4 theSun | MONDAY JUNE 1 2009

news without borders

Swine flu continues
spread across
South America Health Ministry to set up
Food Safety Authority
SANTIAGO: Chilean health authorities reported 26
new cases of swine flu on Saturday, bringing the
number of cases in the country to 250 as the virus
continued its spread across the continent.
Most of the cases are in Santiago, where two
people remain in serious condition in hospital, while
health ministry officials also confirmed the first by Maria J.Dass that can ensure that food entering the coun- gether with the Agriculture and Agro-based
case in the northern city of Arica, on the border with newsdesk@thesundaily.com try is safe for consumption by the masses is Industries Ministry to formulate an effective
Peru. needed. monitoring system.
The latest updates from the World Health Or- KUALA LUMPUR: A Food Safety Authority “At the same time there is also a need to “This includes a tracing system which
ganisation showed that 53 countries have officially will be formed by the health ministry to moni- check on the quality of food manufactured will lead us to the source.
reported 15,510 cases of A(H1N1) infection, including tor the safety and quality of food imported by local factories and that prepared by local “Currently vegetable traders are fined if
99 deaths, since the flu emerged in North America into the country as well as the quality of food eateries and even stalls,” he added. excessive amounts of pesticides are found
in late April. grown, manufactured and made available in Liow said the framework is still being in vegetables, and this is not fair to them
In the southern hemisphere, health experts fear the country. worked out but at a glance the agency will because they themselves do not know the
the new virus could take hold as winter sets in and “We currently have a unit to monitor food be looking into areas of hygiene, content and source of the pesticide contamination.
the regular flu season is just beginning. safety in the country but the task is huge and quality of food made available to the public “But with this new tracing system in place,
Argentine authorities, meanwhile, on Saturday thus we need to set up a large agency that among others. we can find the source of the contamination
registered 20 new cases of swine flu, raising the will have adequate manpower and authority Currently, the safety and quality of food and act accordingly.”
country’s total to 100. to do the job,” said Health Minister Datuk is regulated by the Food Safety and Quality Liow said the Agriculture and Agro-based
Most of the cases were found at several private Seri Liow Tiong Lai (pix) who announced Division of the health ministry. Ministry monitors the farms but once the
schools in the capital, Buenos Aires, where students this yesterday. Liow said the systems are already in vegetables are harvested it is the task of the
had recently returned from the United States, said “After our experience with the mela- place but things have changed and more Health Ministry to ensure food in the market
Health Minister Graciela Ocana. mine contamination issue pertaining to challenges are now faced compared to 20 is safe for consumption.
The outbreak prompted officials to close the milk products from China we are more years ago, so there is a need to expand
schools for two weeks in a bid to contain the A(H1N1) aware of our limitations and need to accommodate improvements
NIOSH lauds move
virus. for improvement like better to the food quality monitoring
In Colombia, officials raised the country’s total to equipped labs to monitor systems.
20 following confirmation that a man and woman food entering the country,” He added that enforcement for more
smoke-free zones
in the southwest city of Cali who had flu symptoms he told newsmen after will be based on the current
after arriving from New York did in fact have the opening the Federation laws – the Food Act 1983 and
National Institute
swine flu. of Vegetable Sellers As- Food Regulations 1985. KUALA LUMPUR: The
Saf ety and Health
In Bogota, a man who returned from the US state sociation annual general On the problems of exces- for Occupational
of Texas was also confirmed to have the virus, but H) yes ter day lau ded the Health
meeting yesterday. sive pesticide in vegetables (NIOS
pro pos al to ban smoking in
was recovering well, officials said. “The setting up of this and food products and trad- Ministry’s
lud ing air-conditioned
Guatemalan officials also confirmed the disease agency will be my priority ers being fined for this instead more areas, inc
in four more cases, with the Central American nation and I will present a memo- of the source (usually the offices. Lam Thye,
bringing its number of cases to 11. randum on this matter and farms), Liow said: “The Its chairman, Tan Sri Lee
pro pos al wa s ind eed appropri-
Meanwhile, Thailand yesterday confirmed its prepare a paper to be pre- ministry is working to- said the qua lity of
the hea lth and
fourth Influenza A(H1N1) case, involving a 50-year-old sented to the cabinet soon,” ate to ensure
man who had returned from a visit to the US. he added. life of non-smokers.
e zones, the
Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said Liow said there “With more smoke-fre
wil l be to get the cooperation
the man was admitted to a hospital in the capital on is an urgent focus now the ruling,”
to adh ere to
May 25 with fever and flu. need for this from the public
Witthaya said the man has fully recovered and agency as he told Bernama.
20 areas as
had been discharged from hospital. food im- After having gazetted Ministry
e zon es, the He alth
On Saturday, the ministry confirmed the country’s ports are smoke-fre el lobbies
pos ed tha t hot
third A(H1N1) case after a woman who came back increas- yesterday pro d offices
con ditione
from US was tested positive for the virus. ing and and centralised air-
Meanwhile, a A 22-year-old Singaporean woman re als o to be dec lar ed smoke-free
a body we
who returned to Singapore from the United States zones.
ment should
on Friday became the fifth person in the city-state KAMARIDUAN MOHD NOOR/THESUN Lee said the govern
a sm oki ng area for
to contract the A(H1N1) flu. consider providing
hav e a puff outside
Five more under home quarantine
The republic’s Health Ministry said yesterday the hea vy sm oke rs to
– Bernama
woman, who was in Vermont and New York from the smoke-free zones.
May 13 to 28, arrived here on the All Nippon Airways
NH901 flight from New York via Tokyo. KUALA LUMPUR: Five more come into contact with a case As of 8am yesterday,
In a statement, the ministry said she people who came in contact in Singapore last Tuesday were CPRC received 17 notification the world raising the number of
passed the thermal scanner at the airport with influenza A(H1N1) already placed under home cases who were admitted to iso- Influenza A(H1N1) confirmed
as she did not have fever, and was met A A(H1N1) H victims were placed un- quarantine. lation wards in six hospitals and cases to 17,072 cases in 55 coun-
by her family and returned home in Z der home quarantine, All of them are in good health out of the 17, 14 were negative tries.
INFLUEN

