Page 2560 - Week 07 - Thursday, 18 June 2009
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information. I would like to highlight the major events in Australia and the ACT in relation to human swine influenza.
As soon as the National Incident Room was notified by the World Health Organisation of outbreaks of a novel strain of H1N1 influenza 09 on 24 April 2009, ACT Health began liaison with the New South Wales health department, the Department of Health and Ageing, the ACT Division of General Practice and other key organisations to ensure the accuracy and consistency of information about the disease, its seriousness and its spread.
On 29 April 2009, six suspected cases were treated in the ACT under the agreed protocols, which included staying at home, not going to work or school or mass gatherings and generally minimising contact with other people. At the time, ACT Health commenced an extensive health information campaign titled “Help stop the spread of flu” in print, radio and television media. On 30 April 2009, WHO upgraded the influenza pandemic alert from phase 4 to phase 5. Australia was at “delay” level, continuing to focus on delaying entry of the virus in Australia using enhanced border surveillance measures and increased monitoring of the virus domestically. This would allow for measures to be taken to contain any outbreaks of human swine influenza before they spread.
ACT Health efforts continued to focus on monitoring the situation locally, nationally and internationally, following up suspected cases, setting up distribution points for antiviral medication, providing information to the health sector and answering public queries. The ACT Health public health emergency management plan was at the standby response level. By 4 May, when the public health emergency operation centre became operational, 13 suspected cases were being investigated in the ACT. The first confirmed case of human swine influenza in Australia was notified on 11 May 2009. At the time, 14 suspected cases were investigated in the ACT. On 20 May 2009, two new cases were notified: one in Victoria and one in New South Wales. In the ACT, the number of cases under investigation was rising, with 18 suspected cases investigated at the time.
On 22 May 2009, the federal health minister again increased the pandemic threat level in Australia, from “delay” to “contain”, focusing on preventing the spread of human swine influenza within the community for as long as possible by quarantining confirmed cases. Since the outbreak of human swine influenza was first identified, there were 11 confirmed cases reported in Australia. At the time, WHO confirmed 11,034 cases in 41 countries, including 85 deaths. Eighteen suspected cases were investigated and cleared in the ACT.
On 25 May 2009, the ACT Health public health emergency management plan was elevated to the “response” phase to reflect the increase in confirmed cases and the national shift from “delay” to “contain”. It also gave formal recognition to the escalation of the activity involving the deployment of resources and personnel. On 25 May 2009, the first ACT case was confirmed. As a precautionary measure, the ACT implemented a policy whereby children attending primary and secondary school who travelled to Mexico, the United States, Canada, Japan and Panama be excluded from school for seven days following their return.
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