# 3947
A look at my Internet traffic logs shows that I’m getting a surprising number of visitors from the Ukraine and surrounding areas. Literally dozens each day, making the Ukraine the 5th most common country hitting this blog yesterday.
First, let me say `welcome’ to these new readers.
Below I’ve a roundup of some of today’s media reports coming out of the Ukraine. They come from a variety of sources, and are about what you’d expect from a large and serious outbreak of influenza.
There is no indication that any of the wilder, more bizarre rumors and stories currently spreading online and in the media have any validity.
I will try to provide a roundup of credible news stories once or twice a day as long as this crisis persists. All news stories, whatever the source, should be accepted with a certain degree of caution.
Readers may also wish to follow FluTrackers Ukraine Outbreak Thread, where newshounds have posted more than 300 entries in the past few days.
Fair warning: Many of these reports are `raw’ stories, and must be viewed as unverified.
The first two reports come from the Kyiv Post.
Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko wearing a face mask on Nov. 3 during a trip to Ivano-Frankivsk.
Swine flu reaches Kyiv
Today at 12:35 | Staff reportsPrime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko on Nov. 4 said the Heath Ministry has recorded the first swine flu related death in Kyiv obast.
She made the announcement during a closed-circuit video conference with the heads of the country’s regional administrations, during which Kyiv region governor Victor Vakarash reported that two people from villages south of the capital were recently hospitalized with flu-like symptoms.
"I've just received a report from the health minister confirming the death of a man from California flu [A(H1N1) flu virus]," Tymoshenko said.
One emergency health worker in Kyiv told the Post on Nov. 4 that at least two Kyiv residents have died from the swine flu and another 90 are sick with flu-like illnesses.
European Union ready to help Ukraine cope with flu outbreak
Today at 14:13 | Associated PressBRUSSELS — The European Union says it is coordinating closely with health experts in Ukraine to help it cope with a suspected swine flu outbreak.
EU spokeswoman Nina Papadoulaki says the EU is "following very closely" the spread of the flu virus in Ukraine, which neighbors the 27-nation bloc.
She said Wednesday many EU member states are ready to provide logistical and medical support to Ukrainian authorities. Austria, Hungary, and Slovenia have already said they will send disinfectants, vaccines and respirators to help Ukraine.
The World Health Organization fears most cases in Ukraine are due to the H1N1 swine flu virus.
This next report is a machine translation of an article from RIA Novosti, found and posted by Dutchy on FluTrackers.
The number of flu victims in Ukraine has reached 87 people
14:39 04/11/2009
KIEV, November 4th - RIA Novosti, Alain Мейта.
The number of victims of influenza and SARS in Ukraine has increased to 87 people, said on Wednesday afternoon Ukrainian "The fifth channel.
On Wednesday morning, reported 81 dead.
"According to recent data, the disease took the life of 87-mi people" - television reported.
In particular, the new deaths recorded in the Lviv region, where a total of 40 people died. Also, a new death recorded in Ivano-Frankivsk region, where only 15 people died.
Even on Tuesday reported 71 deaths from flu.
Last week Ukraine was declared an epidemic of influenza, which is basically to cover the western regions of the country.
Quarantine announced in the nine western areas across the country banned mass activities.
This week, Poland in the European Union presidency called on Sweden to convene an emergency meeting of health ministers of 27 EU to take urgent measures to help Ukraine in connection with the point made in its territory flu epidemic.
According to the Brussels station "Contact", a letter from the relevant request to the Prime Minister of Sweden Frederik Reinfeldt Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
And from ISRIA, a report suggesting that the quarantine measures already in place in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Zakarpattia, Chernivtsi, Rivne, Volyn, Khmelnytsky and Vinnytsia regions of Ukraine may soon be extended to 10 more oblasts (administrative regions).
A hat tip to Legadillo on FluTrackers for this item.
Ukraine - 10 more oblasts should prepare for quarantine
"The regions that are approaching the epidemic threshold and where we need to take precautionary measures to fight off an epidemic are: Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Luhansk, Odesa, Poltava, Sumy and Chernihiv," Yulia Tymoshenko said.
