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6 theSun | FRIDAY JUNE 12 2009

news without borders

Jitters over
‘localised’
infections
Flu pandemic committee ZA
A(H1N1)

to be activated

INFLUEN

HO
TLINE
HONGKONG: Authorities yesterday
ordered primary schools here to be
closed for two weeks after the first

03

00
-8
cluster of local swine flu cases was 881 /3
0200
found.
The move came after 12 pupils at a KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Min- 69 after an outbreak of the H3N2 viral which transitted in Singapore.
secondary school were infected with istry will activate the inter-ministe- strain, which orignated in Hongkong, She complained of fever on
the A(H1N1) virus, said chief execu- rial Influenza pandemic committee and went on to kill at least a million Tuesday and was warded at the
tive Donald Tsang. that coordinates all efforts to prevent people worldwide. Penang Hospital on Wednesday.
He said authorities were unable
to identify the source of the infection,
the outbreak of the A(H1N1) in the
country, Health Minister Datuk Seri
Ordinary flu kills about 250,000 to
500,000 people a year.
She was confirmed Influenza
A(H1N1) positive yesterday morn- Virus not
making it the first “cluster” of human
swine flu cases in the city without
a known link to those travelling
Liow Tiong Lai said.
He said action would be taken
following the declaration by the
Malaysia confirmed another two
new influenza A(H1N1) cases yester-
day, bringing the total so far to 11.
ing.
Liow said both patients were be-
ing treated at the respective hospitals
stoppable
overseas. World Health Organisation (WHO) Liow said the latest cases involved and were in stable condition. » From Front Page
The latest move came more than last night, which indicated that the two Malaysian women who returned Although no deaths have been
a month after Hongkong officials A(H1N1) was now a global pandemic from Manila and Melbourne on June reported, the latest cases raised heavily hit countries – Australia, Britain,
confirmed Asia’s first case of the following an emergency meeting at 6 and June 9. grave concerns that the consistently Canada, Chile, Japan, Mexico, Spain
A(H1N1) virus, sparking the week- the world health body’s headquarters The 10th case, he said, was a increasing number of imported cases and the US – that the virus is spread-
long quarantine of around 300 guests in Geneva last night. 17-year-old student who visited her would lead to local transmission, he ing in a sustained way in communities,
and staff at a city hotel. “Following the decision by WHO family in Melbourne from June 7 to told reporters. according to Chan (pix).
The city is very nervous about that raised the alert level from phase 9. She returned to Kuala Lumpur on He said the ministry had also “Collectively, looking at that, we are
infectious diseases following the 5 to 6, the government has to increase Tuesday on MAS flight MH148. taken more stringent measures at satisfied that this virus is spreading to
outbreak of the SARS virus in 2003, our level of preparedness. She was warded at the Sungai the country’s entry and exit points, a number of a countries and it is not
which killed 300 people here and a “We are initiating an inter-min- Buloh Hospital after showing symp- including immediate quarantine at stoppable,” she said.
“Moving to pandemic phase six
further 500 around the world after isterial influenza pandemic com- toms of the virus and was confirmed the hospitals for those who showed
level does not imply we will see an
one carrier spread the disease in a mittee which I will chair,” he told positive for influenza A(H1N1) on symptoms of the influenza. increase in the number of deaths or
Hongkong hotel. Bernama. Wednesday evening. Apart from screening passengers very severe cases.
There have been around 50 According to the WHO website, The 11th patient was a 41-year-old who arrived by air from affected “Quite on the contrary. Many people
confirmed cases of human swine flu this is the first time the body has de- woman from Seberang Jaya, Penang, countries, health officials had also are having mild disease, they recover
infection in Hongkong, but all the clared a global influenza pandemic who went to Manila on May 31 and taken throat swabs of passengers without medicines in some cases and
previous cases caught the virus while in the last 40 years. returned to Penang last Saturday who arrived from other countries. it is good news.”
travelling abroad. – AFP The last flu pandemic was in 1968- on Singapore Airlines flight SQ192, – Bernama The WHO recommended drugmak-
ers stay on track to complete produc-
tion of seasonal influenza vaccine for

