 |
OTTAWA -- The federal government is reconsidering its advice to Canadians to avoid travel to Mexico after the U.S. downgraded its own travel warning to Americans late last week.
Josee Bellemare, spokeswoman for Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq, said the Public Health Agency of Canada was aware of the American shift Friday from a travel warning to a simple "precaution."
"The agency is currently reviewing its own travel warning for Mexico," Bellemare said in an e-mail.
There was no change yesterday in the official travel warning Canada has posted since May 1 in response to the outbreak of H1N1 swine flu first detected in Mexico.
That warning advises "against non-essential travel to Mexico, due to an outbreak of H1N1 Flu Virus," but stops short of saying people should avoid travel altogether.
In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said: "There is evidence that the Mexican outbreak is slowing down in many cities, though not all. In addition, the United States and other countries are now seeing increasing numbers of cases not associated with travel to Mexico.
LOWER RISK
"Finally, the risk of severe disease from novel H1N1 virus infection now appears to be less than originally thought. At this time, CDC has removed its recommendation that U.S. travellers avoid travel to Mexico."
Swine flu cases are still being reported in Canada. As of Friday, the Public Health Agency of Canada had tallied 496 confirmed cases countrywide. The agency's chart of flu-symptom onset, however, shows a trend toward fewer fresh cases in recent days.
But concerns about the illness remain, particularly after Japan reported 70 new confirmed cases, and these will dominate the annual meeting of the World Health Organization in Geneva starting today.
Aglukkaq is at that meeting, which will also consider different approaches to developing a vaccine
More than 8,480 people in 40 countries have contracted swine flu, and there have been 75 deaths.
CHRISTINA.SPENCER@SUNMEDIA.CA