World lays its swine flu defences

07/30/2009 4:41 PM

PARIS - Governments are stockpiling flu remedies, have ordered tens of millions of vaccines and are drawing up quarantine plans in the hope of halting the swine flu epidemic before it turns truly deadly.

So far the disease's effects have been uneven, hitting some countries more than others, but the World Health Organisation has warned that all 6.8 billion people on the planet are at risk as the pandemic gathers strength.

Here is a selection of the major efforts underway to halt its spread.

UNITED STATES

A neighbour of Mexico, where the A(H1N1) strain of swine flu was first detected, the United States had by mid-July the world's highest number of confirmed cases -- 40,617 -- and 263 people had died.

Behind the confirmed cases, authorities believe the true number of flu carriers to be closer to a million.

Health officials are to hold an emergency meeting on July 29 to draw up an action plan, and orders have been placed for 10 million doses of flu vaccine for distribution by mid-October.

Vaccines, which are now being developed for the new flu strain, will be tested in August. Federal and state governments have stockpiled 61 million doses of Tamiflu and Relenza flu remedies between them.

LATIN AMERICA

Central and South America have born the brunt of the disease's spread, with 500 of the confirmed deaths around the world by mid-July.

The disease was first recorded in Mexico, where 138 people have died, and has spread as far as Argentina, which with 165 dead is second only to the United States in terms of confirmed mortality.

Latin American health ministers have complained that the developed world has pre-ordered much of the expected production of flu remedies, but the states are nevertheless putting in place their own prevention plans.

Several countries have boosted health spending, including Chile, which set aside 30 million dollars for flu remedies. Elsewhere, school holidays have been extended and controls imposed on large-scale public gatherings.

BRITAIN

The worst hit country in Europe has been Britain, perhaps because of its strong Trans-Atlantic ties. More than 100,000 new cases were recorded last week alone, almost twice as many as the week before. 31 victims have died.

London has ordered a total of 132 million doses of flu vaccine, with 60 million (enough for half the population at two doses per head) to be ready by the end of the year.

A dedicated flu telephone line and website has been set up allowing patients to be diagnosed at a distance and issued a coupon to collect flu remedies. Officials are expecting 200,000 calls per day.

SPAIN

Spain is the next worst hit country in Europe, with by 1,806 confirmed cases by Monday and six deaths. No national strategy has yet been drawn up.

The government has ordered 37 million doses of vaccine for its 46 million strong population, with a plan to inoculate 40 percent of the population.

JAPAN

Japan, one of the Asian countries worst hit by swine flu, had reported 4,462 cases by Wednesday, but no one has so far died.

Tokyo has said it could repeat measures taken earlier this year, when it implemented strict airport health controls, including checks aboard landing aircraft. Suspected cases were quarantined in hotels near airports.

Some 4,800 schools and kindergartens were closed for a week.

Japan has Tamiflu and Relenza supplies for 38 million patients or about one third of its population and plans to produce 17 million doses of its own swine flu vaccine this year.

CHINA

The world's most populous nation has yet to see a proportionally large flu outbreak, with only 1,668 confirmed cases, but after the SARS and bird flu scares it is taking the threat seriously.

Hospitals are on a virtual war footing, with many setting up makeshift swine flu reception desks staffed by masked nurses under orders to promptly report any suspected cases to the government and isolate those affected.

China has also imposed seven-day quarantine periods on arriving foreigners who show swine flu symptoms.

Authorities in Hong Kong have reported one death certainly due to the virus in the administrative region, where 2,855 cases have been reported.

AFRICA

Africa has not recorded as many cases of swine flu as other continents, but health experts there warn that the disease could be especially dangerous among populations with high levels of HIV/AIDS.

South Africa has 48 million people, of which nearly six million have HIV, and as of July 17 it had 119 cases of swine flu. Botswana had four and Namibia three.

MIDDLE EAST

Israel reported its first death from swine flu on Monday, as did Saudi Arabia, which is set to welcome vast numbers of Muslim pilgrims in the coming months, raising the risk of the spread of the disease.

Arab health ministers have recommended that children under 12 and people over 65 be banned from the hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia this year to reduce the risk.

One other swine flu death has been reported in the Middle East: a woman in Egypt returning from a pilgrimage to Mecca. It was not clear where she contracted the virus.

CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

Germany has been relatively lightly affected for a country of its size, with 1,469 cases by July 20 and no deaths. German officials plan to buy enough vaccines to immunise the most vulnerable quarter of their population.

Poland has enough flu remedy on stock but has complained of a lack of European coordination on procuring vaccines, which many countries fear they will miss out on if rich nations corner the world's limited production.

The Czech Republic had at least 63 swine flu cases as of Monday evening.