Influenza A (H1N1) Latest News Updates

last SG · 2009-04-30T00:09:04+00:00

Two year old dies after tested positive for H1N1SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH) is investigating the death of a two-year-old child who tested positiv...

QX179R SG

Four Singaporeans quarantined at Tibetan border

Four Singaporeans have been quarantined at the Nepal-Tibetan border after an Italian woman who was part of their tour group was found to be having a high fever.

This, after border checks for the H1N1 Flu Virus.

Melissa Tan, with more.

2 men and 2 women from Singapore had planned a graduation trip, trekking around Nepal and Tibet.

But last Saturday, as they were making their way across the Nepal-Tibetan border, their tour group of 24 was quarantined.

An Italian woman who was part of the tour group was found to be having a temperature of 38.5 degrees celsius.

She was immediately sent to the hospital, and the rest shuttled to a hotel.

The tour group, which is also made up of other nationalities including Americans, Japanese, Germans and Ukrainians, are currently being held quarantine at the Cai Yuan Bin Guan Hotel.

The group was hoping to be released from quarantine today when the suspected patient's blood test results were out.

But the test had proved inconclusive and the blood samples are now being sent to Beijing for further testing.

One of the Singaporeans who only wanted to be known as Mr Lim, said that they were not told how long this process is going to take.

"I don't know. But the maximum they can hold us here is for a week, cos that's when the incubation period for the flu virus will be over. So once 7 days is up, and none of us are found to be showing any symptoms of the flu, then we are free to go."

No one else has shown any signs or symptoms of the virus.

Mr Lim said that the hotel facilities are comfortable and they are being served Chinese food on metal trays.

But there is no Internet connection and their only form of contact is via their mobile phones.

"The four of us, who can understand Mandarin, we switch on the TV and try to watch some Chinese TV programme, the rest are basically bumming around. A Chinese official just came by and he wanted to move us to a new hotel, but over the past few days, they keep feeding us with the wrong information, either that or they don't give us any information. So all of us didn't want to move away from this hotel."

Mr Lim said that they have contacted their local tour agency and the Singapore embassy.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs told 938LIVE that they have been in touch with the Singaporeans, and have been rendering the necessary consular assistance.

The group's original plan was to be back in Singapore next Wednesday, but Mr Lim says, they have no idea where they will be headed when they are allowed to leave.

"Actually within this tour group, different people have different plans. Some people just want to go into China, some people want to fly back from Lhasa to Kathmandu. We are fine, because I think, even after 7 days, we have enough time to go back to Kathmandu to catch our flight back to Singapore".

--938Live

QX179R SG

Four S'poreans among tourists freed in Tibet after H1N1 flu ruled out

BEIJING - Over 20 foreign tourists including four Singaporeans - held in Tibet over fears an Italian woman with them had Influenza A (H1N1) - were freed after tests showed she was suffering from common influenza, Chinese officials said.

The 42-year-old Italian was quarantined in a hospital in Zhangmu town, near the border with Nepal, after crossing the border into China on Saturday with 23 other members of her tour group while suffering from a fever.

"A(H1N1) flu was excluded for the Italian tourist on the morning of May 20, she was diagnosed with seasonal flu, and the 23 other tourists have been released from quarantine," the health ministry said in a statement.

Members of the tour group were held for four days in a hotel in Zhangmu, delaying their trip, but they said they would still push on to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet and their destination.

"I have never appreciated my freedom more," Virginie De Araujo, part of the tour, told AFP.

"But we are still having to wait for an official ceremony when we would just like to continue our trip."

Anna Husarska, another traveller, said they still did not know if the Italian tourist had been released from hospital, and the health ministry made no mention in its statement of whether she had been let out.

More than 9,800 H1N1 flu cases have been confirmed in 40 countries and 79 people have died, according to the World Health Organization. China has reported four confirmed cases, but none of them has been fatal.

- AFP/ir

QX179R SG

Japan H1N1 flu cases top 200

Japan's confirmed H1N1 flu tally has risen to nearly 230, according to officials quoted by AFA news agency.

Most of the cases have been reported in Osaka and Hyogo prefectures.

The western commercial hub of Kobe in Hyogo remains the worst affected.

Among more than 30 new cases confirmed this morning, over 20 were reported in Kobe city.

