28 April 2009

Tourism industry under threat from spread of swine flu

SYDNEY ââ¬' Airlines and sectors of the tourism industry are facing an anxious wait as the outbreak of the swine flu continues to spread

Overnight, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised its alert level over swine flu from three to four - two steps short of declaring a full pandemic.

WHO assistant director general Dr Keiji Fukuda said it signalled a "significant step towards pandemic influenza", but added, "we are not there yet".

WHO pointed out that it has not made any recommendations against travel during the swine flu outbreak,

"WHO did not recommend any travel restrictions, we need to be very clear on that," said Gregory Hartl, the organisation's spokesman in Geneva,

Mexico earlier said it believed 149 people had now died from the swine flu outbreak - only 20 cases are confirmed.

Other, milder, cases are confirmed in the US, Canada, Spain and Britain.

The US and Britain have warned against travelling to Mexico, while Australia updated its advice today, urging citizens to reconsider their need to travel to Mexico because of the flu outbreak.

Tests for the swine flu virus are being carried out on individuals or groups in New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Israel and South Korea who fell ill following travel to Mexico.

A number of countries in Asia, Latin America and Europe have begun screening airport passengers for symptoms, while Germany's biggest tour operator, TUI, has suspended trips to Mexico City but is continuing with tours to the rest of the country.

In Thailand, three infrared sensors are now in use at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, one in Chiang Mai and another in Phuket.

India is screening travellers coming from the US, UK, Canada, Mexico, France and New Zealand, and advising Indians to avoid ââ¬Åâœnon-essential travel'' to these flu-affected countries.

The rise in swine flu cases in Mexico, Canada and the US is set to deliver more worries to airlines, who have been hard hot by the economic meltdown.

Airline bosses are monitoring the situation but itââ¬â¢s unlikely that the impact of the swine flu outbreak will be seen for a couple of weeks.

One of the worst-affected routes to Australia could be the trans-Pacific from the US, on which Qantas is engaged in a price war with United Airlines and Virgin's Blue's long-haul carrier, V Australia.

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• good excuse
  
  

  So if visitor arrivals continue to slump, will somebody soon start blaming it on swine flu (remember SARS)

  By Mere Observer, Wednesday, April 29, 2009
• Influenza Vs Swine Flu
  
  

  I would like to quote an article from the LAX times to put a bit of balance in the story : Reprint and quote from Thomas H Maugh 11 5:29 PM April 27 2009 Quote : The situation is still considered to be an outbreak, but the U.S government is being as aggresive in responding to it as if it were a pandemic, Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , said today. Even though the numbers are rising, that dose't mean swine flu is spreading, he said. It simply means that more testing is being completed. In Mexico authorities said 149 people have died of influenza, and at least 1,995 cases have been reported to hospitals. So far, however, only 26 of the deaths and 172 of the cases have been confirmed to be swine flu. In the U.S alone 36,000 people die each year of influenza so maybe we are getting just a little bit ahead of ourselves worrying about Swine Flu

  By Robert Bowden, Tuesday, April 28, 2009