Health challenge “unquantifiable’
The number of confirmed cases in Europe grew rapidly yesterday, with about 19 new cases in 24 hours and a probable case in Ireland. Last night there were 23 confirmed cases in eight EU countries with no deaths so far. Health Minister Mary Harney broke the news to her colleagues at the emergency meeting in Luxembourg yesterday that Ireland had confirmed its first probable case of swine flu.
But the revelation that one of the 10 cases in Spain was of a person who contracted the virus from another family member has increased the likelihood of a global pandemic.
The WHO has already raised the alert to level 5, warning a pandemic is imminent – the first time in its history to do so.
Experts from the WHO and the European Centre for Disease Control told the EU health ministers that every country should activate their national pandemic plan. The cases identified in Europe have been mild so far and no more dangerous than regular flu, the WHO expert said.
But, he warned, this might not remain so as in the past, such as the 1918 flu outbreak, a virus can become much more severe very quickly. The WHO said the EU was the best prepared region in the world because of the plans put in place during the Sars outbreak in 2003 and the threat of bird flu last year.
The European Commission is to focus research activity on finding a pilot vaccine for the flu as quickly as possible – but this could take up to six months.
The French health minister floated the idea of banning flights from Mexico, but other countries did not agree, arguing that it would encourage people to find alternative routes.
But they repeated the advice that people should put off all unnecessary travel to Mexico where seven people have died from the virus so far according to the WHO.
Ministers agreed a range of measures from a common definition of the flu for correct diagnosis to ensuring every country works together on surveillance and shares best practice on treatment.
The WHO has advised to continue the production of seasonal flu vaccine and giving it to the most vulnerable, through it does not prevent swine flu and only lessens its impact.
The WHO also agreed the name of the virus should be changed to the novel flu to stop people associating it with pork.
