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Plans are being put in place to contain any outbreak of swine flu in Johannesburg as the health scare sweeps across the world.
The City is taking precautions to prevent the spread of swine fever
(Photo: Google.com)
THE City is putting measures in place to respond swiftly to any suspected or confirmed cases of swine flu in the municipality.
"The City of Johannesburg is also working closely with departments such as the national and provincial departments of health, the National Institute for Communicable Disease, the Department of Agriculture and the World Health Organization [WHO] in keeping an eye on the situation," said Nkosinathi Nkabinde, the City's health department spokesperson.
Swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses. There have been reports in the past of the virus spreading between people, but this transmission was limited and not sustained beyond three people, explains a fact document from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States.
There has been widespread concern recently as swine flu has infected people in several countries around the world, with a number of deaths attributed to the disease. Joburg's measures to contain any infection include outbreak response teams, heightened surveillance to identify any suspected human case and plans to start educational programmes for communities.
"Although the status changes every minute, Johannesburg has no suspected or confirmed cases of swine flu," said Antonia Barnard, the deputy director of public health in the City.
According to the CDC, the swine influenza A virus is contagious and like seasonal flu it may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions. People may become infected if they touch an item that has the virus on it, or a person with the virus, and then touch their mouths or noses.
"Swine flu symptoms include a fever of more than 38 degrees Celsius, a sore throat, nasal congestion, a cough and body aches," said Nkabinde. The CDC says some people have reported diarrhoea and vomiting associated with swine flu.
"To prevent acquiring and spreading of the disease, people must frequently wash their hands with soap and water and cover their noses and mouths with a tissue or toilet paper when coughing or sneezing," said Nkabinde.
"Dispose of the used tissue or toilet paper in a dustbin. People need to avoid overcrowded conditions, open windows and to keep at a distance from individuals with symptoms of flu."
People who had travelled within seven days before they got ill to Mexico - where the illness began - or any of the other countries with confirmed cases, would be suspected of having swine flu.
According to the WHO website, laboratory-confirmed cases of humans with swine flu, with no deaths, have been reported in Austria (1), Canada (13), Germany (3), Israel (2), New Zealand (3), Spain (4) and the United Kingdom (5). The United States has reported 91 laboratory-confirmed human cases, with one death; Mexico has reported 26 confirmed human cases of infection, with seven deaths.
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