China is fully prepared for swine flu, Hans Troedsson, World Health Organization (WHO) representative in China, said Tuesday.
China has learned a lot from its previous SARS and avian flu outbreaks, and has set up an effective surveillance system for epidemics, Troedsson said at a press conference in Beijing.
"We've just been informed by the Health Ministry that they've got out the alert that they should increase the surveillance and part of that surveillance is to look into suspected cases and investigate them thoroughly," Troedsson said.
"I think the authorities have done the right thing," he said.
Troedsson stressed that there were no confirmed cases of the virus in China so far.
But if the disease turned into a global outbreak, the virus might well enter China, whose enormous population and large-scale migration posed serious threats to disease prevention and control.
Troedsson suggested China, as well as other countries, should enhance monitoring of suspected cases of swine flu and step up public awareness of swine flu prevention.
"What is important is transparency and openness, not only to the WHO but also to the public. It's very important that the people understand the situation," Troedsson said.
The WHO also advised the government to support individuals and communities to take precaution measures, he said.
Troedsson said the WHO had been monitoring swine flu round the clock, and had been in close contact with the two countries that first reported swine flu cases -- Mexico and the United States.
It also sent investigation teams to support and assist the Mexican government. The disease has killed about 150 people in the country.
The WHO was prepared to provide support for other members as well when needed, he said. But the organization was not considering recommending travel restrictions to Mexico since the restriction could no longer contain the disease.
(Xinhua News Agency Apirl 29, 2009)
