News Service from House Harris

Fed: Top doc tells Aussies not to panic about swine flu

CANBERRA, April 26 AAP - The nation's top doctor has urged people to be vigilant but not alarmed in response to news a deadly swine flu that appeared in Mexico may have have reached Australia's doorstep.

The new influenza strain, feared to have killed 81 people in Mexico and infected 10 in the US, has "pandemic potential", the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned on Sunday.

A New Zealand school group has been quarantined after returning from Mexico City with flu-like symptoms.

Three teachers and 22 senior students from Rangitoto College in Auckland arrived back in NZ on Saturday after a three-week Spanish language trip.

The Rudd government has come under fire from the Australian Greens for being too slow to respond after learning of the situation on Saturday.

Chief medical officer Jim Bishop said emergency departments were alerted late Saturday, while GPs were notified on Sunday.

The World Health Organisation has not changed its warning level on pandemics and Australian officials had taken that into account, he said.

"We don't think we should be very worried at the moment," he told AAP.

"We're not aware of any cases (in Australia). We have a good surveillance system in this country, we have got plenty of the anti-viral medicines.

"We're in a good state of preparedness and then obviously it will become clear (in) the next, I guess, few days, week or so, whether more steps need to be taken."

Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said the government should have done more, sooner.

"It should have been on the front foot on this yesterday," he told AAP.

"Every day in dealing with a pandemic is absolutely crucial."

Doctors have been told to alert their local public health authority if they see patients with flu-like symptoms who have travelled overseas in the last fortnight, particularly to Mexico or the US, Professor Bishop said.

They have been advised to take swabs and tell travellers with flu-like symptoms to avoid public places until they are well.

Airports are not on official alert but are aware of the situation.

Prof Bishop said the health department has been consulting with border agencies and reviewing their preparedness.

"There has been no change in the current arrangements (at airports) at this time, but that's under constant review so that could be upgraded based on information that we might get from overseas," he said.

"All the cases in the United States are mild. We don't have good information out of Mexico."

The virus, which has infected about 1,100 people in Mexico, seems to be a hybrid form of human, bird and pig flu, Prof Bishop said.

"We're concerned it would produce a new type of flu that might be less predictable," he said.

"It does seem to be (transmitted from) human to human."

Anti-viral drugs that could be sensitive to the virus are available through pharmacies and are also in the national stockpile in case of emergency.

The health protection committee, of which Professor Bishop is a member, is liaising with the WHO as well as health authorities in New Zealand and the US.

The latest information on Australia's response to swine flu will be posted on the internet at www.health.gov.au.