SECOND INFLUENZA A CASE CONFIRMED, IN PENANG

PUTRAJAYA, May 16 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry Saturday announced that
the country's second case of Influenza A (H1N1) has been detected in Penang as
the authorities continue to trace passengers of Wednesday's Malaysia Airlines
flight from Newark to Kuala Lumpur which had flown in the two flu-stricken
cases.

Deputy Director-General of Health Dr Ramlee Rahmat said the second case
was confirmed this morning and the patient, a friend of the first case who was
under quarantine at the Sungai Buloh Hospital in Selangor state, was under
treatment at the northern state of Penang Hospital.

"The patient is in stable condition and does not have any fever now," he
told a news conference at the ministry here.

Dr Ramlee said the patient's family was being quarantined at home for seven
days to ensure that they were free of the disease, and that they were reported
to be in stable condition.

He also said that the ministry had identified all the people who might have
come into contact with the two patients on board the flight, MH091, from Newark.

He said Flight MH091 had flown in to Kuala Lumpur 192 passengers and 15
crew, and that 119 of the passengers were still in the country, comprising 81
Malaysians and 38 foreigners.

"The other 73 passengers had taken onward flights to other countries on the
same day, May 13," he added.

Dr Ramlee said 35 passengers had contacted the ministry and that the
ministry had also circulated a list of the passengers in the country to all
state health departments for follow-up action.

He said three passengers on transit in Malaysia on May 13 had also been
quarantined at the Sungai Buloh Hospital for observation until May 20.

"It is unnecessary for the people to panic because the detection of fresh
cases only shows that the national health system is operating at the optimum
level," he said, adding that the ministry would take all necessary measures to
handle the situation.
-- BERNAMA