Australia in emergency talks as flu pandemic declared

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Australia in emergency talks as flu pandemic declared

Posted: 12 June 2009 1011 hrs

People are seen waiting at a H1N1 flu clinic in Melbourne's Austin Hospital.

SYDNEY: Australia considered raising its H1N1 flu alert level Friday after a global pandemic was declared, as the prime minister said Asia-Pacific's worst-hit country faced "challenges" from the virus.

Just hours after the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced the first pandemic in 40 years, Australian health officials went into emergency talks on moving from the "contain" to "sustain" alert phase.

The higher level gives the government power to cancel sports events, restrict travel and even shut national borders, although officials stressed extreme measures are unlikely.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Australia had prepared well for the outbreak but he warned the population's mobility could cause problems. The country currently has 1,307 confirmed cases including four in intensive care.

"I think in terms of preparedness we're okay, but let's look at the fact that Australia is a highly mobile population and a lot of Australians travel internationally and as a result we've got some challenges to deal with," Rudd told the Seven Network.

"The committee which deals with this, involving commonwealth (national) and state officials, will be meeting again (Friday) morning to look at the WHO's overnight change in the global status.

"We need to work through this calmly, methodically, step by step."

The H1N1 flu has exploded in Australia this month, making it the fifth most affected country worldwide by the A(H1N1) influenza virus and helping persuade the WHO to declare a pandemic.

The number of cases rose rapidly after infected passengers were allowed to leave a cruise ship in Sydney before fanning out into the community. Only the United States, Mexico, Canada and Chile have more infections.

The WHO's pandemic announcement will give new impetus to efforts against the disease, which first appeared in Mexico in April and has spread to 74 countries, infecting nearly 28,000 people and killing 141.

In Hong Kong, which was hit hard by the 2003 SARS outbreak, authorities closed all primary schools after a group of schoolchildren became the city's first "cluster" of cases.

Australia's caseload also continues to rise, with top rugby league players among those infected and numbers nearly doubling overnight to 36 in the region surrounding the capital, Canberra.

Health Minister Nicola Roxon said the disease strain remained mild, adding that the four people in intensive care all had pre-existing conditions. She ruled out cancelling any weekend sports fixtures.

"That certainly is not part of our plans and we don't intend to do that," Roxon told Sky News.

"We are going to see NRL (National Rugby League) and AFL (Australian Football League) players affected the same as other members of the community," she added.

Australia is currently entering the southern hemisphere winter, easing the spread of the H1N1 flu, which health officials worry could eventually mutate into a more lethal strain.

The last flu pandemic came after an outbreak of the H3N2 viral strain from 1968-69, which originated in Hong Kong, and went on to kill up to two million people.

- AFP/yb

From ChannelNewsAsia.com; see the source article here.