S. Korea confirms 5 more flu cases

(ATTN: UPDATES with additional outbreaks in headline, lead; ADDS details throughout)
SEOUL, June 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's health authorities said Saturday they
have confirmed five additional cases of Influenza A, raising the number of new
flu infections here to 61.
The patients include an 11-year-old Korean-Australian visiting his relatives
during his school vacation; a 47-old South Korean man who recently returned from
Dallas, Texas; and a 56-year-old Chinese man in transit en route to Guangzhou,
the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said in a statement.
The other two -- confirmed in late afternoon -- are a 7-year-old American boy who
returned from the United States earlier this week and a 19-year-old Australian
man who came from Hong Kong, the ministry added.
They all have been placed under observation at state-designated hospitals for
treatment after showing symptoms of H1N1 virus infection, such as fever and
coughing, according to the ministry.
The latest cases come days after the World Health Organization (WHO) raised its
alert level to the highest "Phase 6," which means a pandemic is under way.
According to the latest tally by the WHO, 74 countries have officially reported
29,669 cases of H1N1 infection, including 145 deaths.
South Korea has remained relatively insulated from the highly contagious flu
virus. Of the 61 confirmed cases, 49 people have been released from hospitals
after showing no further symptoms. No deaths have been reported here.
On Friday, the Seoul government retained its alert status for the new flu at the
current level, as there are few concerns about the disease spreading across the
nation.
In late April, the government upped its alert status to the current level, the
third-highest in the nation's four-tier disaster alert system, which is activated
when a suspected or confirmed case of a transmittable disease is reported.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
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