Seventh H1N1 Flu Case Reported in Burma

Burma has confirmed a seventh case of H1N1 flu after a man tested positive for the virus on Tuesday.

State media reported that a man, 25, who returned from Thailand on Thai Airways Flight TG305 on July 16, was found ill and transferred from his township health department to Waibagi Specialist Hospital on Saturday.

“A blood sample from the patient tested positive for the new influenza H1/N1 flu virus at the National Health Laboratory,” the state media reported.

Six family members living with the patient are being kept home in quarantine, the report said, while 244 passengers on the same flight are under surveillance.

A total of seven persons have been infected with the virus to date. Four have been discharged from hospital after recovering, and three remain under treatment.

“A total of 96 new influenza (H1/N1) virus suspects were examined at the National Health Laboratory, and seven were found to be infected with the virus,” state media reported.

A drug seller from Mingalar market told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that: “The demand for masks is very low. Chinese ones only cost around 30 kyat [US $.03 cents], others are 40 kyat.

Initially prices reached as high as 250 kyat for one mask when the disease first broke out, but now it seems people don’t care about swine flu because only a few are wearing masks.”

The first case of new flu A/H1N1 in Burma was confirmed on June 27, when a 13-year-old girl with symptoms was tested positive after returning from Singapore.

A student from Rangoon said: “I understand swine flu, and I am not afraid of it. I see most people don’t wear masks now.”

Worldwide, swine flu has caused 816 deaths, according to data published on Monday by the World Health Organization.

Overall, 134,503 cases of infection have been reported to the WHO. But the UN health agency added that since countries are no longer required to test and report individual cases, the figure reported "understates" the actual number.

irrawaddy