# 3241
In keeping with my last post (see A Latitude Adjustment), with the southern hemisphere’s flu season ramping up and H1N1 beginning to spread, the Australian government has raised their internal pandemic alert level to allow them to take public health measures to contain the virus.
While all of this may seem much ado about a mild virus, virologists are genuinely concerned that this novel H1N1 could pick up virulence as it spreads around the world.
May 22, 2009
Aust increases H1N1 alert level
SYDNEY - AUSTRALIA upped its pandemic threat level on Friday, invoking sweeping powers allowing for the closure of schools, public places and major events as the number of confirmed swine flu cases reached 12.
A 10-year-old girl became the country's first case of human-to-human transmission after contracting the disease from a classmate who fell ill upon returning from a family holiday to the United States.
Two teenagers, one in Melbourne and another in Adelaide, were also diagnosed with the virus without having travelled overseas or come into contact with an identified case, prompting Canberra to escalate its pandemic management plan.
Health Minister Nicola Roxon said the shift to the 'containment' phase gave the government greater scope to try to control the spread of the disease.
'It provides us with flexibility for social distancing measures such as school closures, which we have already seen in South Australia and Victoria,' Ms Roxon said. 'The contained phase is not the top phase. There are three more levels after that.'
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