Swine flu 'unstoppable' says Australian health minister

by Rich Bowden - Apr 29 2009, 05:51

Australian Health Minister Nicola Roxon has described the spread of swine flu as almost impossible to manage despite modern technology, which has seen thermal scanners installed at eight of the country's airports.

Roxon also announced the government was considering the use of health declarations for passengers entering the country. However, she said that recent events had shown how difficult it was to prevent the spread of the disease.

"We are conscious that whatever steps we take it may not be possible to stop this disease coming into Australia,'' she commented at a news conference.

"[Of] about 90 people that are having tests... none of those have yet even been moved to probable status," she added. "But it would be very unlikely that we would be able to protect ourselves entirely from this disease if it continues to spread with the speed that is has elsewhere around the world."

Roxon also said that all passengers with possible swine flu symptoms would be assessed by quarantine staff.

"This means anybody with flu-like symptoms will be seen by an AQIS (Australian Quarantine Inspection Service) officer, who will assess if any medical attention is required."

The World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday announced it had moved its pandemic alert for the swine flu contagion to level four, just two stages from that of a full pandemic.

The last pandemic occurred in 1968 when the 'Hong Kong flu' killed an estimated one million people throughout the world.

However the U.N.'s health authority has said that does not necessarily mean the current outbreak will turn into a pandemic.

"The change to a higher phase of pandemic alert indicates that the likelihood of a pandemic has increased, but not that a pandemic is inevitable," said the organisation's director general in a WHO statement.

The Tech Herald: WHO raises swine flu pandemic alert to level four

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