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| Africa awaits two swine flu tests | Africa awaits two swine flu tests |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Africa's first two possible cases of the potentially killer swine flu virus are being tested in South Africa. | Africa's first two possible cases of the potentially killer swine flu virus are being tested in South Africa. |
| Both women, one from Gauteng, the other from Western Cape, had "mild symptoms", said Lucille Blumberg, of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. | Both women, one from Gauteng, the other from Western Cape, had "mild symptoms", said Lucille Blumberg, of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. |
| It comes as the African Union prepared to establish a continent-wide response to any major outbreak of the virus. | It comes as the African Union prepared to establish a continent-wide response to any major outbreak of the virus. |
| The World Health Organization has raised the swine flu alert level to warn that a pandemic is imminent. | The World Health Organization has raised the swine flu alert level to warn that a pandemic is imminent. |
| The two South Africans had recently visited Mexico, epicentre of the disease, said officials. | The two South Africans had recently visited Mexico, epicentre of the disease, said officials. |
| Sample bungle | Sample bungle |
| Neither was seriously ill and one had already recovered after receiving anti-viral treatments. | Neither was seriously ill and one had already recovered after receiving anti-viral treatments. |
| We were at the Mexico City airport three times so I thought the cough was just due to jet lag Susan KokTested for swine flu Q&A: Advice about swine flu | We were at the Mexico City airport three times so I thought the cough was just due to jet lag Susan KokTested for swine flu Q&A: Advice about swine flu |
| But health authorities said they were unlikely to be able to confirm if one of the women did have the virus as her samples had not been stored properly. | But health authorities said they were unlikely to be able to confirm if one of the women did have the virus as her samples had not been stored properly. |
| Ms Blumberg said swine flu tests needed to be sent overseas for confirmation, as South African laboratories could still only do preliminary examinations. | Ms Blumberg said swine flu tests needed to be sent overseas for confirmation, as South African laboratories could still only do preliminary examinations. |
| Local laboratory test results are expected in days. | Local laboratory test results are expected in days. |
| One of the women was named by Die Burger newspaper as 58-year-old Susan Kok, of Mossel Bay, Western Cape. | One of the women was named by Die Burger newspaper as 58-year-old Susan Kok, of Mossel Bay, Western Cape. |
| The newspaper reported that she had been feeling unwell when she returned to South Africa with her husband last Saturday, after a month-long holiday in Mexico. | The newspaper reported that she had been feeling unwell when she returned to South Africa with her husband last Saturday, after a month-long holiday in Mexico. |
| "We spent quite a bit of time on trains and buses. And we were at the airport in Mexico City three times, so I thought the cough was just due to jet lag," she told Die Burger. | "We spent quite a bit of time on trains and buses. And we were at the airport in Mexico City three times, so I thought the cough was just due to jet lag," she told Die Burger. |
| 'A continental plan' | 'A continental plan' |
| The African Union has been working on an emergency response to swine flu at a conference in Ethiopia. | The African Union has been working on an emergency response to swine flu at a conference in Ethiopia. |
| CONFIRMED CASES Mexico: 168 suspected deaths - eight confirmedUS: one death, at least 91 confirmed casesNew Zealand: 13 confirmed casesCanada: 19 confirmed casesUK: 5 confirmed casesSpain: 10 confirmed casesGermany: 3 confirmed cases Israel, Costa Rica: 2 confirmed cases eachSwitzerland, Austria, Peru: 1 confirmed case each Mapping the outbreak Mexico: First swine flu cases | CONFIRMED CASES Mexico: 168 suspected deaths - eight confirmedUS: one death, at least 91 confirmed casesNew Zealand: 13 confirmed casesCanada: 19 confirmed casesUK: 5 confirmed casesSpain: 10 confirmed casesGermany: 3 confirmed cases Israel, Costa Rica: 2 confirmed cases eachSwitzerland, Austria, Peru: 1 confirmed case each Mapping the outbreak Mexico: First swine flu cases |
| "We hope to establish a continental plan for prevention, and if necessary a mechanism to fight this outbreak that has not yet affected Africa," the AU's Peace and Security Commissioner Jean Ping said in Addis Ababa. | "We hope to establish a continental plan for prevention, and if necessary a mechanism to fight this outbreak that has not yet affected Africa," the AU's Peace and Security Commissioner Jean Ping said in Addis Ababa. |
| Egypt has ordered the nation's quarter of a million pigs to be slaughtered over swine flu fears, in the first such move in the world, even though experts say the virus cannot be transmitted by eating meat. | Egypt has ordered the nation's quarter of a million pigs to be slaughtered over swine flu fears, in the first such move in the world, even though experts say the virus cannot be transmitted by eating meat. |
| The authorities in Ghana have banned imports of pork and pork products and the Central African nation Gabon has followed suit. | The authorities in Ghana have banned imports of pork and pork products and the Central African nation Gabon has followed suit. |
| Health monitoring has been stepped up at ports from Kenya and Ethiopia in East Africa to Senegal and Mauritania in the west. | Health monitoring has been stepped up at ports from Kenya and Ethiopia in East Africa to Senegal and Mauritania in the west. |
| Mozambique has sent medical teams to its main seaports, which are some of the busiest in southern Africa. | Mozambique has sent medical teams to its main seaports, which are some of the busiest in southern Africa. |
| And authorities in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, have said they are ready to cope with any swine flu outbreak. | And authorities in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, have said they are ready to cope with any swine flu outbreak. |
| The WHO raised the alert to the second highest level of five on Wednesday after a Mexican child died while on a visit to the US state of Texas - the first death from the swine flu outside Mexico. | |
| Officials put the number of suspected deaths from the bug in Mexico at 159, although just eight deaths have been confirmed. | |
| Since the virus emerged last week, it has also spread to Canada, Europe, Israel, and New Zealand. | Since the virus emerged last week, it has also spread to Canada, Europe, Israel, and New Zealand. |