The New Flu in Japan

More than 200 people have been infected with the new flu in Japan.

When I heard an outbreak of the flu in Mexico, it was called "buta influenza." Buta means "pig" in Japanese. After a while, it has come to be called "shingata influenza," which is "new style," or "new" influenza. I wonder if to avoid a rumor related to pig and pork. We generally do not call in the H1N1 virus in Western countries.

After high school students in the Kansai region were confirmed infected with the new flu, about 2,500 schools in the area have been closed for 5 to 7 days.

On May 9, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry announced three persons including two high school students returning from Canada after their arrival at the Narita International Airport were infected with new flu. This was the first case in Japan.

There is no correlation between the first infected persons and Kansai-region-high school students. However, I pay attention to students, or youths.

Every morning, my daughter and son take their temperatures, fill out the numbers on check forms, and take them to their school. School teachers collect, check the forms and return to children.

If there is a student with a high temperature, a school is supposed to report to a local government's board of education in order to take necessary measures rapidly. The local government where I live decided to do in each public school.

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