Ministry of Health Confirms Swine Flu Case in The Bahamas

The Ministry of Health is reporting a confirmed case of Influenza A (HINI) in The Bahamas. The reported case occurred in a young adult visitor who came from New York to The Bahamas on 25 May 2009 and returned to New York on 26 May to recover at home.

Due to heightened surveillance activities by the Department of Public Health necessary tests were done that same day. The results were received on the evening of 29 May. All necessary precautions were taken at the facilities where the visitor stayed for the brief period and there are on-going surveillance activities at other contact sites.

As this widespread global occurrence of Influenza A (H1N1) continues to evolve, The Bahamas maintains the monitoring of influenza trends, which at present do not indicate any increase in cases at this time. Enhanced surveillance activities for the Influenza A (H1N1) virus have been on-going across all sectors since the first case of the virus was reported in March 2009.

The Ministry of Health wishes to remind the public that influenza preventative measures should be followed to ensure protection of individuals, families and communities. These precautionary measures include covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, disposing of the tissue in the trash after use, along with frequent hand washing with soap and water. Additionally, if you are experiencing flu like symptoms, avoid contact with others, and stay away from group settings, to decrease the potential spread.

Hotline Numbers for further information within the country are:

From 9am to 6pm: (242) 502-4790 or 502-4728
From 6pm to 9am: (242) 502-7811, 502-7812 or 502-7855 and on weekends