Health Ministry officials announced Friday that there are no longer any known cases of swine flu in Israel. The two men who were known to be suffering from the flu have recovered, and a woman and child suspected of carrying the illness do not suffer from swine flu, doctors found.
One woman was hospitalized in isolation with possible swine flu on Friday after complaining that she became ill after coming in contact with a man who recently returned from Mexico. The woman was released to her house later in the day after doctors found that she does not have a fever, one of the flu's main symptoms.
Doctors and security officials remain concerned over the potential for a “second wave” of infection. Some flu epidemics, including global flu outbreaks in 1918 and 1957, have been most dangerous during a second outbreak.
On Thursday, health officials revealed several new steps being taken to reduce the chances of a large-scale swine flu outbreak in Israel. Among other things, doctors are to be stationed at border crossings, and a clinic has been opened in Ben Gurion International airport, in order to perform quick checks on passengers returning from Mexico, where the flu epidemic has hit the hardest.
Passengers returning from Mexico who suffer flu-like symptoms will be hospitalized, and if they refuse, they will be hospitalized forcibly.
The Health Ministry is building its stockpile of medicines and flu vaccines in case of a large-scale outbreak. Israel has one of the world's highest vaccine to population ratios, and hopes to reach the point of having medicine and vaccines available for one-third of the population.