Rhiza Labs FluTracker Forum

A few cases of influenza A H1N1 and one case of dengue fever have been detected in Mauritius. The authorities say the situation is not alarming. They contend that they have a constant surveillance.

The authorities confirm that some cases of H1N1 were detected in Mauritius. In addition, a Comorian, recently arrived in the island, has been hospitalized in a separate room because he was suffering from dengue.

However, the Chief Health Inspector Acting Dr Tilochun Nundlall, believes that the situation with influenza A H1N1 is not worrisome.

"We have, indeed, detected cases of influenza A H1N1 in the island. Butthe phenomenon remains sporadic. The situation at the spread is not alarming. But we continue to monitor. It should take precautions because the virus is circulating, "he says.

Currently, the nursing staff is vaccinated against influenza A H1N1. Pregnant women can also be vaccinated in the regional hospitals in the country.

On the Comorian suffering from dengue, it is currently under medical observation in a separate room at the Victoria Hospital in Candos. He will be kept in hospital until the end of the period of infection. According to authorities, no case of dengue fever has been recently detected among Mauritians.

Dr. Tilochun Nundlall supports a team is currently racing in contact, that is to say, it examines the research and who have been in contact with the Comoros, to see if anyone else 's caught dengue fever.

Furthermore, preventive measures were taken. A mosquito control program has started since yesterday, April 27, 2010, around the Victoria Hospital and in the region of Quatre-Bornes.

Mauritius has recorded the first victim who succumbed to A/ H1N1 flu in 2010, local medical sources reported over the weekend.

A government official aged 51 died on Saturday night in a private clinic after having been admitted on July 4 for what was believed to be a flu.

After his health status started deteriorating rapidly, he was transferred to the intensive care unit.

Doctors indicated that he died from a viral infection with respiratory distress. Tests that were carried out on this patient early last week confirmed the presence of the A/H1N1 virus.

Several suspected cases of A/H1N1 virus have been detected in both private and public health centers.

According to information received from the private clinic, the victim had suffered from the flu for about 15 days.

Despite the antibiotics that had been prescribed by his doctor, his health status did not improve hence his hospitalization.

According to a number of doctors in Mauritius, the resurgence of the A/ H1N1 virus is now a reality. Already, in the beginning of the week, several doctors in private clinics had raised the alarm about the re-emergence of this virus in Mauritius.

The Minister of Health has no secrets. She announced this Friday, July 16 , another patient who contracted the virus influenza A (H1N1) died at Victoria Hospital earlier this week ..

A second death from influenza A ( H1N1) was reported this week. One woman, aged 51, died in the day Tuesday, July 13 , at Victoria Hospital , Candos . It is the Minister of Health , Maya Hanoomanjee who reported at a press briefing in Port Louis in the afternoon of Friday, July 16 .

The patient had been admitted to Victoria Hospital , Saturday, July 10 . At that time , she showed symptoms of influenza . Upon arrival at the hospital , the patient was put under treatment . Tamiflu was prescribed . The same day she was admitted to intensive care because doctors found that his condition was deteriorating . The victim died after three days in intensive care unit (ICU ) .

Those most vulnerable when they contract influenza A ( H1N1), are those who are already suffering from chronic diseases . " The patient who died was a diabetic "Said Maya Hanoomanjee . The tests performed , have attributed his death to a pulmonary infection .

Meanwhile , the central laboratory continues to conduct tests. Of 1437 samples tested, 128 cases of influenza A ( H1N1) were detected . Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health is stepping up its campaign of prevention against the epidemic .

The Health Minister also announced that a vaccination program is held nowadays in the regional hospitals. For his part , Dr. Ahad Abdool , who attended the briefing , emphasized that the country is experiencing a second wave of influenza A (H1N1 ).

However, he believes it would be less serious than the first wave, which had raged in 2009 . He explained that Mauritians are immunized against influenza A virus ( H1N1) . " Some people have already developed certain antibodies, capable of repelling the influenza A (H1N1 ) " he has said .

The hospital staff Jeetoo was on edge during the weekend. The property has two deaths due to influenza A/H1N1. There are also four other suspicious deaths .

