In New Zealand, nine students and a teacher have tested positive for what was likely to be the virus after a school trip to Mexico, where swine flu has killed more than 100 people.
The World Health Organization said it’s highly likely swine-flu would spread to some countries in the Pacific.
The chief medical officer for public health in Tonga, Dr. Malakai Ake, said they have scaled up their surveillance.
“We have just activated our own national epidemic task-force that took care of the SARS epidemic, the last SARS epidemic. So we are looking mainly at the scaling up at the national airport and getting information to the public at large.”
The WHO has also asked Fiji to take precautionary measures following the outbreak of swine flu in some countries worldwide.
Fiji has yet to report a case of the flu but WHO medical officer Jacob Kool admitted “we cannot be sure as the swine flu symptoms are similar to viral infection,” according to The Fiji Times
The flu, which is presumed to have started in mid-March in Mexico, was not noticed until last Friday.
“It is too late to hold the spread and we are asking Fiji to be ready,” Dr. Kool said.
He added the global concern was that the flu could become pandemic.
“The world is due for a pandemic. A pandemic occurs every 30 to 40 years and we have not had one for more than 40 years,” he said.
“The problem is that because it is a completely new virus, people don’t have antibodies or resistance to the flu. We also do not know the severity of the flu.”
If Fiji does have the flu, Kool said, schools may have to close, there should be no public gatherings and those that are sick should stay home.
Swine flu is spread between humans through personal contact, Kool said
With symptoms similar to the seasonal flu, infected persons have high fever, diarrhea, vomiting and coughing.
In Mexico, the flu is mostly affecting those between the ages of 20 years to 40 years with healthy immune systems, which is worrying the WHO.
The flu can be spread through shaking hands, kissing or personal contact. There are two antivirals which have been found to be effective against the new flu — Tamiflu and Relenza.
The health ministry has stockpiles of Tamiflu. But to prevent against the flu, people are cautioned to wash their hands regularly with soap and water, stay home if they are sick, avoid close contact with people.
