SPECIAL MEETING ON FIRST LOCALLY TRANSMITTED INFLUENZA A(H1N1) CASE

KUCHING (Malaysia), June 18 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Najib Razak said a
special meeting would be held tomorrow to coordinate the efforts of 14
ministries in combatibng Influenza A(H1N1) following detection of the first
locally transmitted case.

Najib said the Cabinet had decided that Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin
Yassin chair the meeting. Among the ministries involved are the Health and
Education ministries.

"We don't want the people to panic but suitable preventive measures will be
discussed at the meeting Thursday," he told reporters after officially opening
the Hotel Four Points By Sheraton, here, Wednesday.

He said as of now, there was no directive to temporarily close schools, but
the people must be vigilante and avoid crowded places or countries at high-risk
of the viral disease.

Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai, who was present, said the locally
transmitted case, which was also the 19th Influenza A(H1N1) case recorded in the
country, was a 17-year-old Malaysian female student who had contact with the
12th case.

He said those infected with the H1N1 virus must immediately inform the
ministry of the people they had contact with, for the necessary measures to be
taken to contain the disease.

So far, 23 cases had been recorded nationwide, including the four "imported"
cases and one local case confirmed Wednesday.
-- BERNAMA