70 Australians tested as swine flu crisis deepens

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   70 Australians tested as swine flu crisis deepens

The Federal Health Department says the number of Australians being tested for swine flu has jumped to 70.

A spokeswoman says the 70 have travelled to countries in the Americas affected by the outbreak and have reported flu-like symptoms.
But the World Health Organisation is not recommending travel restrictions or border closures as a result of the outbreak.
So far there have been no confirmed cases of swine flu in Australia; the results of swabs taken from the 70 Australian patients are likely to be known within 48 hours.
The virus is believed to have killed 152 people in Mexico, the epicentre of the outbreak, with 20 deaths confirmed to be a result of the latest strain.
The number of confirmed cases in the United States jumped to 44, while Britain and Spain both said they had registered patients sick with swine flu, among almost 50 suspected and confirmed cases across Europe.
In Asia, South Korea said it was investigating one suspected infection, while New Zealand, which is already treating 10 people who are expected to prove positive, reported a further 56 suspected cases.
"It's a time for caution and concern, but not alarm," New Zealand Health Minister Tony Ryall said.
But WHO does not recommend travel restrictions or border closures as a result of the spreading swine flu outbreak, spokesman Gregory Hartl says.
"The WHO does not recommend any travel restrictions or border closures," he told a news conference in Geneva, noting that infected people may not show symptoms at the airport or when they reach a border crossing.
"Certainly if you feel that you are ill you should not travel, in any case, to anywhere."
The WHO's emergency committee will meet on Tuesday (Geneva time) to review the pandemic alert level, which was raised on Monday evening to level 4 from 3, on a 1-to-6 scale.

Air industry pain

The international air travel industry is bracing for further turbulence from the swine flu outbreak.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimated that the economic crisis could have wiped one-fifth off airline revenues in March alone as demand fell faster than carriers could cut capacity.
IATA also warned that the rising concern over the spread of swine flu could have "a significant impact" on air traffic.
IATA director-general Giovanni Bisignani said in a statement it was still too early to judge what impact swine flu would have "on the bottom line".
"But it is sure that anything that shakes the confidence of passengers has a negative impact on the business. And the timing could not be worse given all of the other economic problems airlines are facing," he said.
Mr Bisignani said the March dip compared to the same period last year showed that the economic crisis on its own was continuing to depress demand for international air travel.

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Midas Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Adviser Group Joined: September 05 2006 Status: Offline Points: 295	Post Options Post Reply Quote Midas Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: 70 Australians tested as swine flu crisis deepens Posted: April 28 2009 at 3:09am
	70 Australians tested as swine flu crisis deepens The Federal Health Department says the number of Australians being tested for swine flu has jumped to 70. A spokeswoman says the 70 have travelled to countries in the Americas affected by the outbreak and have reported flu-like symptoms. But the World Health Organisation is not recommending travel restrictions or border closures as a result of the outbreak. So far there have been no confirmed cases of swine flu in Australia; the results of swabs taken from the 70 Australian patients are likely to be known within 48 hours. The virus is believed to have killed 152 people in Mexico, the epicentre of the outbreak, with 20 deaths confirmed to be a result of the latest strain. The number of confirmed cases in the United States jumped to 44, while Britain and Spain both said they had registered patients sick with swine flu, among almost 50 suspected and confirmed cases across Europe. In Asia, South Korea said it was investigating one suspected infection, while New Zealand, which is already treating 10 people who are expected to prove positive, reported a further 56 suspected cases. "It's a time for caution and concern, but not alarm," New Zealand Health Minister Tony Ryall said. But WHO does not recommend travel restrictions or border closures as a result of the spreading swine flu outbreak, spokesman Gregory Hartl says. "The WHO does not recommend any travel restrictions or border closures," he told a news conference in Geneva, noting that infected people may not show symptoms at the airport or when they reach a border crossing. "Certainly if you feel that you are ill you should not travel, in any case, to anywhere." The WHO's emergency committee will meet on Tuesday (Geneva time) to review the pandemic alert level, which was raised on Monday evening to level 4 from 3, on a 1-to-6 scale. Air industry pain The international air travel industry is bracing for further turbulence from the swine flu outbreak. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimated that the economic crisis could have wiped one-fifth off airline revenues in March alone as demand fell faster than carriers could cut capacity. IATA also warned that the rising concern over the spread of swine flu could have "a significant impact" on air traffic. IATA director-general Giovanni Bisignani said in a statement it was still too early to judge what impact swine flu would have "on the bottom line". "But it is sure that anything that shakes the confidence of passengers has a negative impact on the business. And the timing could not be worse given all of the other economic problems airlines are facing," he said. Mr Bisignani said the March dip compared to the same period last year showed that the economic crisis on its own was continuing to depress demand for international air travel.