ID :
57741
Mon, 04/27/2009 - 21:55
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/57741
The shortlink copeid
Australia prepared for swine flu: expert
Australia is "extraordinarily well prepared" for swine flu following the measures
taken to confront the SARS outbreak six years ago, Western Australia's public health
chief says.
Dr Tarun Weeramanthri said information has been distributed to all WA emergency
departments and is being provided to GPs on steps to be taken in monitoring the
possible spread of the swine flu virus.
He said at this stage, medical authorities were only interested in the screening of
people who had been to Mexico or the United States in the last seven days.
"We are asking those people to report in because it would have become symptomatic
within seven days if you had contracted the illness," he said.
Dr Weeramanthri said if cases were detected, Australia was "extraordinarily well
prepared for an influenza event like this".
"We've had six years (since the SARS outbreak) to think about all the challenges and
permutations this could pose.
"(Australia) has really well-developed public health plans, it has excellent
surveillance systems, it has excellent laboratory systems and it has made
preparations in terms of drug supplies which have been in the making for over six
years."
The SARS flu outbreak spread to 37 countries from China's Guangdong province from
November 2002 up to July the following year.
Out of more than 8,000 known cases, 774 people died, according to a World Health
Organisation report.
Dr Weeramanthri said as well as personal preventative equipment such as face masks,
plentiful supplies of the Tamiflu vaccine were available on script and through
hospitals.
"We have a health management plan for pandemic influenza but we are still in the
alert phase .. meaning we are constantly monitoring for flu in the community," he
said.
"Given that we haven't got any cases it would be premature to speculate on hospital
readiness ... we don't need to go further in having our hospitals on alert.
"But what we are doing is reviewing all plans and preparations so that so that
should the situation change across the world, we would be ready."
Dr Weeramanthri said world health authorities were giving "deep thought" to apparent
differences in the clinical impact of the virus on people in Mexico and in other
countries.
taken to confront the SARS outbreak six years ago, Western Australia's public health
chief says.
Dr Tarun Weeramanthri said information has been distributed to all WA emergency
departments and is being provided to GPs on steps to be taken in monitoring the
possible spread of the swine flu virus.
He said at this stage, medical authorities were only interested in the screening of
people who had been to Mexico or the United States in the last seven days.
"We are asking those people to report in because it would have become symptomatic
within seven days if you had contracted the illness," he said.
Dr Weeramanthri said if cases were detected, Australia was "extraordinarily well
prepared for an influenza event like this".
"We've had six years (since the SARS outbreak) to think about all the challenges and
permutations this could pose.
"(Australia) has really well-developed public health plans, it has excellent
surveillance systems, it has excellent laboratory systems and it has made
preparations in terms of drug supplies which have been in the making for over six
years."
The SARS flu outbreak spread to 37 countries from China's Guangdong province from
November 2002 up to July the following year.
Out of more than 8,000 known cases, 774 people died, according to a World Health
Organisation report.
Dr Weeramanthri said as well as personal preventative equipment such as face masks,
plentiful supplies of the Tamiflu vaccine were available on script and through
hospitals.
"We have a health management plan for pandemic influenza but we are still in the
alert phase .. meaning we are constantly monitoring for flu in the community," he
said.
"Given that we haven't got any cases it would be premature to speculate on hospital
readiness ... we don't need to go further in having our hospitals on alert.
"But what we are doing is reviewing all plans and preparations so that so that
should the situation change across the world, we would be ready."
Dr Weeramanthri said world health authorities were giving "deep thought" to apparent
differences in the clinical impact of the virus on people in Mexico and in other
countries.
