FILIPINO SAILOR 18TH PERSON TESTED POSITIVE FOR INFLUENZA A(H1N1)

KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 (Bernama) -- A Filipino sailor attached to a Malaysian
shipping company based in Westport, Port Klang became the 18th person to be
afflicted with influenza A(H1N1) in the country.

The man, who arrived at the KL International Airport on board Malaysian
Airlines flight MH705 from Manila on Sunday, was found to be having fever and
coughs during the screening process at the airport," Director-General of Health
Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said in a statement here Tuesday.

"He was referred to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital and the test results received
at 4.08pm Monday confirmed it to be a case of influenza A (H1N1). He is
currently being given antiviral treatment," he said, adding that all the cases
detected the country so far were imported cases.

Dr Ismail said the Health Ministry was in the process of tracing the people
he had come into contact with on flight MH705.

Those who were on the flight can contact 03-88810200 or 03-88810300 for
advice from the ministry on what needs to be done.

Dr Ismail added that nine patients were still receiving treatment for the
disease, four at the Sungai Buloh Hospital, Hospital Kuala Lumpur (2) and one
each at the Penang Hospital, Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital, Kuantan and Queen
Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu.

In the last 24 hours, the ministry received 55 notifications suspected to be
influenza A (H1N1) cases and that the people involved had been placed in
isolation wards for screening.

The notifications included the 17th and 18th cases that turned out to be
positive.
-- BERNAMA