Man in 40s suspected of new flu infection+

TOKYO, Japan, May 6 Kyodo - A man in his 40s from Nagoya emerged Wednesday as having been possibly infected with a new strain of influenza that is feared to be developing into a global pandemic, while six other people previously suspected have been confirmed as
not infected with the new flu.

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said the man, who returned to Japan from
Los Angeles on Monday, tested positive for influenza A in a preliminary test
after having a fever while staying in Tokyo. A second test is being conducted
by a Tokyo health institution to determine if he has been infected with the
H1N1 subtype of influenza A.
Tokushima Prefecture said the results of a second test on a woman in her 20s
from the prefecture showed that she is not infected with any influenza virus.
She returned from the United States on Monday and had a fever and other
flu-like symptoms.
Meanwhile, the health ministry said five other people suspected of being
infected with influenza A (H1N1) upon arrival in Japan from the United States
or Mexico have been confirmed as not infected with the new flu.
The five are a 14-year-old girl from Aichi Prefecture, an elementary schoolgirl
from Kyoto City, a woman in her 30s and her child who live in Chicago and are
currently staying in Gunma Prefecture, and a girl from Kyoto Prefecture.
They were either found to be infected with type-A Hong Kong flu, group A
hemolytic streptococcus or not infected with any influenza virus, according to
the ministry.
No cases of the new flu have been confirmed in Japan, although there have been
several cases in which patients tested positive for the influenza A virus but
the strain was not the same as the new flu.
==Kyodo