The Ministry of Health in Southern Province has mobilized teams of health experts to man all international entry points in the province and to conduct thorough inspections of any case that might be suspected to be swine flu.
Provincial Health Director Dr. Lutangu Alisheke said extreme caution must be taken to protect communities and health personnel who are heading the teams since Southern Province has five busy international entry points.
He said officers at the Livingstone International Airport, Victoria Falls border post, Kazungula border post, Sinazongwe and Chirundu borders areas have already been oriented with the latest information on how best to execute their duties.
Dr Alisheke told ZANIS in Livingstone today, that his officers would work closely with airline staff and immigration officials to ensure all operations that would be undertaken were done in an efficient and effective manner.
He however asked the public to remain calm and unalarmed since no cases of swine flu had been recorded in Zambia yet.
He said the Ministry of Health would soon print out pamphlets and produce radio programs to sensitize the public about the viral disease.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has described swine flu as a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza, which causes high levels of illness and low death rates in pigs.
CDC has further said this type of flu does not normally affect humans but confirmed that sporadic human infections had occurred mostly in persons with direct exposure to pigs.
The World Health Organization (WHO) however says the virus, which has so far killed more than 150 people in Mexico, is showing a “sustained ability” to pass from human to human and is able to cause community-level outbreaks.
The disease has since spread to Europe and Asia and governments around the world have been stepping up precautions against the spread of the swine flu.
ZANIS/AMM/KSH/ENDS
Please put the whole country on alert and conduct public service announcement to educate people on how to avoid infection. This flu is spreading rapidly. The first death has occured here in the US today. Everybody else, hand wash and sanitize public areas in your offices, like telephones, watercooler etc.
Why not man all the airports cos this are are the entry points. Also pipo to advise pipo on general hygine., what to llok out for as a far as sypmtoms are concerned
There are more people complaining of flu and fever and I am one of them. Its not serious but I,m feeling like developing sore throats. Two of my friends are feeling the same. The onus is on medical personnel to take these complaints very seriously and investigate further. So far I have only received medicine for common flu.
A small outbreak of flu here and there is to raise the fears,and those fears will be used to bring in compulsary vaccination.The Vaccine is the real thing and will kill millions.
PREPARE FOR HARD TIMES
Impressive and good action. However, how about the Siavonga border with Zimbabwe at Kariba North/South Bank Power Stations?
Also, I was hoping to read about the Lusaka Interation Airport and other borders too and so, what is GRZ doing about them?
Ermmm ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, is there, soap, running water to wash hands & flush loo’s , paper towels, disinfectants etc… etc….. at entry points??? If not this might turn out very bad.
I am happy with the rapid response with which the medical teams and officials in southern province are employing. If this is how our gov.or the opposition would react to lifting the nation we would be behind them at the moment. Enough of that let us in the Diaspora, man the word is funny hahaha; call, email and text our bululus to stay hygenic measures and inform their neighbours too. 1984 I agree we should have our own scientists in Zambia study the reports on the vaccine so as we give the right treatment and defensive measures. May God bless you all.
pa zed,i doubt if things will be run accordingly
#4 is already showing symptoms of swine flu.
i am very happy with zambia for once. were the first african country to take precautions. well done. its totally a legitimate step cos let face it. a major out break in zed would be catastrophic.
#4 What a simple mind!
I have a relative who got the Swine Flu in Mexico. It is a good thing that he already recovered from this disease.