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Swine Flu Pandemic
There has been considerable press on the recent outbreak of Swine Flu in Mexico and its rapid spread to many countries around the world.
According to information from The Blue Book: Guidelines for the control of infectious diseases - Victorian Government, Swine Flu is a Type A influenza virus. It is a new human subtype, having transferred from pigs to humans (antigenic shift ).
All people are susceptible, having no immunity from earlier exposure to flu subtypes. The recently administered influenza vaccine contains strains of virus that have been circulating over the past couple of years and thus will not protect against this new subtype. Continued immunisation of the current flu vaccine is encouraged as this will reduce overall infection and diagnostic confusion.
Type A Swine Influenza has the potential to cause widespread pandemic infection around the world.
Incubation period is one to four days and the infection is communicable for three to five days from clinical onset in adults and up to seven days and occasionally longer in young children.
In general, people can protect themselves and others by following infection control measures such as:
- Regular hand washing.
- Covering the mouth when coughing (use your elbow rather than your hands).
- Sneezing into disposable tissues.
- The appropriate cleaning or disposal of contaminated objects.
Treatment includes administration of anti viral medications which the Australian Government has stockpiled.
Our council will be responding to the pandemic risk in accordance with the lead agency, which is the Department of Human Services.
A range of public health measures may be implemented and further advice will be provided when this is available.
Helpful Links
A number of links are listed below for up to date information on Swine Flu:
Helpful Phone Contacts
If you have any concerns about swine flu you can call any of the following:
- Swine Influenza Hotline on 180 2007 - for the general public and people returning from the Americas with flu-like symptoms.
- Nurse-on-Call on 1300 606 024 - for expert health information and advice (24 hours, 7 days).
- Your doctor (GP) - if you have an influenza-like illness (fever, cough and fatigue) and have travelled to Mexico or California, Arizona, New Mexico or Texas in the past seven days.
- Your local hospital - if you have pneumonia and have travelled to Mexico or California, Arizona, New Mexico or Texas in the past seven days.
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