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NZ minister self-quarantines amid swine flu scare
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NZ minister self-quarantines amid swine flu scare
By RAY LILLEY,Associated Press Writer AP - Friday, May 1
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A New Zealand government minister went into self-imposed isolation Friday after coming down with flu symptoms, as Australian health officials recommended people stockpile food in case a swine flu pandemic forces them to stay at home.
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Governments and the public across the Asia-Pacific were jittery as they tried to prevent _ but also prepare for _ an outbreak of the disease in the region, where only New Zealand has reported confirmed cases almost a week after the virus started its global spread from Mexico.
South Korea raised its number of cases listed as probable to three on Friday, saying final test results could take up to two weeks to come. Eighteen other people were undergoing initial tests, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
New Zealand has three laboratory-confirmed cases of swine flu and 13 probable cases among students and a teacher who returned last Saturday from a school trip to Mexico, the center of the epidemic. Officials say another 136 people with flu symptoms may have the virus.
The country's environment and climate change minister, Nick Smith, said he and his wife would be staying home and away from other people after they noticed flu symptoms on their return from of a recent trip abroad.
"He has got the flu but he's not in the case definition" for swine flu, Health Minister Tony Ryall told reporters. "I don't think there's any concern that he's got the swine flu."
Officials across the region were warning people not to panic but also to take precautions that could slow the spread of germs, such as washing their hands often and staying home if they feel sick.
In Australia, the chief health officer of northeastern Queensland state said people should stock up on tinned and frozen food in case of a widespread outbreak.
"It's really just sensible advice about being prepared if you are sick and at home and staying in isolation, that you've got food there so that you don't need to go out and shop," Dr. Jeannette Young told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio.
Almost 170 people suspected of having swine flu have died in Mexico, and more than 3,000 have been sickened. One toddler has died in the United States, which has 124 confirmed cases. Half a dozen countries in Europe have confirmed cases, as do Canada and Israel.
On Thursday, Singapore Health Minister Khaw Boohn Wan said anyone arriving from Mexico would be put under automatic quarantine for a week at home or in hotels, regardless of whether they have flu symptoms. No one had arrived from Mexico yet, he said.
Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Cambodia and other countries are scanning travelers arriving from North America using measures rushed into place this week.
In most places, people reporting fever, coughs and aches were being given Tamiflu and told to stay home.
"We must not be complacent. We must raise our alert, vigilance against any impending threats of the pandemic," Hong Kong's health chief York Chow told reporters.
Peter Cordingley, spokesman for WHO's Western Pacific region that includes Asia, said the region had a vast stockpile of Tamiflu but that it would not be enough in a "worst-case" scenario. He did not say what the worst-case scenario was.
"WHO is now talking to the manufacturers to increase output, but even then we don't think there is going to be enough Tamiflu," he said.
China has boosted stockpiles of Tamiflu and has the production capacity to meet domestic demand if there is an outbreak, Health Minister Chen Zhu said Thursday.
Major international carrier Cathay Pacific Airways declined a request to let cabin staff wear masks and gloves on flights as a precaution against swine flu, saying the WHO only recommended such measures for dealing with sick people. The workers' union bristled, saying there was no harm in wearing the masks.
___
Associated Press writers Alex Kennedy in Singapore, Gillian Wong and Tini Tran in Beijing, Joeal Calupitan in Manila, Rohan Sullivan in Sydney, Dikky Sinn in Hong Kong, Grant Peck in Bangkok, Jay Alabaster in Tokyo, and Jae-soon Chang in Seoul contributed to this report.
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