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| 3 May 2009 - CITY HAS CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR SWINE FLU | | | The current H1N1 strain of swine flu is a potentially fatal respiratory disease and is believed to have had its origin in people working with pigs in Mexico and the USA. Currently there are no reported cases in South Africa and there is no need for concern in the Western Cape. It is only those people who have recently visited areas, such as Mexico, where swine flu cases have been identified and become ill with flu-like symptoms that need to contact their health care providers for follow up.
The City and Provincial Health staff are, nevertheless, on high alert and if any cases are detected the Provincial outbreak response plan will come into effect.
“Personal hygiene is of the utmost importance in avoiding infection and avoiding infecting others,” says Dr Ivan Bromfield, Executive Director: City Health. “This is applicable to human and swine flu. It is imperative that people wash their hands regularly with soap and hot water especially after coughing or sneezing. Tissues should be used if you have a cough and safely disposed of afterwards,” he said.
Swine flu cannot be caused by eating pork products but, like other forms of influenza, is a respiratory illness spread, person to person, by the infected person’s viral particles being dispersed during coughing or sneezing. Non-infected people then inhale the virus or become infected by touching surfaces on which the virus has been deposited and then transferring it to the eyes, mouth or nose.
The symptoms are similar to human flu and include a sudden fever with a temperature higher than 38 C, chills, fatigue, coughing, sore throat, headaches, swollen joints etc although swine flu victims also report vomiting and diarrhoea.
Specific drugs – oseltamivir (sold as Tamiflu) and zanamivir (sold as Rlenza) – are prescribed for swine flu patients but anti viral drugs used for conventional flu symptoms can hasten the healing process.
People suffering from any form of flu should stay at home and limit their contact with other people as much as possible.
End
Issued by: Communication Department, City of Cape Town
Media enquiries: Dr Ivan Bromfield, Tel: 021 400 2100 or Cell: 084 629 5364
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