OTL

the family car. raising the number of and gave their full cooperation to while three more results are not The increase was from 16
However, she subsequently de- such individuals to 12, the ministry, he said in a state- out yet, said the statement. countries, namely Australia,
INE

veloped a fever early yesterday and the Health Ministry said ment. To date, 341 patients have Belgium, Canada, China, France,
was sent to a local hospital where yesterday. Mohd Ismail said the minis- been admitted to isolation wards Germany, Greece, Israel, Japan,
she was admitted to the centre for Director-General of try’s National Crisis Preparedness of whom 336 were found nega- Mexico, Russia, Slovakia,
00

3-
0

disease control for laboratory checks 88
which confirmed her infection last night.
The ministry said her symptoms were
mild and she was in stable condition and the
health authorities had initiated contact tracing of
her close contacts, including the passengers on the
same flight.
/ 3 Health Tan Sri Dr Mohd and Response Centre (CPRC) had tive, two were positive (reported Switzerland, Taiwan, United
810200 Ismail Merican said of the received information from the on May 15 and 16) with the Kingdom and United States.
12, two had come into contact immigration department that 40 results of three still pending. Sixteen deaths were also re-
with a confirmed case in Taiwan foreigners who came in contact Meanwhile, the World Health ported, 12 in Mexico and four in
last Sunday and three with the with the Singapore confirmed Organisation had informed that the United States as the number
confirmed case in Hongkong case and entered Malaysia, had as at 9am yesterday, 1,562 new of deaths stand at 115 since the
while seven of them who had left for other countries. cases were reported throughout A(H1N1) outbreak. – Bernama