EU rejects suspending flights to Mexico by the 'swine flu'

Confirmed cases of total 13 in Spain and suspects arrive at 101 | The alert level remains at 5: risk of pandemic

- The European Union has rejected the French proposal to suspend flights to Mexico to curb the spread of 'new flu', as announced by the French Minister of Health, Rosalyn Bachelot. A majority of EU countries rejected this initiative during the Council of Health Ministers of the EU is considering measures against the common flu outbreak, according to brief statements of the minister. There is no action taken on a large scale and only countries like Brazil, Cuba and Ecuador has decided to suspend trips to Mexico, while it advises its citizens to stay in their homes.
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Swine flu

* The German health minister advised not to go to Circuit Montmeló
* Confirmed cases of 'new flu' in Spain amounted to thirteen suspects and reach 84
* Agencies offer alternatives for tourists who would travel to Mexico
* Special meeting of health ministers of the EU
* Felipe Calderón called on Mexicans to stay home until May 5
* Ten cases of swine flu in Spain, six in Catalunya, an indirect contact
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In addition, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the EU (ECDC) cree the percentage of population that could suffer from the swine flu "is probably between 40% and 50%, while the majority suffer for the moderately "said one of its experts, Angus Nicoll. "Only a few people suffer from the severe form, presumably the older people and those suffering from chronic diseases," Nicoll said at a press conference from the headquarters in Stockholm. "That's why European countries have been working to protect the most vulnerable people," added the expert.

For its part, the EU executive stressed that the situation in the EU is "very different from Mexico, and wanted to convey a message of calm to the population, said the spokesman of the Executive Community Health, Nina Papadoulaki.

"The facts are that the confirmed cases in the EU are moderately affected and are recovering well, so there is no reason to panic," said the spokesman. According to the latest data with which the ECDC are five member states with confirmed cases of the new virus: Spain, Germany, Austria, Netherlands and United Kingdom, while France has a number of cases "probable" and dozens of suspected cases .

Furthermore, the Spanish Minister of Health, Trinidad Jimenez confirmed that the number of confirmed cases of swine flu in Spain amounts to 13 persons, and under observation for possible infection has risen to 101. Three affected, two in Madrid and one in Murcia, joined yesterday confirmed cases in Catalonia (6), all discharged, Castilla-La Mancha (2), Valencia (1) and Basque Country (1).

The Valencia has become the gathering a larger number of cases studied, a total of 30, followed with 28 cases of Andalusia, Catalonia and Madrid with 15 with 11. With three suspected cases of swine flu suffering is Asturias and Castilla-La Mancha, two cases presented Castille and Leon, Extremadura, Galicia and Murcia. The Autonomous Communities that have accounted for only one suspected case are Aragon, the Canary Islands and Rioja.

The Minister for Health and Social Policy has called for tomorrow afternoon to all counselors autonomic Health and Health to a new special session of the Inter National Health System (CISNS), the second in a week, with the aim of analyze the situation of the new flu epidemic and strengthen the coordination of the actions of the communities where necessary.

Councilor for the Health of the Generalitat, Marina Geli, has admitted that the number of infected in Catalunya can grow in the coming days a new confirmed positive. However, he indicated that "the flu so far in Spain and Catalonia is totally benign." "Our patients, 9%, are at home and are healing," he said. Furthermore, it stressed that the WHO has raised the alert level to 5 by the spread of the virus and not by its severity. " "But we must be cautious," apuntilla.

For his part, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Keiji Fukuda, said that around the world have confirmed the existence of 236 cases, while the Center for Disease Control (CDC) United States amounted to 109 people have contracted the virus in this country. Also, Fukuda said that WHO will distribute antiviral Tamiflu from several developing countries, including Mexico, and the pharmaceutical company Roche is increasing the rate of production of this drug.

In addition, the World Health Organization ruled out raising the alert level to phase 5 to 6 due to swine flu. "We will keep the alert level in stage 5, there is no evidence, no grounds for raising now," said Fukuda.

"For now we see that the disease continues to evolve, there are places like Mexico where cases continue to rise and other countries like United States, where they are stable, so it is not justified epidemiologically raise alert level," added director.

The WHO yesterday raised the alert level 5 pandemic imminent risk of infection following the confirmation of one person to another in at least two countries in a region (Mexico and USA). The health agency would become the last phase of pandemic alert, the 6, if the virus spreading from person to person causing outbreaks in at least a third country of a different region. This phase will signal the start of a global pandemic.

Yesterday it was confirmed a case of secondary infection in Catalonia, in Spain confirmed the ten, the first in the EU, which does not preclude the occurrence of deaths.