But there's now one confirmed case outside Osaka and Hyogo.

Japanese authorities say a 23-year-old man from nearby Shiga Prefecture who visited Kobe city from Friday to Sunday, contracted the H1N1 virus.

They say he presented symptoms such as a fever and cough on Sunday evening, but he's recovering.

More than 4,400 schools, colleges and kindergartens in Osaka and Hyogo have been closed for the rest of the week to slow the spread of the virus.

Some neighbouring prefectures have also closed some schools.

The Japanese government has urged calm and reminded people that no one in the country has so far died of the disease and that most infections are mild.

--938Live

Dead_Man_Inc SG

i work at airport, interacting with passengers everyday, should i be more afraid?

QX179R SG

Australia reports second confirmed H1N1 flu case

Australia has recorded its second confirmed case of H1N1 flu.

A nine-year-old boy tested positive after returning to Melbourne from Los Angeles eight days ago.

Australian health authorities say the boy is recovering at home as he was not ill enough to be hospitalised.

--938Live

QX179R SG

Japan's H1N1 flu epidemic spreads to its capital Tokyo

Japan's H1N1 flu epidemic has spread to the capital Tokyo as a 16-year-old high school girl there tested positive for the virus.

Officials say the country's confirmed cases have toped 250.

The girl, who lives in the western suburb of Hachioji, returned home from an eight-day trip to the US city of New York with her schoolmates yesterday.

Tokyo has almost 36 million people and is the world's most populous urban area.

Experts had predicted it was only a matter of time before the flu hit the capital area.

Authorities have closed more than 4,400 schools, colleges and kindergartens for the rest of the week to slow the spread of the virus.

The government has urged calm, reminding people that no one in Japan has so far died of the disease and that most infections are mild.

--938Live

Fantagf SG

The latest :

Taiwan - 1 case

QX179R SG

Global H1N1 flu crisis cases surpass 10,000 mark

The H1N1 flu crisis has escalated in Asia as the global caseload surged past the 10,000 mark.

The World Health Organization says the number of confirmed H1N1 flu cases now stands at 10,243 in 40 different countries.

The number of dead stands at 80.

Much of the increase comes from the United States, where authorities raised their number of cases by 346 to 5,469 cases in 47 states plus Washington's District of Columbia.

The number of infections in Mexico, rose by almost 100 in 24 hours to 3,660 as health authorities announced four new deaths.

--938Live

QX179R SG

Australia confirms four new cases of H1N1

Australia has confirmed four new cases of H1N1, with three brothers and another child diagnosed with the virus after returning from the United States.

The three brothers, aged nine, ten and twelve were diagnosed in the southern city of Melbourne, while the other child was in the state of New South Wales.

Australia has recorded five cases of H1N1 or Influenza A, including a woman diagnosed earlier in the month after she returned from Los Angeles.

The woman has since recovered.

--938Live

QX179R SG

Taiwan confirms second H1N1 flu case

Taiwan has reported its second H1N1 flu case, a 22-year-old Taiwanese woman who studies in New York and became sick in the United States.

The woman developed cold symptoms about a week ago and returned to Taiwan yesterday via Hong Kong, wearing a facemask while on the flight.

She is being treated at a hospital near the Taipei-area international airport.

Neighbouring China has confirmed four cases, while Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, has three.

--938Live

QX179R SG

H1N1 flu cases surpass 11,000 globally : WHO

The World Health Organisation has reported that the number of H1N1 flu cases has surpassed the 11,000 mark.

In its latest update, the WHO said there has been a rise of almost 800 in H1N1 flu infections and five new deaths.

The majority of the new cases recognised by the global body come from the four countries worst hit by the virus.

They are Mexico, the United States, Canada and Japan.

41 countries now have confirmed H1N1 flu cases.

Meanwhile,

WHO chief Margaret Chan has listed criteria that might prompt her to declare a flu pandemic, including the spread of H1N1 flu in the southern hemisphere.

Ms Chan said she would not hesitate to move to the top phase six of the pandemic alert system if it was appropriate.

But during a committee meeting of the WHO's annual assembly she also gave member states several key reasons why there was no reason to do so at the moment with the flu outbreak.

She said one of the things we're not seeing is the same spread in the southern hemisphere that had been seen in the first three countries.

The southern hemisphere is currently entering its standard influenza season, and health experts fear that the new H1N1 virus could mix with seasonal strains.

