Belizeans are on edge as our neighbour to the north, Mexico, struggles to come to grips with a deadly outbreak of swine influenza that has killed 149 persons there and infected more than 2,000.
Worse, the disease has spread north to the United States and Canada, with one case confirmed in Spain and other suspected cases cropping up in the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Israel and New Zealand at press time.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported late on Monday that as many as 149 persons in Mexico have died of symptoms thought to be related to the current strain of swine flu, and countries around the world have issued travel advisories stopping their citizens from traveling to Mexico in an attempt to arrest the progress of the disease. The BBC’s numbers were confirmed in a press release sent this morning by the Mexican Embassy in Belize
The World Health Organization (WHO) raised its pandemic alert level to 4, two short of a full-fledged pandemic. Level 4 is considered very serious, as human-to-human transmission of a virus is noted in at least two countries on Monday afternoon.
The current strain of swine flu is an unusual mixture of genes from milder forms of influenza affecting pigs, birds and humans, which mixed in an unknown host.
On Monday, at a press conference held at the offices of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on Newtown Barracks, Belizean health officials, led by Minister Pablo Marin, sought to reassure the public that Belize was ready to deal with any cases of swine flu should it be diagnosed here – but emphasized that they were focused on preventing the virus from getting into Belize.
Director of Health Services, Dr. Michael Pitts, confirmed that Belize had no reported cases of swine flu at present, but added that since Friday, the Ministry of Health had been monitoring the situation and was ready to activate its plan to deal with any possible outbreak. He added that the plan was on the shelf after a previous brush with avian influenza, which sickened many individuals in the Far East in 2006.
While the symptoms of swine flu – high fever, coughing, headaches, muscle and joint pain, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting – are similar to regular influenza, prolonged non-treatment would lead to severe respiratory problems and pneumonia.
Dr. Pitts and other Ministry officials strongly advised persons who have recently traveled to Mexico or otherwise gotten into contact with the virus to visit their nearest health provider to be tested and treated for the virus.
The regular flu vaccine used during standard cases is said to be useless in treating this particular strain, but controlled doses of the antiflu drugs Tamiflu and Relenza (75 milligrams twice a day for adults and once a day for children) would bring it under control if it were diagnosed within 48 hours of the first symptoms appearing.
Other basic hygienic practices to follow include washing your hands regularly with soap and water or a hand sanitizer, and trying not to pass on the droplets containing the virus by coughing and sneezing in the presence of other persons.
Dr. Pitts also stressed that the MOH would work with both local partners such as the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Immigration, Customs and Police Departments, and the PAHO/World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to isolate the virus strain causing the current situation.
On the question of travel, Hon. Marin announced that his Ministry would cooperate with Belize’s immigration and customs departments and police at the border to monitor traffic in and out, and public health inspectors and nurses would be isolating persons suspected of having symptoms of swine flu, for testing.
Epidemiologist for the Ministry of Health, Ethan Gough, advised against a full closure of the borders, arguing that in past experiences with this type of situation, closing the borders did nothing to prevent infected persons from spreading the virus by other means.
While Belize’s stocks of the antiviral medications that would be needed to treat the disease are low, Country Representative to PAHO/WHO, Dr. Beverly Barnett, assured that they would work to get as much as 6,000 boxes of medication into the country from the WHO’s stockpile in Panama should it become necessary. The medications are not available over the counter, to prevent misuse.
Dr. Paul Edwards, Acting Regional Manager for the Central Health Region and a noted epidemiologist and expert in this type of disease, reiterated to listeners that getting out the correct information was necessary in order to prevent widespread panic.
For instance, despite the name of the disease, pigs have no connection to the current virus (known as type A, H1N1), except as a possible host, and cleaned meat from them is safe to consume. Fruits and vegetables brought in from affected areas, once washed, are also safe. “The responsibility for arresting this disease lies with each and every one of us, not just the health care system, PAHO or the Government,” Dr. Edwards maintained.
As for the question of public gatherings such as the upcoming National Agriculture and Trade Show on May 1-3, MOH would monitor the situation and if necessary, issue a postponement notice.
An education campaign is underway to inform Belizeans on best practices to prevent the spread of this disease, focusing primarily on children. Posters have been created in Spanish and English describing health precautions needed to prevent children from catching swine flu.
However, representative for the Ministry of Education at Monday’s briefing, Deputy Chief Education Officer Alan Genitty, told Amandala that the MOE saw no current need to close Belizean schools, as has happened in Mexico. He added that they would monitor the situation throughout the week and endorsed the Ministry of Health’s advice to Belizeans.
In the end, Dr. Pitts told Amandala, Belizeans should not panic, but continue to monitor developments and be prepared.