Contemporary Vietnam: A Guide to Economic and Political Developments by Ian Jeffries

Author:Ian Jeffries [Jeffries, Ian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Ethnic Studies, Political Economy, Social Science, Political Science, Regional Studies, General
ISBN: 9781136849015
Google: FAusAgAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 17551930
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2010-12-10T00:00:00+00:00

Swine flu: influenza A(H1N1 or 2009 H1N1)

‘Swine flu is a contagious respiratory disease that affects pigs and can jump to humans’ (www.cnn.com, 30 April 2009). ‘Mexico is the epicentre of the outbreak’ (www.cnn.com, 3 May 2009).

Hong Kong, the epicentre of a SARS outbreak six years ago, announced some of the toughest measures anywhere on Sunday [26 April] in response to a swine flu outbreak in Mexico and the United States . . . One legacy of SARS is that Hong Kong may now be better prepared for a flu pandemic than practically anywhere else in the world. Fearing that SARS might recur each winter, the city embarked on a building programme to enlarge its capacity to isolate and treat those affected with communicable respiratory diseases. The city has also expanded its flu research labs, already the best in the world and leaders in tracking the H5N1 avian flu virus. The so-called bird flu virus . . . is different from the H1N1 flu virus causing illnesses in Mexico and the United States.

(www.iht.com, 27 April 2009)

‘Pork producers question whether the term “swine flu” is appropriate, given that pigs so far do not seem to be falling ill’ (IHT, 29 April 2009, p. 5). ‘The strain, scientists say, is a mixture of swine, human and bird viruses’ (IHT, 9 May 2009, p. 3).

China has banned imports of pork products from Mexico and several US states as part of attempts to prevent a deadly flu virus entering the country. Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia announced plans to screen travellers for symptoms of swine flu. Asian governments are on high alert after the WHO warned of a possible pandemic . . . Beijing has banned pork imports from Mexico and the US states of Texas, Kansas and California . . . China's ministry of health has warned its citizens to be vigilant although it also noted that so far there is no evidence that the new flu virus can be spread through food . . . In Hong Kong . . . all travellers will be screened on arrival and any ill person will be quarantined. Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia have announced similar plans, with many airports using devices that were put in place to monitor SARS and bird flu over the last few years. H1N1 is the same strain that causes seasonal flu outbreaks in humans but the newly detected version contains genetic material from versions of flu which usually affect pigs and birds.

(www.bbc.co.uk, 27 April 2009)

(‘A declaration from the WHO [stated] that “there is no risk of infection from this virus from consumption of well-cooked pork and pork products” ’: IHT, 29 April 2009.)

‘China and Russia are moving to quarantine visitors with suspicious symptoms. Asian airports have turned on their heat-sensing equipment to detect sick incoming passengers – kit they had installed after earlier scares resulting from outbreaks of avian flu and SARS’ (www.economist.com, 27 April 2009).

New Zealand on Tuesday [28 April] became the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to confirm cases of swine flu .

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