China on alert to prevent swine flu infection

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-04-26 10:31

BEIJING -- China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine issued an emergency notice Saturday night requiring people to report flu-like symptoms at the point of entry when coming from the deadly swine flu affected places.

This is China's latest move in response to the outbreaks of human infection of Swine Influenza A/H1N1 in Mexico and the United States.

People who developed flu-like symptoms after returning from the disease affected regions within two weeks should also report to the local entry-exit inspection and quarantine authorities, the administration said.

These people reporting flu-like symptoms must be scrutinized and the those who have been infected or are suspected to be infected by the virus should be isolated and treated, it said.

China's ministries of health and agriculture said they are closely monitoring the development of the situation.

The Ministry of Health said it has organized experts to study prevention measures and would enhance contact with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the governments of Mexico and the US to learn about the latest developments.

The new flu strain -- a mixture of swine, human and avian flu viruses has killed more than 60 people among around 1,000 suspected cases in Mexico and infected less than 10 in the United States.

WHO director general Margaret Chan said the swine flu outbreak had the potential to turn into a worldwide pandemic, but it was too early to say whether the flu will turn into such a pandemic or not.