MALE STUDENT MALAYSIA'S FIRST INFLUENZA A(H1N1) CASE

KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 (Bernama) -- Following the confirmation of the first
influenza A(H1N1) case in Malaysia, all passengers on Malaysia Airlines flight
MH091 from Newark, United States which arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International
Airport on Wednesday (May 13), are advised to contact the Health Ministry.

Director-general of Health Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said they should call the
ministry at 03-88810200 or 03-88810300 for follow-up action.

He said Malaysia's first influenza A(H1N1) case involved a 21-year-old male
student who returned from the United States two days ago and started having
fever, sore throat and body aches Thursday, and was admitted to Sungai Buloh
Hospital at 6.45pm the same day.

"He has been given anti-viral treatment and is in stable condition," Dr Mohd
Ismail said in a statement Friday.

Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai, who was in transit in London enroute to
Geneva to attend the World Health Organisation (WHO) General Assembly, had
earlier confirmed to Bernama the case.

Dr Mohd Ismail said the ministry had taken preventive and control measures,
including contact investigation into the case and informing the student's family
about his H1N1 infection and his contact history with the passengers and crew
members on the same flight.

He said the public should not be unduly worried about the influenza A(H1N1)
situation in the country.
T
he Health Ministry with the cooperation of all the relevant agencies were
intensifying monitoring to ensure proactive measures were taken to safeguard the
health of the people, he added.

The ministry is asking all clinics and private hospitals to be alert and to
refer immediately all cases involving those who have just returned from
countries affected by the influenza A(H1N1) outbreak and having any of the
symptoms such as coughing, having breathing difficulty, body aches, headache and
sore throat, to the referral hospitals.

Up to midnight on May 14, besides the one confirmed positive case, the
ministry had been notified that six people were admitted to the isolation ward
of Sungai Buloh Hospital for investigation and observation, two to Tuanku
Ja'afar Hospital in southern city of Seremban, and one each to Raja Permaisuri
Bainun Hospital in northern city of Ipoh, northern Penang Hospital and Raja
Perempuan Zainab II Hospital in northeast city of Kota Baharu,
Kelantan.

"All cases show symptoms similar to that of influenza and had visited
countries affected by the influenza A(H1N1) outbreak. Clinical samples from all
the patients were sent to the Institute of Medical Research for tests which were
found to be negative," Dr Mohd Ismail said.

He said so far, 20 thermal scanners had been installed at the country's
entry/exit points and 9,324 passengers returning from affected countries were
screened Thursday.

However, none of the cases was referred to the hospital for investigation.

Until Thursday, the number of passengers screened at all the country's
international airports had reached 82,236.

Up to 8am Friday, WHO announced that another country, Belgium, had reported
one influenza A(H1N1) case, bringing the number of affected countries to 34.

The number of confirmed cases worldwide has reached 7,457, following an
increase of 1,378 cases from the previous count.

Two more deaths were reported in Mexico, bringing the total number in that
country to 65.

WHO's warning on the pandemic is still at Phase 5 since April 29, and it has
not proposed trade and travel restrictions or closure of borders by any country
to stop the spread of the disease.
-- BERNAMA