Screening for swine flu on at Bajpe airport

Mangalore: Air passengers from West Asia are being screened for swine flu at the Mangalore Airport. According to Department of Health, the screening has been going on for the last three days since Saturday morning.
A screening counter, manned by two health officials, who are working in shifts, has been set up at the airport. More than 400 passengers from Doha and Muscat in West Asia had been screened and none of them were found to have contracted the disease, sources said.
The screening operations are being headed by Krishnamurthy, a medical officer attached to the Central Health Scheme. He is being assisted by the medical officer of the primary health centre at Bajpe.
Deputy Commissioner V. Ponnuraj said that the district administration was in the process of identifying an isolation ward to treat any confirmed cases of the disease.
There are no direct flights to the city from Mexico, the U.S. or other western countries where the outbreak is at its worst. Allaying fears, Mr. Ponnuraj said that there were very slim chances of the swine flu causing virus entering the city.
“However, health officials are not taking any chances and are screening the incoming passengers for symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, and so on,” he said.
04/05/09 The Hindu/Dailjiworld

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Categories: Airports May 2009, Foreign May 2009