Romania Health Min Calls For Solid Flu Pandemic Plan

Romania’s health minister Ion Bazac said Tuesday that all institutions within the National Committee for Emergency (CNSU) must draft an inter-sectorial flu pandemic plan within 30 days, which will be presented to the committee for further approval.

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Bazac and interior minister Dan Nica presented Tuesday several measures aiming to keep people updated on the novel influenza AH1N1 and ensure a good functioning of state institutions, not only firefighters and police force, in case of a flu pandemic.

Bazac also said the number of countries facing flu pandemic risk has gradually increased and referred to China and several European Union states. The minister stressed each country will have to come up with its own plan in case of flu pandemic, adding Romania’s plan will include both prevention and organizational measures.

The flu pandemic plan to be drafted countrywide is based on five principles and, according to the first principle, the flu pandemic can hit Romania anytime and affect the whole country or various regions.

According to Bazac, the flu pandemic "hits for an eight-week period and peaks during the fourth week," in which case, public institutions should provide basic services- electricity, water-sewerage, as well as intervention services provided by medical staff, firefighters and the police.

The new influenza virus AH1N1, discovered recently, has been found to contain genes from pig, bird and human influenza viruses, in a combination that has never been observed before anywhere in the world. The flu spreads from person to person, the same way as regular flu, and the illness was very serious in a wide number of cases in Mexico.

Symptoms of novel influenza AH1N1 in humans are usually similar to regular human seasonal influenza symptoms, involving fever of sudden onset and respiratory symptoms; diarrhea might also occur.

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