Six patients died from respiratory complications during the weekend in the hospital Jeetoo , Port Louis. Among two ten year olds , who have been "brought dead in " to the hospital. In other words , they were already dead when they were swept to the emergency hospital . They both suffered high fever and cough . The four other patients died, adults were under artificial respiration with the Surgical Intensive Care Unit . Two of them had contracted the H1N1 virus . Currently, there are three other patients who are also under artificial respiration in the hospital. They are also infected with influenza virus H1N1.

The two patients who are under artificial respiration with the ICU of the hospital SSR , Grapefruit , including Le Défi -Plus reported in its Saturday delivery , they are still there . Remember they also suffer symptoms similar to influenza A.

The minister is out of joint

Note that , in addition to two deaths at the hospital Jeetoo , there were three official death associated with this disease : Jefford White ( 53), Dig Dig Ramawtee ( 47 ) and Ravi Thupsy ( 24). Influenza A may have claimed another victim . These Rambacasse Ramdev . This 45 year old man passed away at Victoria Hospital , Candos , Sunday, July 18 , as a result of respiratory complications. Rambacasse Ramdev , who lives Chitracoot , Valley of the Priests , had been admitted to hospital with symptoms of Jeetoo flu . He has subsequently transferred to Victoria Hospital . But, we must clarify that this suspect case and not confirmed .

Moreover , Maya Hanoomanjee visited Flu Clinic at Victoria Hospital on Monday morning to make sure everything goes well. She is out of joint in noting that there was a crowd in the waiting room . In fact , many people came to be vaccinated .

The problem is that there were only three nurses to vaccinate all those people who had gathered around them. What has not pleased the minister . In addition, we learned that nine hours , the vaccines were not available. Furious , Maya Hanoomanjee demanded that two other nurses who are supported by colleagues to vaccinate the entire crowd . Moreover , at a press briefing later, she expressed her frustration. The Minister of Health said it had " come to order .

We learn further that the Victoria Hospital is crowded at this time because of the substantial number of patients with symptoms of influenza and who are hospitalized . The rooms are so full that patients are sometimes forced to wait hours to be admitted .

Others , tired of war , prefer to sign the Discharge Against Medical Form Advice ( DAMA) and go home . In addition , there are often long queues for emergency consultations. This is due , in addition to the problem of overcrowding of patients, that physicians were more cautious in the auscultation of patients with symptoms of influenza. They take five or ten minutes to listen these patients .

However , the long wait for results auscultation also because many of the caregivers are on vacation right now . Some are sick . They were also victims of the flu . Others have taken a few days off to spend some time with their children on vacation .

A similar scenario is available in all hospitals of the island: patients with symptoms of influenza tributary . Veterans Affairs Canada turned to the recruitment of retirees to meet service demand Ala .

THE tributary patients and emergency rooms are crowded . The same scenario occurs in all hospitals of the island . The patients have symptoms such as influenza A. After having recorded several deaths ( see below ) and then the number of influenza cases increase in schools ( see box ), the Ministry of Education and of Health are a series of measures.

To better meet demand , the Ministry of Health plans to recruit nurses and nannies . It will also appeal to retirees of health service to address the shortage of nursing staff .

A spokesman for the Ministry of Health said yesterday it is to enable the country to face the threat of influenza A (H1N1). These measures will be communicated officially by the Minister Rajesh JEETAH this week.

Meanwhile, we toured some hospitals in the island . One thing is clear : the medical staff is overwhelmed . At the Flacq Hospital yesterday , doctors are alarmed: "There are so many people coming there more room in the halls. We are forced to send patients in the Surgical Ward is exclusively for patients who underwent surgery . " Many parents , worried about their children, visited hospitals , history of reassurance . Already , during the weekend , the Department of Pediatrics at Flacq Hospital was besieged by children with signs of fever . It was the same at the ENT Vacoas .

Cautious , young doctors Flacq Hospital will not admit all patients with symptoms of influenza . The rooms of admission were quickly saturated .

This is particularly true in pediatrics .

As soon as a bed becomes available , it is assigned to another patient, said a nurse on call last night to 20 h30 .

The situation is such that the department has even canceled leave for all physicians at this time.

The staff on the go

At Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital , the emergency were also crowded yesterday morning . The nurse Govindass Nathoo was on night duty the previous evening, the night of Saturday to Sunday. He says that his career goes back several years , he has never seen a Saturday night as agitated , with a large number of admissions .

He explained that staff were constantly on the go for making temperature and other injections.

