Search This Blog

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Death toll climbs as swine-flu outbreak threatens Chilean festival

Via The Santiago Times, excerpt :

" Fifteen casualties, fears of more than 300 infected with the A/H1N1 swine-flu virus and battle lines drawn as health authorities look to postpone religious festival. 

swine-flu outbreak in the Tarapacá Region and surrounding areas of northern Chile has now claimed a dozen lives. Meanwhile, hundreds have taken to the streets to protest calls by the Medical Association to cancel the northern Chile’s most important religious festival – a move aimed at halting the spread of infection. 

La Fiesta de La Tirana, which is scheduled to take place July 16, is the country’s largest religious gathering, usually attracting over 200,000 visitors to the town of La Tirana in the Tarapacá Region. 

La Tirana was cancelled in 2009 due to an outbreak of the same virus."

No comments:

Post a Comment