S. Korea confirms 19 new flu cases

SEOUL, July 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's health authorities said Thursday that
they have confirmed an additional 19 cases of type-A influenza, raising the total
number of new flu infections here to 1,022.

The patients, including seven elementary school students in the southern port
city of Busan, tested positive for the H1N1 virus, according to the Ministry for
Health, Welfare and Family Affairs.
The students attend the same elementary school in Busan where a total of 56
people have been confirmed to be infected with the virus. They are suspected of
having contracted the disease through person-to-percent contact, the ministry
said.
South Korea has been relatively insulated from the global pandemic, which has
claimed hundreds of lives since the disease was first identified in April. No
deaths have been reported here in connection with the disease.
But fears are growing over the increasing number of local cases in which
infection routes cannot be verified.
As of Thursday, 132 people remained in isolation for treatment at
state-designated hospitals with 233 more in their homes, the ministry said. The
other confirmed and suspected patients -- more than half of whom are inbound
travelers -- have been cured after being treated with antibiotics,
On Tuesday, the ministry upgraded its disease alert level by one notch to the
second-highest, calling for cities and provinces to run emergency and disease
control systems around the clock.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
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