While preparing to return home, he said he had noticed that within one hour , at least 50 people showed up . The nurse stresses that emergency measures must be taken to strengthen the staff .

On the other hand, the thermometers used are no longer effective , having outlived their usefulness. However, the temperature measurement is essential for the detection of influenza A. Today , the director of the hospital has initiated steps to have the proper equipment is distributed to the staff.

At the Victoria Hospital Candos , a specialized department was created to accommodate influenza cases . The number of children attending the emergency department is also alarming .

Around 18 h 30 yesterday , the queue of patients was impressive . In the vicinity of emergencies , concern for each other was palpable. Although they do not wear the mask, all the noses were covered by shawls or handkerchiefs.

And it should also be patient. After waiting at emergency , it must also wait for his turn in the interminable line to be able to get drugs or get his card for admission. An unusual scenario for a Sunday.

As for private health care , a doctor testified that if the tributary. The pediatrician of the Eastern Region said that his consultations normally ends around noon . Yesterday, however, he heard the sound yet his patients to three hours in the afternoon . And one day, he said he had received at least a dozen patients .

Even in normal times , the health service suffers from a lack of staff .

To get to fill vacancies should normally wait until the end of this training session of the Nursing School, near the end of the year. Hence the need to seek qualified individuals who can still help them.

While welcoming the government's decision to strengthen the staff, the president of the Nursery Association,

Cassam Kurreeman , argues that it should ensure that the contract be for a period of one year and is renewable . " We can not accept that retired people are then recruited to be flanked at the door as soon as the situation returned to normal , " he says.

Cassam Kurreeman also believes that caregivers should follow a preventive treatment with Tamiflu since it is more exposed to the disease . He said he submitted the request to the Minister of Health Tuesday , " but without success "

Of 1,759 samples collected by public health centers and private from January to date, 568 people presented the characteristics of influenza . Of these 568 people , 140 were tested positive for influenza A H1N1 .

In this July 30 , 120 000 people in Mauritius and Rodrigues have been vaccinated against this virus, this addition to the 80,000 elderly vaccinated by the Department of Social Security.

The information has been provided by the Ministry of Health , at its headquarters in Port- Louis, during a press briefing in the afternoon of Friday, July 30 . The authority also maintains that the number of people seized in the health centers has decreased dramatically. The Ministry of Health is continuing its program of vaccination as scheduled on the timetable established for that purpose.

The epidemic broke out last May . From May to July 10 , hospitals and clinics received more and more people suffering from flu, to a peak of about 7000 patients per day .

'Then, as we announced , there was a stabilization . The trend was reversed . The stabilization has been noted to l2 July. On 19 July the number of people with flu symptoms started to fall .

This week , this downward trend has continued . Compared to last week , our statistics still show a decrease of 10 %. Currently, we only receive 2600 patients per day" says Dr. Abdool Ahad , Chief Medical Officer at the Ministry of Health .

Regarding the 140 people who were infected with Influenza A H1N1, it shows that the majority of them have been cured through the administration of symptomatic common .

The Chief Medical Officer said that the Ministry of Health has enough vaccine against the influenza A H1N1 and Tamiflu in reserve . Furthermore , no complaints about allergic reactions or side effects associated with vaccination has been reported so far.

'The Ministry of Health wishes to reassure the public the situation is under control. But we remain vigilant. We conduct surveillance by collecting samples and we are continuing our program of immunization. The public must continue to take precautions ( in terms of hygiene)"Concludes Dr. Abdool .

The family of a South African man imprisoned in Mauritius is reeling after learning of his death.
Jan Venter passed away on Thursday night in a hospital on the Indian Ocean island.
He was serving a 34-year prison term for a drug-related offence.

Venter’s fiancée, Vee Brijlall, is traumatised after learning of his death. She said she was never directly informed by the relevant authorities, including the South African Embassy in Mauritius. “I received an SMS from his mum but nobody from the prison, the directorate, or Mauritius has contacted me.”

Venter was admitted to hospital earlier this week. The 32-year-old was then placed in an isolation ward after being diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, also known as Swine Flu. His health deteriorated rapidly and he died.

Conditions in Mauritian prisons have been described by the United Nations as horrific.

Venter’s family are now demanding answers from both the South African government and Mauritian authorities as to how he contracted the virus and why they were never told of his condition.