ID :
62021
Sat, 05/23/2009 - 22:57
Auther :

(3rd LD) S. Korea confirms American infected with new flu: gov`t

(ATTN: UPDATES with details in paras 5-6)
SEOUL, May 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korean health authorities confirmed Saturday that
an American living in the country has been infected with the new type-A influenza
virus, in the fifth such case here.
The 23-year-old American woman has been quarantined and is being examined at a
local hospital but appears to be in stable condition, Seoul's health ministry
said.
The woman, whose name was not disclosed, arrived in South Korea on May 16 to work
as an English teacher.
"We are currently working on finding out how she was infected with the virus and
tracking down the people she contacted during her stay in the country for other
possible infections," an official at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention said.
According to the health authorities, the woman came in contact with at least 70
people during a job training session, most of whom are foreign English teachers.
The center said it is tracking them down, hoping to stem the spread of the
disease. Among them, seven people are showing flu-like symptoms.
Since the H1N1 flu outbreak was reported in Mexico last month, the Seoul
government has been stepping up efforts to stem the spread by intensifying
monitoring of inbound travelers.
The South Korean government has now confirmed five cases of the new virus,
including three Koreans and one Vietnamese traveler.
According to the World Health Organization, Influenza A has claimed 66 lives in
Mexico and four in the United States, while 8,500 cases of H1NI virus infection
have been reported in 39 countries.
Meanwhile, three South Koreans who were quarantined in Shanghai have tested
negative for the virus and will soon return home, the Chinese government said.
hayney@yna.co.kr
(END)


X