Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The Swiss government has put in place an emergency telephone number, +41 31 322 2100, for travellers heading for Mexico to get advice and for information for anyone returning from Mexico who is concerned about falling ill from swine flu. The disease, which is suspected to have infected 1,000 people in Mexico, may have caused or be linked to the deaths of 80 people there, but authorities are still waiting for confirmation.
TSR reports that five people in Switzerland, who have the flu and have recently returned from Mexico, are being examined to see if they have swine flu, but laboratory results are not yet in.
The Swiss government has put in place a pandemic response plan that requires doctors to alert public health authorities within two hours of examining patients who are suspected of having swine flu and if, with the cantonal doctor’s office, swine flu is confirmed the patient will be hospitalized to be treated.
Symptoms of the flu resemble those of other seasonal flus, and like these, this highly contagious respiratory infection can lead to other more serious problems such as pneumonia, if not treated promptly.
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News story, GenevaLunch, 27 April 2009.
Filed under: Health
Tags: confirmation, Health, public health authorities, swine flu, Switzerland, symptoms, treatment