Bangladesh may raise swine flu alert level
Sunday, 30 August 2009
Bangladesh may raise its swine flu (virus H1N1) alert level, in light of recent jump in the number of detected swine flu cases, report agencies.
Expert physicians at a seminar on swine flu at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Saturday urged all not to get panicked about the virus, as the government had taken all necessary measures to tackle the evolving situation.
They also stressed the need for creating mass awareness about swine flu so that the common people could avail themselves of proper treatment in time under the country's existing healthcare system.
Swine flu or H1N1 virus is spreading fast across the country, and has affected 163 people so far.
Senior Scientific Officer of Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) Mushtuq Husain told the seminar that the country was now at alert level 2 but could soon be at level 3, signalling an epidemic, as the rising number of detected cases gave an indication of the actual spread of the virus across the country.
A level 3, or epidemic alert, could only be officially declared from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), he added.
Former vice chancellor of BSMMU Dr Nazrul Islam told the seminar that the spread of swine flu was rising and "we cannot remain isolated from it in this globalised world."
Expert physicians at a seminar on swine flu at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Saturday urged all not to get panicked about the virus, as the government had taken all necessary measures to tackle the evolving situation.
They also stressed the need for creating mass awareness about swine flu so that the common people could avail themselves of proper treatment in time under the country's existing healthcare system.
Swine flu or H1N1 virus is spreading fast across the country, and has affected 163 people so far.
Senior Scientific Officer of Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) Mushtuq Husain told the seminar that the country was now at alert level 2 but could soon be at level 3, signalling an epidemic, as the rising number of detected cases gave an indication of the actual spread of the virus across the country.
A level 3, or epidemic alert, could only be officially declared from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), he added.
Former vice chancellor of BSMMU Dr Nazrul Islam told the seminar that the spread of swine flu was rising and "we cannot remain isolated from it in this globalised world."