S. Korea confirms 44 more flu cases

SEOUL, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's health authorities Saturday confirmed an
additional 44 cases of influenza A, raising the total infection tally here to
1,443.
The new patients, including five military servicemen, tested positive for the
H1N1 virus, according to the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs.
As of Saturday morning, a total of 52 people remained in isolation at
state-designated hospitals with 374 being treated at home. The other patients
recovered fully after receiving antibiotics.
South Korea has been relatively insulated from the contagious disease, which has
claimed lives of hundreds of people worldwide since it was first reported in
April. No flu-related deaths have been confirmed here and a majority of patients
have been inbound travelers, including foreigners.
But fears are growing that the disease could be spreading fast through
person-to-person transmission as more patients are confirmed from the military,
church camps and other outdoor gatherings.
The government is intensifying efforts to brace for widespread infection, and
recently upgraded its disease alert status to the second-highest level.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
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