Plagues,
Pestilences and Diseases
H1N1 Swine flu outbreak hits Venezuelan state, official says
By the CNN Wire Staff
March 23, 2011 7:52 a.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* There is an outbreak of the H1N1 virus in Merida state, the
health minister says
* At least 56 cases have been confirmed there
(CNN) -- An outbreak of the H1N1 virus, known commonly as the
swine flu, has hit the Venezuelan Andean state of Merida, the
country's health minister said, the state-run AVN news agency
reported.
More than 100 cases of H1N1 have been recorded in Venezuela as of
Tuesday, Eugenia Sader said.
In Merida alone there are 56 cases which have tested positive for
the virus, and special precautions have been put in place in that
state, AVN reported.
Classes in Merida have been canceled for five days, and a ban has
been placed on events at night clubs and other closed-in venues,
the agency reported.
The health minister asked for calm Tuesday, saying that while the
outbreak was confirmed, there was not an epidemic in the country.
The most recent global pandemic was the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic, in
which the estimates of deaths ranged as high as 12,500 in the
United States alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.