Health Board Keeping Close Eye on Overseas Swine Flu

Canterbury District Health Board, like the Ministry of Health, is closely monitoring the swine flu occurring in Mexico and in small numbers in the USA.

To date, no cases of swine flu have been reported in New Zealand.

Canterbury District Health Board Chief Medical Officer Nigel Millar said, “The Canterbury health sector has been preparing for the possibility of pandemic influenza since 2005 and is ready to put its contingency plans into place. Canterbury contingency planners have already met to discuss developments overseas and would be working closely with the Ministry of Health if any response was required.”

If you have recently returned from overseas and have flu symptoms please contact your General Practitioner for medical advice. Symptoms of the flu include: a temperature above 38 degrees celsius, painful muscles, headache, fatigue, sore throat and a cough.

The District Health Board will help to keep the public informed through local media and its influenza website www.fluinfo.org.nz. As usual, it recommends that Canterbury people visit the website to learn about how to protect themselves against influenza and prepare for possible pandemic influenza.

A local pandemic planning exercise is set to take place at Burwood Hospital next weekend.  “This is not part of the current response and the timing is purely coincidental,” Dr Millar said.

ENDS

How to prevent yourself or others from getting influenza

• Wash your hands well, especially after coughing/sneezing/blowing your nose: Wash hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap. Dry hands well, preferably with paper towels
• Blow your nose into a paper tissue, and put in a bin immediately. Wash your hands.
• Clean surfaces in your home with household bleach (1 part bleach to 4 parts water), especially surfaces touched often such as door handles. 
• If you are feeling unwell, stay at home to prevent passing on bugs to other people.