Swine Flu

27.04.2009

As local people will be aware, there are confirmed reports of human cases of swine fever in the US and Mexico. These cases are unusual and warrant further investigation.

Although the NHS is being vigilant and is well prepared, it is too early to predict whether swine flu could ultimately result in a global pandemic.

The UK was one of the first countries to have a flu pandemic contingency plan in place.

The UK plan seeks to reduce the negative health impact of any pandemic and the possible disruption it may cause to essential services and people’s daily lives. This will be through measures such as antiviral treatment and immunisation (when this becomes available), and preparing the NHS and society as far as possible.

Gloucestershire’s Director of Public Health, Dr Shona Arora said:

“The NHS in Gloucestershire has taken a proactive approach. We established a multi-agency Pandemic Flu planning group in 2007 to develop plans to provide an effective response locally to an influenza pandemic - reducing the impact on health, safeguarding essential services and minimising social disruption.”

“We are working closely with NHS South West and the Health Protection Agency to ensure we act on the latest information and with local partner organisations to ensure effective co-ordination.”

“In many respects we are building on existing outbreak and major incident plans – the principles remain the same.”

Although there is no current identified risk to the health of people in Gloucestershire, the NHS is advising people to adopt good hygiene practice as normal:

• Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, using a tissue whenever possible
• Dispose of dirty tissues promptly and carefully – bag and bin them
• Maintain good hygiene – washing hands frequently with soap and water
• Clean hard surfaces (e.g. kitchen worktops, door handles) frequently, using a normal cleaning product
• Stay at home when you are sick – if you have a cough and a fever, it is best to rest at home, take medicines to relieve the symptoms and drink plenty of fluids. This will speed your recovery and help prevent the spread of infection.

If you need medical advice or assistance, phone NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or your GP surgery.”

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For more information please visit the Health Protection Agency website: www.hpa.org.uk