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Netanyahu mulls tasking Defense Ministry with swine flu prevention

<>Netanyahu mulls tasking Defense Ministry with swine flu prevention
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold another discussion with senior officials on Thursday on the possibility of a swine flu outbreak in Israel and whether the Defense Ministry's national emergency authority should take charge of it rather than the Health Ministry.
Dr. Yehuda Carmeli, head of epidemiology and preventive medicine at Tel Aviv's Ichilov Medical Center, told Haaretz that the risk of swine flu is significantly lower in Israel than in Mexico. Due to the preventive steps that have been taken here, he said, a massive outbreak is unlikely in Israel unless there is a worldwide pandemic.
Two Israelis have tested positive for swine flu, the Health Ministry stated over the holiday. Another four people hospitalized with symptoms of the potentially deadly disease have tested negative.
"We still cannot say with certainty whether we have overcome the disease," said Dr. Itamar Grotto, the Health Ministry's head of Public Health Services. "But fortunately, the threat of local transmission has been negated."
The ministry will begin disseminating information about the disease on Thursday. It is advising Israelis to take precautions to avoid contracting the virus and has urged the public to be vigilant and maintain personal hygiene. The ministry has also asked anyone who has been in contact with infected individuals to avoid crowds.
The ministry has published a list of symptoms that could indicate swine flu, including fever, cold, sore throat, muscle soreness and shortness of breath. Anyone arriving from Mexico in the past seven days who has one of these symptoms should be examined.
Passengers at Ben-Gurion Airport will receive pamphlets instructing them to go to the hospital immediately if they have any of these symptoms.
The ministry will also operate a hotline for questions about swine flu from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M. on Thursday. The numbers are 03-695-1541 or *3090 (from Bezeq lines only).
By Dana Weiler-Polak, Barak Ravid, Ran Reznick, and Ronny Linder-Ganz

Источник: Haaretz