BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

19/02/2007

Belarus Declares Flu Epidemic In Two Provinces

Belarusian health officials on Monday declared a flu epidemic present in two of the country's most populous provinces, the Belapan news agency reported.

More than 1 per cent of the population - the statistical threshold for an epidemic - was infected with the virus in the cities of Gomel and Minsk, and surrounding areas, officials at the Republic Centre of Hygiene and Epidemiology said.

Quarantines went into effect in the most badly affected districts of both cities.

Education authorities ordered five schools closed immediately, with reportedly dozens more set to shut down if the flu continued to spread.

Children are particularly vulnerable to the germ. The flu so far has cropped up in slightly more than half of Belarus' provinces, according to Health Ministry data.

Health officials announced a nationwide campaign to limit the spread of the disease, by issuing health workers masks and segregating flu patients in hospitals, and similar preventative measures.

The Group A flu virus struck neighbouring Ukraine last week, and during December and January took hold in the populations of Slovakia, Romania, Norway and Portugal.

The flu is normally not dangerous, except to underage patients and persons with weakened constitutions.

Belarus' state-financed health system, considered by most of its users chronically bankrupt, has experienced difficulty in the past dealing with common diseases, due to a government policy of avoiding imported medicines and medical techniques where possible.

c 2007 DPA

Source:

http://www.playfuls.com/news_004807_Belarus_Declares_Flu_Epidemic_In_Two_Provinces.html

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