(2nd LD) Additional type-A flu case confirmed in S. Korea

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details from para 2)
SEOUL, May 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's health authorities said Monday they have
confirmed an additional case of Influenza A, bringing the total number of people
infected with the new flu virus here to 22.

The most recently infected is a 24-year-old U.S. citizen who was hired to teach
English at a private language institute in southern Seoul, the Ministry for
Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said.
The foreign national arrived in the country on May 16 along with 14 other people
recruited in the United States and Canada to teach at the language institute. All
15 have tested positive for the type-A H1N1 virus sweeping across the world.
"The male teacher had shared the same home with a co-worker who had already been
diagnosed as having contracted the flu, he has been isolated since Saturday as a
precautionary measure." a quarantine office said.
"All 15 teacher were infected because they took the same training courses in
preparation for the classes they were to take charge of," he said, adding that
while all the teachers were infected, the 85 people that came in close contact
with the people including medical personnel tested negative for the virus.
The new case brings the total of people held in isolation to 19. Of the total
there are three Korean children who arrived from New York late Sunday, with one
Korean woman undergoing detailed examination after showing symptoms. Of the 22
confirmed as having been infected with the virus so far, four have been released
in good health.
Related to the spread of the virus, the health ministry and the Korea Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention said in will strengthen monitoring at schools and
medical facilities to detect any signs of further outbreaks.
The World Health Organization (WHO), meanwhile, said there are around 12,000
patients in 43 countries with 86 deaths being attributed to the virus.
The WHO said it is seriously considering raising the alert level by one notch and
declare a pandemic has broken out as new cases have been reported in the Middle
East.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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