatal virus, according to the report.

The committee has taken several precautionary measures including stepping up traveller surveillance and installing thermal imaging cameras at all airports across the country to screen passengers, it added.

The Health Ministry has obtained more than 5 million doses of the antiviral drug Tamiflu, according to the report.

 

[FrenchieGirl]

Re: UAE Confirms 2009 H1N1 Case

Sole UAE Flu Patient is Cured But Govt Stays Vigilant

Sajila Saseendran

29 May 2009

SHARJAH ? The country?s first and only confirmed patient of H1N1 flu has recovered and been discharged from hospital, a health ministry official said on Thursday. However, the government is not resting at that.
In fact, the UAE is stepping up surveillance. The official said more thermal cameras were being installed at entry points to the UAE.

After 10 days of close attention and treatment, the patient was discharged from Tawam Hospital in Al Ain, Dr. Ali Ahmed Bin Shakar, Director General of of the Ministry of Health, said.

?He had flown into Dubai from Canada. He was asymptomatic during the thermal screening at Dubai Airport. He developed the symptoms only the next day,? Dr. Shakar said.

He was speaking to Khaleej Times after inspecting the passenger screening process, with Minister of Health Dr. Hanif Hassan, at the Sharjah Airport.

This is the first time that the name of the airport at which the patient landed has been made known. He works with UAE University in Al Ain. Without naming the airline, Dr. Shakar said that none of his co-passengers had reported symptoms of the flu so far.

He said the patient posed no threat of infection to anyone as he had been completely cured and no one else who had close contact with him was affected.

In another statement to official news agency Wam, Dr. Shakar added that the patient?s relatives, who were also quarantined, would be released as they had not shown any symptoms.

Later, he said the government had spent Dhs7.5m for a total of 38 thermal cameras for strengthening surveillance at entry points by air, sea and land. Dr. Shakar said 18 of the 20 additional cameras ordered had been delivered. ?We are extending the screening programme to all borders. Six of the 18 new cameras will be used as mobile scanners. We can use them wherever necessary.?

The screening at seaports would target ships arriving from affected countries. Dr. Shakar said the ministry was also considering distributing educational pamphlets on board flights from severely affected countries.