Swine flu in the region
Tehran Times Social Desk

During the past decade various pandemic has gripped the world putting everyone in a state of panic. First was SARS, then the bird flu and now swine flu.

The disease has become epidemic in 177 countries around the world. A total of 449,000 people around the world have been infected with swine flu and 5000 others have died from the virus since the disease burst onto the scene in Mexico in April.

Last Wednesday, Iranian Health Ministry reported that six people died within one week, bringing the total death toll to 22 since the disease first emerged in the country on June 22.

Health Ministry official, Mohammad-Mehdi Guya announced last Wednesday: “So far 444 people have been diagnosed with H1N1-A virus over the past seven days, bringing the country’s total number of H1N1-A infected cases to 1,638.”

According to Seyyed Ali Yazdikhah, an official at Tehran Education Ministry, at least three Iranian schools were closed on October 26th as a precaution against the spread of the swine flu among students. Other news reports say Iran has ordered closure of at least 620 schools in Kashan and Isfahan as a precautionary measure.

Meanwhile the Turkish Health Ministry announced Monday that the number of people diagnosed with H1N1-A has nearly doubled in a week and now reached 1,095, urging people to take preventive measures, reported ZamanToday.com. In Turkey the swine flu case was first documented on May 15. Turkey’s education ministry announced Monday that all primary and secondary schools nationwide, as well as courses at private educational institutions, would be closed on Friday, in addition to the Republic Day holiday on Thursday, to allow schools to be disinfected in an attempt to halt the spread of swine flu.

During this four-day weekend the municipalities and the Confederation of Mosques and Qoran Course Association took pre-emptive measures by disinfecting the houses of worship, buses, ferries, trams and metros.

Swine flu emerged in Iraq in June. Last week the number of confirmed cases of H1N1-A virus in Iraq was over 500.

Most sufferers have been foreigners, including U.S. military personnel, among whom the disease was first detected reported the Telegraph. Since August 51 cases of swine flu were found among U.S. troops stationed in Iraq, reports the New York Times.

Iraq has installed thermal scanners at airports to detect people coming into the country with fevers, separating those with high temperature who may be taken to a clinic or hospital.

Fear of H1N1 flu has prompted nearly 2,500 school closings throughout Iraq. On Tuesday all the schools in the southern province of Dhi Qar were ordered closed for ten days, affecting some 400,000 pupils. In Baghdad four primary schools and two secondary schools were closed after suspected cases were found there.

So far, Iraq has only 121 confirmed cases of swine flu, and three deaths, not counting American military personnel, according to Iraqi Health Ministry.

Saudi Arabia has the highest number of foreigners that pour in the country during the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in the Persian Gulf region. A New York Times report puts the figure at 2.5 million people from 160 countries packed in Mecca for five days.

Saudi authorities have already asked some worshippers, including pregnant women and elderly, not to make the trip, which is scheduled for the last week of November.

Statistics for Pakistan and Afghanistan are blurred. Islamabad on September confirmed the first swine flue death at Islamabad airport and the third in the country, reported Dawn.com.

Afghanistan Health Ministry on Wednesday confirmed the country’s first death from swine flu, while China reported its fourth death from the virus, reported AP. Chinese Health Ministry said a total of 35,664 cases have so far been reported.

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