Jawi assemblyman the northern hemisphere’s next winter


in the next two weeks. Each year, nor-
mal flu kills up to 500,000 people and
infects millions.
offers to resign Seasonal flu affects mainly elderly,
and causes severe illness in millions,
so a premature switch in vaccine pro-
by Opalyn Mok the Chin Chee Kok Charitable duction to cope with the new strain
newsdesk@thesundaily.com Association had applied for an could put many people at risk.
allocation of RM2,000 to supply “So our recommendation is they
GEORGE TOWN: Jawi state electrical goods for the associa- need to finish the seasonal vaccine and
assemblyman Tan Beng Huat, tion in August last year. then move over. That is pretty good in
who has been accused of mis- “I approved the application terms of dove-tailing the production of
appropriating funds, has handed and handed it over to my clerk the two types of vaccine. So I think that
in an undated resignation letter to pass it to the district office for this may just work out,” Chan said.
to DAP. implementation,” he said. David Heymann, a former WHO
“I am offering to resign from He said he had nothing to official now chairing Britain’s Health
all my posts if I am found guilty do with the matter until the Protection Agency, told Reuters before
by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption association complained to him the announcement: “During phase 5,
Commission (MACC),” Tan told that the electrical goods they the government and people in the UK
a press conference at the DAP received cost less than the al- have had the time to prepare for a pan-
headquarters here yesterday. located sum. demic – this has hopefully decreased
Tan said he will leave his fate “I then contacted the district any surprise and concern that might
to the party leaders and hoped office and was told they had be associated with a WHO announce-
they will conduct a thorough sent an air-conditioning unit to ment of phase 6.”
investigation into the issue to the association and I assumed As it spreads in humans, science
be fair to him. the issue was resolved until the cannot predict what course the virus
“MACC officers interviewed matter was brought up by Teh in will take, the disease it causes and
me regarding these allegations the media,” he said. the age groups infected, Heymann
Loanshark about two weeks ago and I Earlier, Penang Chief Minister said. “The severity of that disease, the
link to told them whatever I know,” he Lim Guan Eng, who is also DAP effectiveness of antiviral drugs and
secretary-general, said Teh did the stability of the virus must all be
money said.
not inform him or DAP state watched closely.”
Tan said he did not under-
laundering stand the motive behind the chairman Chow Kon Yeow of the A pandemic could cause enormous
pg 10 issue and they only read about it disruption to business as workers stay
allegations hurled at him by DAP
in the media. home because they are sick or to look
Nibong Tebal division chief Teh
“Teh did not submit any after family members and authorities
Hock Yong.
complaint on this issue to me restrict gatherings of large numbers
“Once my innocence is of people or movement of people or
proven, I will take legal action or to Chow. However, the state
goods.
against Teh and the newspapers government will not cover up
Communicating information about
that played up the issue,” he any wrong-doing,” he told a
potential risk during a pandemic is very
said. press conference.
complex and a “huge challenge in the
He welcomed the investiga- “I have instructed the state face of scientific uncertainty”, Chan
tions by MACC, saying he has financial officer to investigate said.
not done anything wrong. the issue and submit a report to “But the tendency to move into
Explaining the case, Tan said me,” he added. complacency is our biggest concern.
Because we need to continue to moni-
tor this virus, follow its tracks and do
Parachute fails, commando killed not allow it to come back in the second
wave to give us more trouble.”
KULIM: An army commando was killed when his parachute failed
Widespread transmission of the
to open during a training exercise at Kampung Padang Meiha, virus in Victoria, Australia, signalling
Sungai Karangan, near here yesterday. that it is entrenched in another region
Kulim district police chief Supt Ghuzlan Salleh said Amin Che besides North America, was one of the
Ros, 27, who was the last jumper, died on the way to the Kulim key triggers for moving to phase 6.
district hospital. Five people have been admitted to
Amin was among 67 members from the army commando intensive care in Australia and more
camp in Mersing, Johor, undergoing training at Kampung Padang than 1,000 cases confirmed following
Meiha. widespread testing in the state.
“Amin’s parachute is believed to have failed to open after he The new strain can be treated by
had jumped from a height of about 1,000m,” Ghuzlan said. antiviral drugs oseltamivir, the generic
Amin, from Kampung Permatang Berangan, Tasik Gelugor, Se- name of Roche Holding’s Tamiflu tab-
berang Perai, leaves wife, Rozita Othman, 25, and two children – a lets, and Relenza, a spray made by
three-year-old daughter and a five-year-old son. – Bernama GlaxoSmithKline. – Reuters

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