H1N1: SA warns travellers
2009-11-03 14:48
Special Report
The World Health Organisation is looking into reports in Britain of the likely spread of a drug-resistant strain of swine flu, says the UN agency.
Once a total of 100 cases of swine flu have been confirmed in South Africa, authorities will stop the individual laboratory confirmation of cases, the Department of Health says.
Find out all you need to know about H1N1 or Swine Flu from the team at Health24.
Johannesburg - The health department on Tuesday cautioned people travelling to countries with high rates of H1N1 swine flu to be on high alert.
"The number of H1N1 cases in South Africa has decreased considerably for the last three weeks up to November 1 as no new cases got reported," spokesperson Fidel Hadebe said.
Hadebe however said that on November 1, a 28-year-old pregnant woman who had travelled from Dubai was admitted to a private hospital in the Western Cape with the virus.
"The risk to contract the infection has shifted to travellers specifically to those travelling to the northern hemisphere.
"Disease activity in those parts continues to spread and increase in intensity," he said.
Hadebe said in Europe, North America and Canada, countries were reporting increased rates of influenza-like illnesses with high rates of swine flu - or pandemic H1N1 2009 virus detections.
"We would like to request travellers to these destinations to remain on high alert and exercise caution as part of minimising their risk of infection."
Hadebe said travellers should take the necessary precautions to prevent illness.
- SAPA