The World Health Organization (WHO) raised yesterday the alert level concerning the spreading of H1N1, also known as swine flu, to six (the top). The disease has now turned into a global pandemic, as more cases are announced in new regions, most recently in the West Bank (Palestinian Territories). The number of cases has risen to 27,737 in 74 countries with 141 dead, according to the latest figures issued by the WHO on Wednesday. Palestinian officials announced yesterday the first case of H1N1 in the West Bank, a 4-year-old child from Bethlehem who has been quarantined. They pointed out that the child has been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus after he returned from Texas (US). He was taken to a hospital in Beit Jala (West Bank).
In Cairo, the Ministry of Health has announced a new confirmed infection of H1N1, known as swine flu. The new case is a Colombian woman, wife of the Colombian engineer (the tenth H1N1 case in Egypt), bringing the number of cases in Egypt to 11 until the newspaper went to the press. Dr. Abdel Rahman Chaheen, official spokesman of the Ministry of Health, said that the wife of the Colombian engineer is currently being treated at Abbasiya Sadr Hospital and her health conditions are stable. He said the woman is 43 and returned from the US on June 7 with her husband, who works for an oil company in Cairo. Meanwhile, Cairo International Airport quarantine continues taking precautionary measures on incoming passengers on their arrival to counter the disease. Dr. Hassan Shaaban, director of the quarantine, said 6,600 passengers who arrived onboard 63 flights from different countries worldwide have been examined and interviewed. Meanwhile, a 25-year-old Palestinian passenger called Essam Ibrahim Marzouk was kept in custody on his arrival from Abu Dhabi on an Egypt Air flight after thermographic cameras revealed his body temperature was higher than the normal rate. Dr. Abdel Hay El-Sayed, Director General for Preventive Affairs at Cairo Health Directorate said the directorate officials are currently reviewing the addresses where all visitors to Egypt will stay in order to know their whereabouts in the country and follow up their health for seven days (the incubation period) to make sure they are not infected.
