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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