Mauritius airport on high alert after discovery of H1N1 flu case

Mauritius on Friday put its international airport on high alert after this week's confirmation of the first case of H1N1 flu. Unconfirmed reports indicated that two other H1N1 flu cases had been diagnosed after the first hospitalization, while the Indian Ocean island country's Health Ministry said 30 other cases had been reported. Employees of Mauritius Duty Free Paradise Co. Ltd, where the infected person was working, are very worried after the first hospitalization and accused the authorities of lack of communication. However, a vast disinfection and clean-up operation was organized on Wednesday. Elsewhere, the staff at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Candos hospital in the central region of the island are also fearing about their health status, with nurses demanding that necessary measures be taken to protect workers at the hospital. However, the Health Ministry reiterated that there was no need to panic. A doctor from the ministry said the H1N1 virus is always treated just like any other seasonal flu. The deputy director for health services, Dr. Nundlall, told the media on Thursday the ministry was monitoring the spread of A H1N1 virus. He said there were three types of the virus in Mauritius: flu B, Flu A (H3N2) and flu A (H1N1). Dr. Nundlall recalled that the World Health Organization (WHO) had declared the end of the H1N1 pandemic in 2010, and added that a vaccine to fight the flu had been developed. He explained that although A (H1N1) was in the category of seasonal flu, the Mauritius citizens can contract it because it is a tropical country. The Mauritius citizens have been urged to turn out for vaccination through the prevention campaigns that have been initiated by the health ministry.