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First imported case of the H1N1 virus detected in Guyana
….patient seeking medical attention overseas
The first imported case of the H1N1 virus (Swine Flu) has been detected in Guyana after a Guyanese travelling from China returned home, Chief Medical Officer Shamdeo Persaud disclosed yesterday. 
Persaud said that the man travelled from China, the U.S. and Trinidad and Tobago before returning home to Guyana.
Fortunately, he stated, the man displayed no symptoms of the virus on the flight and therefore placed no one at risk.
“…which is good because it would mean that the patient would have been unable to transmit the virus since it is transmitted through a symptomatic person,” he told reporters at a press briefing.
The virus is transmitted whenever an infected person coughs or sneezes and releases tiny drops of the virus into the air.
Persons who have it can spread it one day before they have any symptoms and as many as seven days after they become ill.
Despite its name, the virus is not transmitted by eating bacon, ham or any pork product. The symptoms include coughing, fever, sore throat, body aches and headaches.
It was first known as swine flu because in the past, persons who contracted it had to have had direct contact with pigs. But, this changed several years ago when a new strain of the virus emerged and spread among people who had no contact with pigs.
Persaud stated that the patient’s test result returned positive from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in Trinidad and Tobago while the man is currently seeking treatment overseas.
He stated that the Ministry is currently monitoring some of the man’s close relatives and health care workers who had attended to him at a private hospital.
“We will ensure that the full 21 days of observation is adhered,” he stated.
He also said that the Ministry has tightened its surveillance security system at the main Ports of Entry in Guyana, especially at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and the Ogle International Airport.
The Ministry is implementing precautionary measures from the “Keep Ebola and other Infectious Disease out of Guyana Strategy”.
The strategy is divided into six crucial areas of coordination and control; rapid detection, isolation and risk reduction; points of entry; clinical management; laboratory diagnosis and information, education and communication.
Recently, Trinidad and Tobago reported four H1N1 related deaths. On Wednesday, researchers revealed that there was a new strain of the virus with the potential to “transmit efficiently in humans” and cause a pandemic discovered in China.
One hundred and thirty nine H1N1 swine flu viruses in pigs in China were isolated by scientists and it was discovered that they formed two groups distinct from the current human H1N1 virus.
“Our study shows the potential of EAH1N1 SIVs to transmit efficiently in humans and suggests that immediate action is needed to prevent the efficient transmission of EAH1N1 SIVs to humans,” the scientists said.
“We found that the EAH1N1 swine flu has got the highest risk score among six different subtypes of viruses, suggesting that the EAH1N1 SIVs may pose the highest pandemic threat among the influenza viruses currently circulating in animals”.
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