KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 (Bernama) -- The Immigration Department has gone on the alert over a swine flu outbreak in Mexico and is ready to work closely with the Health Ministry to prevent the spread of the disease to Malaysia, its director-general Datuk Mahmood Adam said today.
"We are awaiting instructions from the Ministry of Health by tomorrow and we will provide full cooperation at all entry points," he told Bernama.
He said the department had experience as it had provided an effective service during the outbreak of the Asian bird flu.
The latest swine flu epidemic in Mexico has so far claimed 62 lives, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) had said that some of the deaths had been confirmed as being due to a type of swine flu labelled A(H1N1) not previously seen in pigs or humans.
Latest wire reports said the swine flu had spread to the United States and that WHO was concerned that it might spread to the rest of the world.
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FLU-IMMIGRATION 2 (LAST) KUALA LUMPUR
The symptoms of the swine flu are similar to those of ordinary flu, with fever, cough, runny nose and body aches.
The latest flu is said to be more virulent than the previous one as it is a combination of the avian, human and swine viruses.
Experts said there was yet a vaccine for the latest flu. However, they advised that the best precaution would be to keep the hands clean by washing to avoid being infected.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai has reportedly advised Malaysians not to panic, saying the government would take all necessary steps to stop the disease from spreading to Malaysia.
He said the ministry would also keep the people regularly informed of developments.
-- BERNAMA
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