About Health – EU warns against swine flu panic

About Health –

The EU is considering a travel advisory for Mexico

The EU’s health commissioner has urged Europeans not to panic over swine flu, as ministers prepare for emergency talks on ways to contain the virus.

"We have to exercise vigilance, we should not panic, we have to be prepared," Androulla Vassiliou said.

The ministers are to discuss a possible EU-wide travel advisory for Mexico.

The World Health Organization has raised the alert to level five, its second highest, and advised governments to activate pandemic contingency plans.

In Mexico, the epicentre of the outbreak, President Felipe Calderon urged people to stay at home over the next five days.

CONFIRMED CASES Mexico: 168 suspected deaths – eight confirmed US: one death, at least 91 confirmed cases New Zealand: 13 confirmed cases Canada: 19 confirmed cases UK: 5 confirmed cases Spain: 10 confirmed cases Germany: 3 confirmed cases Israel, Costa Rica: 2 confirmed cases each The Netherland, Switzerland, Austria, Peru: 1 confirmed case each Mapping the outbreak Economy squeezed by swine flu Mexico: First swine flu cases Africa awaits two swine flu tests

There are many cases elsewhere – including the US, Canada, Latin America, Europe, Israel, and New Zealand.

The EU’s director-general of health and consumer protection told Reuters news agency that deaths from the disease were expected in Europe.

None of the dozens of cases of swine flu reported on the continent so far has been serious. The only deaths from the virus have been recorded in Mexico and the US.

At the meeting of health ministers in Luxembourg, a French proposal for a continent-wide travel advisory for Mexico will be discussed.

It is unclear whether the EU executive has the power to impose a travel ban.

Several countries have restricted travel to Mexico and many tour operators have cancelled holidays.

Other members are resisting calls to implement travel bans or close borders, on the grounds – backed by the WHO – that there is little evidence of their efficacy.

In the latest developments:

• The Netherlands confirms its first case of swine flu, in a three-year-old boy recently returned from Mexico. Cases have also been confirmed in Switzerland, Costa Rica and Peru
• Ghana has become the latest country to ban pork imports as a precaution against swine flu, though no cases have been found in the West African country
• China’s health minister says that the country’s scientists have developed a "sensitive and fast" test for spotting swine flu in conjunction with US scientists and the WHO. The country has recorded no incidence of the flu yet.

The EU ministers will also try to agree on how to refer to the virus.

The European Commission has been calling it "novel flu", replacing the word "swine" to avoid prompting a fall in demand for pork and bacon.

On Wednesday, Egypt began a mass slaughter of its pigs – even though the WHO says the virus was now being transmitted from human to human.