Ms Chan also pointed to the relative lack of severity of the virus, which so far has only matched seasonal flu in terms of its symptoms according to experts.

--938Live

QX179R SG

Philippines' first H1N1 patient improving

MANILA, Philippines – The condition of the 10-year-old Filipino girl who was found positive for Influenza A(H1N1) – the country’s first case of the dreaded disease — is improving, an official of the Department of Health (DOH) said today.

“She no longer has fever and cough, only sore throat,” said Dr. Eric Tayag, chief of DOH's National Epidemiology Center, in a press conference this morning.

The girl arrived in the country last May 18, and eventually developed fever, cough and sore throat the next day. She is reportedly currently confined in an “undisclosed health facility.”

--Philstar.com

QX179R SG

WHO warns of more serious H1N1 flu infections

World Health Organisation chief Margaret Chan has issued a warning that countries should be ready for more serious H1N1 flu infections and more deaths from the newly discovered virus.

However, she added WHO does not expect a dramatic jump in severe illness and deaths.

According to the WHO's latest tally, the strain has infected more than 11,000 people in 42 countries.

86 people have died of the virus.

In her closing remarks to the WHO's annual congress in Geneva, Dr Chan said countries in the developing world need to act quickly to improve their monitoring for the virus.

The virus has so far caused mainly mild symptoms in most patients so far but could cause more serious effects as it spreads.

Dr Chan stressed that in terms of preparedness, there is little real difference between the WHO's current pandemic alert level of 5 and the highest of 6.

She added she would consult experts before opting to raise the level again.

--938Live

the Bear SG

i am wondering.. when the world is raising their levels, why are we lowering ours?

QX179R SG

China confirms eighth case of H1N1 flu

A 21-month-old Chinese baby has been confirmed as China's eighth case of the H1N1 flu after testing positive for the virus in the country's southeast.

The girl flew with her parents to Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian province, from New York via Hong Kong on the 20th of May.

Her parents and the taxi driver who picked them up at the airport are under medical observation.

Of the 38 people who were near her in the plane from Hong Kong, 30 have already been found and the other eight had left the country.

The girl developed a high fever on the 21st of May and was quarantined in hospital.

She is now in a stable condition and her temperature had come back to normal.

More than 12,000 H1N1 flu infections and 86 deaths have been confirmed worldwide, according to the most recent World Health Organisation statistics.

--938Live

QX179R SG

H1N1 flu fears hit Australian schools

Australian school children returning from a range of countries affected by H1N1 flu will be asked to stay away from school for a week.

Parents whose children who have visited the United States, Canada, Japan, Mexico or Panama have been urged to keep them at home to help fight the spread of the virus.

Several other states, including New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia have made the same request since authorities raised the alert level over the transmission of the virus last week.

Eighteen people in Australia have been confirmed as having H1N1 flu, most of them in Victoria where eight of the state's 11 cases are school students.

Several schools have already been temporarily closed.

More than 12,000 H1N1 flu infections have been confirmed across 43 countries since the virus emerged in the Americas a month ago, according to World Health Organisation statistics.

--938Live

zaxis SG

Singapore confirms first case of H1N1

SINGAPORE: Singapore has confirmed its first case of Influenza A (H1N1).

The patient is currently being treated at the Communicable Disease Centre at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) and is in stable condition.

The patient is a 22-year-old Singaporean woman who was in New York from May 14-24. She arrived back in Singapore from New York on SQ25 on 26 May at 6.30am. She was seated at Row 55.

She began to develop a cough while onboard. She passed the thermal scanner uneventfully as she did not have fever then.

Later in the morning, she consulted a GP who decided to send her to TTSH via a 993 ambulance, given her travel history.

She was immediately admitted for testing. Laboratory confirmation of her infection was made by midnight of 26 May.

The patient has been vigilant in monitoring her own condition and had sought immediate medical attention once she realized that she was unwell.

Her attending GP, through his quick response in activating the 993 ambulance for the patient, had also helped to minimize the spread of infection from this case.

The Health Ministry says it has initiated contact tracing of her close contacts. They will be quarantined and provided with antiviral prophylaxis.

Passengers who had travelled in the same flight and were seated in rows 52 to 58 are urged to call the hotline at 1800-333 9999 to enable the MOH to check on their health condition.

