S. Korea confirms 41 more flu cases

SEOUL, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's health authorities Sunday said they have
confirmed an additional 44 cases of influenza A, raising the total infection
tally here to 1,466.
The new patients, including three Army troops in Gyeonggi Province, tested
positive for the H1N1 virus, according to the Ministry for Health, Welfare and
Family Affairs. This follows reports that five soldiers in Busan and Gangwon
Province were infected with the virus the day before.
"The soldiers may have contracted the virus while on leave, although the exact
cause needs to be ascertained through careful examination," a official said. He
added that there is a good chance that type A influenza has started to spread
person-to-person within many local communities.
In addition to the troops, several high school students from two schools that had
reported earlier cases were also found to have contracted the disease.
As of Sunday morning, a total of 385 people remained in isolation at
state-designated hospitals or were confined their homes. All other patients have
recovered fully after receiving antibiotics.
South Korea has been relatively insulated from the contagious disease, which has
claimed the lives of hundreds of people worldwide since it was first reported in
April. No flu-related deaths have been confirmed here.
The government is intensifying efforts to brace for widespread infection, and
recently upgraded its disease alert status to the second-highest level. It has
also advised people to be cautious when traveling abroad in countries where the
disease has been more widespread.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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