Swine flu wave set to hit the country

The swine flu pandemic is still likely to reach Switzerland by the end of the year despite signs that the infection rate has peaked in parts of the southern hemisphere.

The Federal Health Office said neighbouring Germany and Italy had reported a massive increase in new cases of the A/H1N1 virus over the past few days.

“We expect another increase in cases in Switzerland in the weeks to come,” Patrick Mathys, a health official, told a news conference on Tuesday.

To date, there are 535 confirmed cases in Switzerland, mostly imported by people who returned from trips abroad. Four of them had to be hospitalized because of complications after childbirth and for respiratory conditions. However, the overwhelming majority have been mild cases.

Swiss pharmaceuticals firm Novartis announced on Wednesday it had begun the first human trials of its A/H1N1 flu vaccine, testing safety and whether one or two shots are necessary.

Novartis spokesman Eric Althoff said the company expected to start shipping the vaccine in the last quarter of 2009.

Preparations are continuing between the authorities, doctors and pharmacists to try and limit the impact of the pandemic in Switzerland.

Worldwide, an estimated 160,000 people have been infected with the virus and about 1,200 have died since the first outbreak in Mexico, in April.

Urs Geiser, swissinfo.ch