Christof Maletsky
2 July 2009
THREE of the four suspected cases of H1N1 flu virus reported by the Namibian health authorities on Tuesday have tested negative.
By yesterday afternoon the only outstanding result was that of a Russian sailor who had arrived in the country from Mexico, and had presented himself at the Welwitschia Hospital in Walvis Bay on Tuesday.
Gladys Kamboo, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Social Services, said they would get the results of the Russian sailor within the next 24 to 48 hours.
She said the case of the three-year-old girl from the Oshikoto Region was "just the normal flu" that people get in winter while the Namibian couple who returned from Germany on Thursday and reported suspected "flu-like illnesses" tested negative to H1N1 flu virus, which is also known as swine flu.
The couple were referred to the Roman Catholic Hospital by their doctor and that was where nasal swabs were taken from them.
All the tests were done at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in South Africa.
Meanwhile, Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG has said it will produce, store and sell stockpiles of its Tamiflu antiviral medicine at a reduced price for use by developing countries during a flu pandemic.
The Tamiflu Reserves Programme is aimed at improving access to the treatment in developing countries and takes effect immediately, the company said today in an e-mailed statement. The programme would also be used in the case of a new influenza strain that has pandemic potential.
"Only six of the world's countries listed as low income have a stockpile of Tamiflu," David Reddy, the head of Roche's influenza task force, said in the statement.
That represents coverage of 0,02 per cent for low-income countries, he said.
Last month the World Health Organisation donated some supplies of Tamiflu to Namibia to help combat a possible swine flu outbreak.
More than 70 800 cases of the virus have been confirmed globally, according to the WHO.
Tamiflu can help reduce the severity and duration of swine flu.
Roche Holding AG said it will charge as little as 2 euros for a 30-milligram-dose package of 10 pills and as much as 6 euros for each 75-milligram-dose package.
The price will depend on the period of storage requested, the company said.
Until now, prices have ranged from 4,80 euros for the lowest dose to 12 euros for the highest.
In May the WHO warned that the virus may cause worse complications in poor nations whose health systems are overwhelmed by diseases such as HIV.
Almost half of the patients hospitalised with swine flu have also had other illnesses, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and asthma, according to the WHO.
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