India on Monday put its airports and seaports on high alert after the outbreak of swine influenza-A in parts of the world.
Over 5,000 passengers entering India from affected countries will be scanned daily for flu-like symptoms, while efforts are on to track people who have already entered from infected countries over the past 10 days.
After a health ministry and animal husbandry department’s joint monitoring committee meeting, the government prepared a detailed plan to prevent and contain an outbreak. The government issued a travel advisory, asking Indians to “restrict or defer non-essential visits” to Mexico, US, UK, Spain, France, Canada and New Zealand — the countries affected by swine flu.
Dr VN Katoch, director general, Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) said, “There is no infection in India so far. All measures are being taken.”
He said: “Doctors will work round-the-clock at nine busy airports to screen travellers [from the affected countries]. We have alerted airlines to inform passengers to carry a fitness certificate with them. Passengers suspected to be infected with any flu will be isolated and tested for the H1N1 virus.”
Over 40 specially trained doctors have been deputed to Delhi and Mumbai airports, as they handle bulk of the international traffic. However, in the absence of body temperature scanning machines, officials acknowledge it will be a chaotic exercise.
Other airports on alert are Bangalore, Kolkatta, Chennai, Goa, Kochi, Hyderabad and
Jaipur. States have also been told to step up monitoring.
Dr Shivlal, director, National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), Delhi, said, “We are concentrating on prevention...as in India there is no scenario of the disease spreading from pigs. Yet, we have asked north-eastern states to be more vigilant since backyard pig rearing is higher there.”
