Swine Flu Virgin Islands

Like other Caribbean countries there have been no reported cases of the deadly Swine Flu in the BVI, this is according to Minister for Health and Social Development, Hon. Dancia Penn-Sallah.

In a statement in the House of Assembly this morning, the Health Minister said that while this is the case, the Government will remain vigilant and also urged that residents do the same.

Photo Credit: File
“Today there is no reported case of swine flu in this country or in the Caribbean. Nonetheless, we are being highly vigilant and will remain so as the situation is changing all the time. The Ministry of Health is recommending that the people of the Territory themselves remain vigilant and seek immediate medical attention for symptoms of the illness.”

The Health Minister encouraged persons not to panic and just practice good hygiene.

Minister Penn-Sallah said that the Ministry at this time is recommending that persons delay travels to Mexico and affected countries, “and persons who are ill should not travel…The Ministry is in close contact with the PAHO and the WHO.”

She reassured the public that persons cannot contract Swine Flu by eating pork or its bi-products, because the condition is a respiratory infection. However, she reiterated the importance of good personal hygiene in reducing the risk of transmitting the influenza virus.

Following an emergency meeting yesterday at the Department of Disaster Management, a decision was taken for a targeted public education programme to be part of a coordinated strategy to respond to concerns related to the outbreak of Swine Flu in Mexico and the United States of America.

They announced, among other things, that various sectors of the local community will be targeted such as schools, port workers, and the public at large.

The new flu strain is a combination of pig, bird and human viruses that humans may have no natural immunity to.

This morning the Associated Press (AP) reported that the Swine Flu epidemic crossed new borders Tuesday with the first cases confirmed in the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region, as world health officials said they suspect American patients may have transmitted the virus to others in the U.S.

Most people confirmed with the new Swine Flu were infected in Mexico, where the number of deaths blamed on the virus has surpassed 150.

But confirmation that people have been infecting others in locations outside Mexico would indicate that the disease was spreading beyond travelers returning from Mexico, World Health Organization spokesman Gregory Hartl told reporters on Tuesday in Geneva.