Dozens of S. Korean soldiers at army base contract type-A flu

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By Sam Kim
SEOUL, July 24 (Yonhap) -- Thirty South Korean soldiers serving at an Army base
north of Seoul have contracted type-A influenza, an official said Friday.

"It appears they were infected by a fellow soldier who had recently gone on a
furlough," an official at the Ministry of National Defense told reporters,
declining to be identified.
"They have been quarantined, and we expect the treatment will end in a few days,"
the official said, adding the base is located in the city of Goyang just north of
the capital.
South Korea runs a 655,000-strong military which all able-bodied men must join
for service that lasts about two years. Conscripts live in close quarters where
space is limited.
The total number of type-A flu infections in South Korea rose to nearly 1,100
this week, according to health authorities.
Last week, two soldiers working at the truce village straddling the divided
Koreas were found to have contracted the H1N1 virus -- one who escorted tourists
and the other after attending an international forum away from base during his
furlough.
The tours were suspended for days but have now resumed as their treatment has
ended while no other outbreak was reported on the South Korean side of the Joint
Security Area.
Three South Korean soldiers who helped with quarantine activities at an
international airport also tested positive earlier this month.
They have since recovered, according to health officials. No deaths associated
with the contagion have been reported in South Korea.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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