First swine flu case in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Health, Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani, on Monday confirmed the first case of the H1N1 virus, swine flu, in Pakistan, adding that the patient had recovered and the disease was not transmitted any further.
As many as 25 suspected patients were screened for swine flu and the situation was under control, as all preventive measures had been taken in that regard, the minister stated while replying to a written question on the floor of the National Assembly.
Informing about the availability of anti-viral drug, Tami-flu, in Pakistan, he said that the medicine was sufficiently available in government hospitals to treat any patient of swine flu. He maintained that the health ministry being cognisant of the risk posed to human health due to this disease had provided training to the health care providers to cope with any emergency like situation caused by the H1N1 virus.
“Due to increase in reported cases and fatalities associated with the swine flu, all precautionary measures have been adopted at airports and seaports to monitor the disease,” he continued. He said the health officers at the international airports, seaports and border posts were screening suspected travellers. The ministry of health was also planning to install thermal scanners at entry points to detect cases and procure swine flu pre-pandemic vaccine whenever it became available, he added.
He also informed the Lower House that the ministry had also taken interventions like social distances and personal hygiene. He said that in a circular issued, all educational institutions were advised to inform parents that children with flu like symptoms might not be sent to schools. Also general public had been advised to observe etiquettes while coughing and people with flu like symptoms must avoid visiting public places and physical contact with others, he added.
It is worth mentioning here that swine flu is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease of pigs and the virus is spread among pigs by aerosols, direct and indirect contact, and asymptomatic carrier pigs. According to the independent statistics, 205,785 people were infected during the latest spree of swine flu whereas 1,569 deaths were reported worldwide.


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