As the 2009 influenza pandemic continues to spread worldwide and with unprecedented speed, Botswana itself has reported three more confirmed cases of the H1N1, commonly referred to as swine flu.
The Ministry of Health revealed that one other male and two females had been confirmed as having the influenza, but cautioned that more lab results were still pending.
This brings the total number of officially confirmed cases in Botswana to 4, two men and two women.
The Director of Public Health, Sheenaz El Halabi, said that, “At least now we know that three of the infected people had traveled to affected countries and are assured that they contracted the virus from outside the country.”
Halabi also clarified that the other three cases are not related to the first case, confirmed by government last Friday, July 10, 2009.
She said that two of the infected people are still in hospital, whereas the other two are recovering but are no longer in Hospital, adding that the ministry is still assessing the infected persons’ history for further contact tracing.
Halabi further reiterated the message that sick people should stay at home, to rest their bodies and to avoid transmitting the flu if they are infected. Halabi further advised that if a sick person is not getting better, they should go to the hospital but cautioned that individuals should not go to Block 8 unless they are referred there.
As of this week, 154 confirmed cases of the 2009 pandemic had been officially reported in Africa. No deaths have so far occurred from the flu within the region.
Apparently a vaccine for the H1N1 will be ready by September this year.
