General News of Tuesday, 28 April 2009

Source: --

Ghana observing swine fever ...

.... preventive measures to be announced soon
Health authorities in Ghana are taking a close look at the outbreak of swine fever in Mexico, the US and a number of other countries acros s the globe and will soon announce measures to educate the public, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Elias Sory, said in Accra on Monday.

He told reporters that the Health Service would collaborate with the World Health Organisation in dealing with the matter and urged the public not to panic.

Dr Sory said although the flu was highly infectious, the public must stay calm as the Health Service took measures to forestall an outbreak in the West African country.

At least 100 have died of the flu in Mexico. Human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection have been identified in the United States. Human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection also have been identified internationally.

H1N1 is the same strain that causes seasonal flu outbreaks in humans but the newly detected version contains genetic material from versions of flu which usually affect pigs and birds.