11 suspected swine flu cases negative

ELEVEN of the 19 suspected cases tested for swine flu (H1N1) in Namibia so far have tested negative.

Gladys Kamboo from the Ministry of Health said they were waiting for the results of eight cases with the latest being that of a young woman who returned from Europe and reported to the Windhoek Central Hospital with flu-like symptoms.’She had clinical signs and symptoms like high fever and tests were taken and sent to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in South Africa,’ Kamboo said.Her results were expected in the next 24 to 48 hours.Kamboo said all 19 cases tested so far were of people who traveled outside Namibia but none had been admitted to hospital.’We are monitoring the situation very closely and appeal to Namibians to remain calm since the Ministry has all the precautionary measures in place should we report an outbreak,’ she said.Meanwhile the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in SA said yesterday that the number of confirmed swine flu cases has reached 103 and that the virus has now been established throughout the country.South Africa’s first swine flu case was recorded on June 14.Neighbouring Botswana on Wednesday reported two confirmed cases of swine flu, according to that country’s health ministry.The World Health Organisation, who has confirmed 429 deaths and 95 000 laboratory-confirmed cases of H1N1 across 135 countries, declared a pandemic last month.