LOC11:47
08:47 GMT
PARIS, Sept 8 (KUNA) -- The rapidly-spreading A(H1N1) virus, commonly known
as swine flu, is more rapidly spreading through France than officially thought
and tens of thousands of people are catching the virus each month, media and
health sources said Tuesday.
The Health Ministry officially admits that around 3,000 cases of swine flu
are occurring each week but this is far lower than estimates made by the GROG,
regional monitoring agency, which says the weekly average for contamination is
20,000 and more.
The French News Agency quoted GROG Director Jean-Marie Cohen as telling
reporters later Monday in Switzerland that in France "on average we have up to
20,000 cases a week."
He said that the figure rose as high as 23,000 at the end of August and
that in the space of one month from July 27 to August 31, there were 71,800
cases of the potentially fatal virus.
Only three people have died on mainland France from swine flu and 12 others
have lost their lives to the virus in outlying former French colonies, but the
pandemic has just started to effect schools here and several classes were
closed Monday under the rule that more than three cases will bring about
immediate closure.
GROG said that it had a margin of error of around 20 percent but that it
was convinced its figures were close to reality and it seems they are much
more alarming than the official figures. Nonetheless, the Health Ministry did
increase its estimates to 5,000 cases for the last week in August, up from the
usual 3,000. (end) jk.aj
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