The MOH adds that all medical practitioners and healthcare institutions should continue to be vigilant to suspect cases.

Singapore will continue with temperature screening for passengers entering Singapore at all checkpoints (land, sea and air).

All passengers passing through or entering Singapore are given Health Alert Notices on board their flights, advising them to monitor their own health if they have been to affected areas and to seek medical attention immediately if they are not well.

Singaporeans are reminded to maintain high standards of personal hygiene. This means covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you sneeze or cough, and washing your hand frequently with soap and water, especially after contact with respiratory secretions, for example, after sneezing and coughing.

Everyone also needs to be socially responsible. This means staying home and avoiding crowded places (including trains, buses, offices), putting on a surgical mask and seeing a doctor if you have flu symptoms.

MOH advises those who travelled to affected areas to closely monitor their health and seek treatment as soon as possible should they develop symptoms.

Members of the public are also advised to exercise caution over travel to affected areas.

In the event that travel is unavoidable, the public is advised to take precautionary measures such as avoiding crowded areas and maintaining high standards of personal hygiene at all times.

However, if you are unwell with fever and cough but have no travel history to affected areas, you are also advised to see a doctor and stay at home.

MOH is monitoring the situation closely and will update the public should there be any new developments.

For more information on Influenza A (H1N1-2009), you can access MOH's website at www.moh.gov.sg, call MOH's hotline at 1800-333 9999, or visit www.flu.gov.sg.

- CNA/ir

QX179R SG

No need to panic with first H1N1 case: Khaw

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan says the public should not panic after finding out about Singapore's first confirmed H1N1 case.

In addition, he said there was no need to raise the current alert level from Yellow to Orange, as the virus continues to be mild.

Mr Khaw was speaking to reporters at Parliament House earlier this afternoon.

Joanne Chan reports.

Singapore's first H1N1 case is a third year Business Management student from the Singapore Management University.

The 22-year-old was in New York with 19 other students and a faculty member for a school study trip.

On route home from New York to Singapore, the undergraduate developed a cough but no fever, and thus, passed through the thermal scanners at Changi Airport.

Later that morning, she consulted a GP who decided to send her to Tan Tock Seng Hospital via a 993 ambulance.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Khaw provided an update on the students.

"Coming back was herself, another classmate, and the professor, so three of them. Of course all three of them are now either in hospitals or being quarantined. The other 18 or so students are still in New York, so through SMU we are contacting them and give them the proper advisory which is to look after yourself and if you are unwell, don't board the plane and when you come back, similar advisory as well. "

In a statement, SMU said the faculty member and other student are both fine.

They are currently on home quarantine for a week and will monitor their health and conduct temperature checks twice a day.

The patient's maid was issued a home quarantine order, and is currently at Aloha Chalet.

Mr Khaw said the patient's family members are currently away and were not affected.

But the patient's boyfriend has also been warded at the Communicable Disease Centre as he picked her up at the airport.

Mr Khaw said the likelihood of the virus spreading in the community is small, as the patient didn't come into much contact with the public.

Meanwhile, the ministry is trying to contact the passengers who were sitting near the patient onboard SQ 25.

It's tracing about 60 passengers sitting three rows in front and behind the affected student.

Mr Khaw said those who landed in Singapore will be issued a home quarantine order.

For passengers who were in transit, the relevant airports will be alerted.

Mr Khaw added that there's no cause for alarm as Singapore has had time to prepare for this eventuality.

"We've been lucky in having these 5 weeks of no cases and the 5 weeks have been very useful. Because from public health point of view, to help us to gear up our systems. It certainly help those GPs who forgot to stock up their N95s. And more importantly, prepare the ground so I don't think Singaporeans should be alarmed or panicked now that we have the first case because I've been warning of this for some weeks now."

--938Live

charlize SG

At the rate this is going, I think the virus has got a high chance of mutating into something even more deadly.

Nobody seems to take it seriously.

No travel restrictions and all that to the US.

Chew Bakar SG

At the rate this is going, I think the virus has got a high chance of mutating into something even more deadly.

Nobody seems to take it seriously.

No travel restrictions and all that to the US.

After throwing trillions $ to salvage the US economy, the last thing Obama needs is a flu bug. If America shut down, all his effort will be wasted. That's what I think.

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