Samoa confirms 29 cases of swine flu

APIA – There are now 29 cases of the H1N1 flu virus in Samoa, the country's Ministry of Health has confirmed.

Speaking to Radio Polynesia, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry Professor Pelenatete Stowers said the test results received last week confirmed the increase in the number of cases for Samoa.

Last week Vaipouli College in Savaii was quarantined after several students showed symptoms of the international pandemic.

Sources close to the school suspect that the virus may have been passed to the students by visiting recent guests from Australia and New Zealand.

Last week 16 cases were announced, and within a week 13 new cases were confirmed according to Stowers in the interview with Radio Polynesia.

The Ministry of Health are still screening all passengers arriving at Faleolo International Airport.

The stringent response by the Ministry of Health has been criticised by some tourism workers as a deterrent to tourists coming into Samoa.

However the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Health says that one can never be too careful.

Samoa's history is a painful reminder of the impact a pandemic can make on the lives of such a small nation.

In 1918 one fifth of the total population of Samoa, more than 8000 people died as a result of the influenza pandemic.

The spread of the influenza took one week according to historical evidence of the incident.

- Apia Review Online