Australia to raise swine flu alert

AUSTRALIA said yesterday that it is set to raise its swine flu alert level as the number of victims hit by the pandemic continued to mount while Thailand urged calm after a sharp increase in cases.

Australian health minister Nicola Roxon said that, with the national tally nearing 1,500 cases, the whole country would soon move to the “sustain” phase in line with hotspot state Victoria.

The “sustain” phase, Australia’s second-highest, gives authorities the power to cancel sports events, close schools and restrict travel, although officials say extreme measures such as closing national borders are unlikely.

The World Health Organisation raised its global alert to a maximum six on Thursday, saying swine flu had reached pandemic status because of its geographical spread.

Swine flu has infected almost 30,000 people in 74 countries and claimed 145 lives since it was first detected in Mexico in April, according to the latest WHO figures released Friday.

A total of 1,458 cases of the A(H1N1) virus have been counted in Australia, the Asia-Pacific country, with the fifth highest number of cases worldwide.

“As the numbers gradually increase in jurisdictions there will be steps over the coming days to move to a consistent alert level,” said Roxon.

“It’s inevitable that the disease will spread. That’s the nature of this type of flu,” she added.

Meanwhile, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva urged the country not to panic after swine flu cases suddenly soared and a cluster emerged in a key tourist hub.

Health authorities reported 150 confirmed cases of the virus Sunday – almost 10 times the tally just three days earlier.

Officials last week said 21 of the new infections were found among nightclub workers in the coastal city of Pattaya.

“People should not panic. The death ratio for the new flu is probably lower than normal flu,” Abhisit said in his weekly television programme.

He said the government was taking extra measures to stop the spread.

Health authorities in Canada announced on Saturday that a fifth person had died of swine flu and reported 540 additional cases, bringing the country’s total since the start of the outbreak to more than 3,500.

Governments and health experts around the world have sought to play down fears that the A(H1N1) virus could become a major killer.