No need to panic over H1N1 influenza outbreak in Garden Route

The Western Cape Health Department on Friday said there was no reason to panic following reports of an outbreak of H1N1 swine flu in the Southern Cape, where more than 20 people are being treated in George. 

Doctors reportedly so far treated mostly children under the age of two and people with a weakened immune system.

The Department said that this particular H1-N1 strain should not be confused with the more serious AH1-N1 form of swine flu and that the H1N1 flu had been part of the seasonal flu strain since 2012.

“The public should not be alarmed. It is now part of our seasonal strain of flu that we get the vaccines available as for normal flu as well as for the swine flu.

"There is medication available in cases where swine flu is detected those people will be prescribed an antiviral agent to combat this type of flu so it's not something people should be alarmed of,” Provincial Health Department Spokesperson, Mark van der Heever, told the SABC.