Swine Influenza : Disease Spreading to Europe

Meanwhile, the Canadian government has also confirmed six cases of swine influenza. In the United States of America, 20 cases have been confirmed.
In Indonesia, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had held a sudden cabinet meeting on Monday (27/4) afternoon to discuss about the swine influenza outbreak. The president has ordered his ministers to immediately implement anticipative policies to prevent the disease from spreading to Indonesia.

Spread to Europe
Swine influenza has also occurred in Europe, Spain in particular. The Spanish government on Monday had found one positive case of swine influenza. Currently 17 more people with swine influenza symptoms are being tested.
To prevent the disease from spreading to other European countries, the European Union Health Commission advises Europeans to restrain from going to Mexico and USA if there is no urgent need for it. Spokesperson of the World Health Organization (WHO), Peter Cordingley, said the new virus is spreading very quickly in Mexico and South America.
“Frankly we don’t know for sure how this new virus works,” said Cordingley.
Secretary of US Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, on Sunday said they are still unable to know precisely how serious and how severe swine influenza will be in the future. Even WHO does not know. Even so, the US is increasing health checks along the border, while President Barack Obama has advised America to stay calm.
A school in New York City has been closed for two days, on Monday and Tuesday, after eight positive swine influenza cases were found there. In Texas, 14 schools have been closed for a week because there were two cases of swine influenza. Similar events are happening in California and Ohio.
The World Bank has given Mexico loans of 25 million US dollars and 180 million dollars in long term to help prevention and treatment of swine influenza.

Stop import
Yesterday, the Indonesian president in a limited cabinet meeting has asked his ministers to act swiftly and accurate.
“We start today by doing all that we have to do, including control, checking of airline flights, mainly those from Mexico, the USA, and other countries that has swine influenza cases,” said President Yudhoyono.
Coordinating Minister for Public Welfare, Aburizal Bakrie, had also decided to temporarily ban the import of pork and all of its derivatives.
Meanwhile a number of regions have rallied livestock service officers to monitor the condition of swine farms and collecting facilities.
“Any pig found infected with swine influenza will be immediately culled and destroyed,” said Head of the Social Marketing and Health Information Division of the Health Office of DKI Jakarta, Tini Surayti.
In Bali, the provincial Livestock Service Office has issued a letter to all livestock service offices in every district/municipality in Bali to monitor swine farms. Masks and disinfectants were also given.
A number of dying pigs found in a slaughterhouse in Kedundung administrative village, Magersari subdistrict, Mojokerto city, East Java, at the end of last year were suspected for swine influenza infection. Head of the Livestock Section of the Agriculture Service Office of Mojokerto city, Sunarto, said “There is a possibility, but we didn’t test them [the pigs], so it can’t be confirmed. There is no guideline from the Ministry of Agriculture regarding swine influenza.”
In Malang city, citizens were reminded to monitor the physical conditions of pigs before and after slaughter.
The president’s cabinet meeting also agreed that people coming into Indonesia, especially those from North America and Singapore, a transit country, must be scanned with the thermographic scanner. This scanner has been installed and operated at 10 international airports.
All around the world, special attention is now focused on international travelers. “This virus could be contracted from Mexico, then brought home, and it starts spreading everywhere,” said Robert Strang from the Public Health Agency of Nova Scotia in Canada.
China, Russia, and Taiwan are applying quarantine to all travelers coming from swine influenza affected countries. Meanwhile Italy, Poland, and Venezuela have advised their citizens to postpone or cancel travel to Mexico and the US. Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Korea are applying special examinations at airports for passengers coming from North America.
Meanwhile, Indonesia Marketing and Distribution Director for AirAsia, Widijastoro Nugroho, and Sriwijaya Air Communication Manager, Ruth Hanna Simatupang, both stated there is no decrease in the number of passengers applying for international flight.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) which has 230 airline members around the world in its press conference on Sunday (26/4) stated it has recommended member airlines to prepare emergency plans and be ready to implement it if this outbreak spreads even further. (REUTERS/AFP/AP/DowJones/RYO/LUK/evy/eca/nel/rts/cok/day/ben/why/cas/fer/ink/dia)
Source : Kompas [edited]