This Little Piggy Went to North Africa

It's been interesting to see how some other countries are dealing with swine flu. On the flight from MSP to Paris, all the passengers had to fill out a one-page questionnaire. I can't really tell you much about its content, other than that even in an Ambien- and jet-lag-induced stupor, it didn't seem complicated. I think it just asked for my name, flight number, and home and destination addresses. Or something. I filled it out and gave it back to the flight attendant, and my former homeland welcomed me with yummy yogurt.

Then I flew to North Africa. The lines for passport control kept shifting, and after waiting in line for about 45 minutes (at the end of 18 hours of tiring travel), I was somehow the very last person in my line. The immigration officer looked through my U.S. passport and asked where it had been issued. "Paris," I replied (I'd had it renewed at the U.S. consulate while I was living there). She immediately exited her booth and told me to follow her. Back to the "special" offices where they take the hardened criminals and other undesirables who are about to immediately be shipped out of the country. "Is there a problem?" I asked nervously. "No, you just need to talk to someone." Not at all reassuring.

Then she took me to the office marked "Public Health" and told me to sit down, and a couple of men in white lab coats told me that they wanted to give me some information about swine flu. They took my passport from the immigration officer, added my name to a list, and asked why I was in North Africa and where I would be staying while I was there. It seemed prudent to mention that I was working to help the People of North Africa, in conjunction with the Powers That Be in their country. They gave me a leaflet and my passport and let me go. As I was leaving, I noticed that each of the people who were at the end of the immigration lines was being brought to the health office--apparently the officers were too lazy to do it until the crowds were through.

The leaflet about swine flu contains entertaining translations such as "This is a new type of influenza . . . witch was first detected in people in Mexico" and "Protecting measures to ovoid getting or spreading the influenza . . .". At the end, it explains that if you're sick, you should stay home and seek medical care. It gives a couple of phone numbers to call during business hours, and then gives the cell phone numbers of five public health doctors to use after hours. The following morning (less than 24 hours after I'd arrived), I got a call at the hotel from the office of public health to ask if I was feeling okay or had a fever. Wow.

I mentioned this to one of my Corporation co-workers, who lives here, and she said that the Top Guy in North Africa is interested in swine flu, and that's driving all the activity.

It's interesting that a country which--to the best of my knowledge--has had no incidence of this disease is taking it so seriously, but I have kind of wanted to ask them if their public health officials don't have anything better to do with their time. Infant mortality? Child malnutrition? Nah, let's look for sneezing tourists!