Facts on The Swine Flu in Australia

The lady who brought the first known swine flu case to Australia was
traveling home from Los Angeles. She contracted the virus weeks
earlier and because of this, around 300 people she came in contact
with on the flight and in the airport had to be notified and brought
in for testing. While Australians would like to point the finger at
her, the truth is, dozens of other travelers could have already
brought the H1N1 influenza virus into the continent by plane or cruise
ship. In fact, 2,500 passengers aboard the Pacific Dawn were
quarantined to the ship while 25 experts came in to test everyone
individually after 3 crew members tested positive for the virus.One
month later, by June of 2009, there were already 400 cases of the
swine flu in Australia, 306 of which were found in Victoria. The
dangerous virus was found to be targeting the younger generation of
children between 5 and 18 years old which put parents in a panic.
Closing out the year, there were several thousand known cases and a
significant number of deaths.Protect YourselfSince it is important to
stop the virus from being brought into Australia through tourists or
residents returning home, it is imperative that you do everything you
can to protect yourself from becoming infected and to prevent the
spread of the virus to others, should you become infected. Practicing
common sense is crucial. If you don't' feel good, stay home and if you
cough or sneeze in public, do so in the crook of your elbow, not your
hand. If you use your hand, the air droplets that have been expelled
into your hand will now contaminate everything that you touch.You need
to get in the habit of washing your hands often and if you have
children, teach them to do the same so even when they're at school and
you're not there to tell them, they will know they need to do it. For
times there isn't a sink and soap handy, use a sanitizer that is
alcohol-based to kill germs you have picked up, especially after you
touch doorknobs, railings, or any object that someone else could have
contaminated.The last thing to remember to protect yourself from the
Swine Flu in Australia is to keep your hands away from your face. The
virus enters your body through your mucous membranes such as your
mouth, nose and eyes so unless you have freshly washed your hands,
keep them away from these areas.