THE Cuban people gathered in plazas and avenues throughout the country to celebrate May Day without the slightest fear of being infected with Influenza A (H1N1). At the close of this edition, Cuba has been able to remain beyond the reach of the epidemic thanks to rigorous measures taken by authorities.

"Luckily, our country is tranquil, with stability, and there is nothing to keep us Cubans from carrying out our activities for this great commemoration of the workers,’ Doctor Luis Estruch, deputy minister of public health for hygiene, epidemiology and microbiology, stated at the end of a special "Roundtable" TV/radio program on the issue on April 30.

Nevertheless, Estruch once again called on citizens to strictly observe the instructions and health regulations that have been indicated.

Noting that the World Health Organization had increased its alert level for pandemic risk to five on a scale of six, Estruch said that we were facing a very serious problem on a global scale, with as yet unpredictable consequences.

Referring to the measures that Cuba has adopted, he affirmed, "We are very strong as a nation because of our social system and the unwavering political will of health being a top-priority task. The lives of human beings are more important than any riches. And that has given the country a strength in the development of its health system, in the organization of its people and in the stability of public health."

As an example, he noted that in Cuba, 11 contagious diseases have been eliminated and five others are in the control phase.

The Cuban government has been intensively taking measures of maximum priority. "Our people need to be informed about the gravity of the problem, but also to be tranquil, because they have their Party, their health institutions and the Civil Defense acting in an organized way. It is a very dangerous context, one of much world tension, but one where our country has strengths for preventing and dealing with any contingency."

The "Roundtable" panel also included doctors Alina Llop, deputy director of the Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK); Manuel Santín, national director of epidemiology at the Ministry of Public Health; José Ernesto Betancourt, chief of the Risk Prevention Department of the Civil Defense National General Staff; and Ernesto Vicente Peña, a level-two specialist in internal medicine at the Calixto García University Hospital.

Dr. Llop gave her assessment of increasingly more abundant and frequent "pathogenic agents." According to an analysis by experts, it is known that 60% of known infectious diseases are common to humans and animals. From 1980 to date, there has been an incidence of 35 appearances of unknown diseases, the equivalent of one every eight months.

She gave a detailed explanation of virus structures, particularly influenza, which change constantly and can "regroup"; in other words, change their genes, with a new virus emerging.

According to prevailing theories that have not yet been clarified, this virus is different from the seasonal Influenza H1N1 virus in human beings, which has been circulating throughout the world in recent years and contains DNA (genetic material) from human, porcine and avian viruses.

Llop confirmed that Cuba has the trained personnel and most advanced technology for a reliable diagnosis of this new virus.

Dr. Santín, for his part, emphasized that the most important thing was increasing personal and collective hygiene, which means we need to be systematic, rigorous and disciplined.

Betancourt explained that the leadership system of the Civil Defense National General Staff had been activated to follow the measures issued, in coordination with the Ministry of Public Health, for prevention and protection from the disease in the country.

The situation is being evaluated daily with the top level of representation from government agencies involved, he said, assuring that Cuba is in a "superior" position for dealing with a situation of this kind, given the training and organization level achieved.

Dr. José Ramón Balaguer, minister of public health and member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Cuba, was also present at the "Roundtable."

In later statements to Granma, Dr. Estruch said that throughout the island, the Ministry of Public Health was working on an active epidemiological search of cases suspected of having Influenza A (H1N1), basically focused on Cuban or other travelers who entered the country from Mexico in the last 15 days. Moreover, those who subsequently enter Cuba from Mexico are to be monitored epidemiologically for two weeks after their arrival.

According to lists provided by immigration authorities, these travelers are being visited by specialized personnel in their hotels or other accommodations, to determine whether they were presenting any of the principal "flu" symptoms, such as high fever, headaches and aching muscles, eye irritation, nasal secretion or vomiting.

"That is our fundamental shield today to prevent the epidemic from entering as far as possible," stated the deputy minister. He reiterated the call for citizen responsibility, asking individuals showing signs of the flu who have been in contact with travelers from Mexico in recent weeks to go voluntarily to their closest polyclinic or hygiene and epidemiological center to be seen by specialists and have the appropriate medical exams and lab tests. If considered necessary, they would also have a molecular biology diagnosis.

Cuba’s healthcare system in each province has organized hospital admission areas with units for children and adults suspected of having the virus, with the purpose of giving them the best-qualified attention.