Swine flu hits Jamaica

Published: Tuesday | June 2, 2009

Spencer

The Ministry of Health was up to yesterday attempting to locate all the passengers from the New York flights on which two persons infected with the H1N1 influenza virus travelled to Jamaica.

However, the ministry says there is no need for alarm.

Minister of Health Rudyard Spencer said the ministry had collected 362 samples to date, 129 from suspected cases.

"Of this, we have 70 results of which 13 were positive for seasonal influenza and two for the new influenza A (H1N1)," said Spencer.

Spencer said results were being collated for the remaining 233 samples.

These results are expected to be ready by the end of the week.

The minister said health officials were required to check with those sitting in the first two rows in front of the infected passenger and the two rows behind. These persons, he said, have been contacted and are well.

"We haven't stopped there. We are trying to get information on the rest of the people," Spencer told journalists gathered for the briefing at Jamaica House.

Meanwhile, Dr Marion Bullock-DuCasse, director of emergency services in the Ministry of Health, said the infected persons arrived on the island May 18 and 19, respectively, and sought medical attention at two separate facilities on May 20.

She noted that samples were sent to the laboratory and the results were ready last Friday.

Spencer said the ministry has a stockpile of antivirals, which have been found to reduce the severity of the current disease, and 3,500 doses of Tamiflu have been provided by the Pan American Health Organisation.

Ready for dispensing

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has advised chairpersons of school boards, principals, all categories of school staff and students that it has surgical masks and hand sanitisers ready for dispensing to schools where there might be a large number of students with flu-like symptoms.

The ministry said the masks and sanitisers are to be kept at its regional offices and strategic distribution points. They are to be distributed on the instruction of the regional offices on the request of schools.

SOURCE: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090602/lead/lead5.html