Swine flu set to hit Tassie
DAVID KILLICK and HELEN KEMPTON
May 29, 2009 11:14am
UPDATED: A 63-YEAR-OLD woman has tested positive to influenza A and could be Tasmania's first case of swine flu.
The woman from the North-West is in home quarantine as staff at the World Health Organisation's Melbourne laboratory carry out further tests.
A Tasmanian woman on board Australia's "swine flu ship'' is waiting to hear if all 2000 passengers will have to go into lockdown when the Pacific Dawn docks in Brisbane.
"We will probably be told today if we have to stay on board for a period after arriving or if other quarantine measures will be taken on land,'' she said.
Passengers are also waiting to find out what kind of compensation offer P&O will give them.
"We are waiting for paper work about that,'' she said as the vessel sailed towards Brisbane this morning.
The woman said the mood on the ship was still bouyant.
"There are a a couple of grumpy ones but you get them everywhere. Yes, we have had our holiday cut short but there is nothing the ship operators can do about that,'' she said.
The woman said no new cases of swine flu had emerged on board.
Three crew members are infected with the virus.
"At least we are going home. We are due to get back into Sydney on Monday and my flight home is scheduled for Thursday,'' she said.
"We should know today if we will be quarantined when we get back on dry land.''
Tasmania's acting public health director Chrissie Pickin said the woman was one of 10 Tasmanians aboard the Pacific Dawn, where 24 people were stricken with swine flu.
Dr Pickin said authorities expected Tasmania's first swine flu case would be diagnosed within days. Another two possible cases are under investigation.
Dr Pickin said the woman flew from Sydney to Hobart via Melbourne on Tuesday and about 30 people had been in close contact with her.
Swine flu is a sub-type of influenza A. Dr Pickin said the woman was at home and recovering well. She said authorities were obtaining the details of all passengers who sat near her and would be contacting them.
"I think we've reached the stage now with the situation on the mainland that human swine flu will come to Tasmania shortly," she said.
The number of confirmed cases of swine flu in Australia has surged to 147 during the past 24 hours, up from 61 cases on Wednesday.
The ACT's chief medical officer Dr Charles Guest said yesterday he was concerned there might be a 20 per cent swine flu "attack rate" on the population.
Meanwhile, the Australian Medical Association has urged the State Government to hire a "SWAT" medical team to staff its proposed influenza management centres as soon as possible.
AMA spokesman Andrew Jackson said the centres needed to be activated the moment swine flu went "ballistic" in Tasmania.
Influenza management centres will be set up around the state in the face of a major human swine flu outbreak in Tasmania.
"There will be no time to waste," Dr Jackson said yesterday.
"The AMA is concerned about how these centres will be staffed.
"We understand the State Government is proposing that nurses will examine, diagnose and treat patients.
"But we need a first class team of doctors, nurses and administrative staff set up now to handle a pandemic.
"Non-medically-qualified people can make mistakes.
"It is time to work these details out."
Dr Jackson said Tasmanians were responding to calls to stay calm but he feared this was the calm before the storm.
"No one can forecast when the virus will go exponential."
Dr Pickin said all close contacts of the infected Tasmanian woman would be contacted and told they had been in contact with someone with influenza A.
"Should it turn out to be human swine flu, we'll also put them in quarantine and offer them anti-virals," she said.
"The woman could have swine flu, seasonal influenza A, or both.
"It's hard to tell at this time.
"We do know that she wasn't vaccinated against seasonal influenza, which was also circulating."
http://www.themercury.com.au/art ... _tasmania-news.html |
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