A/H1N1 flu situation closely monitored in Asia as WHO raises alert level

HONG KONG, June 12 (Xinhua) -- As the World Health Organization (WHO) upgraded its A/H1N1 flu alert level, Asian countries and regions continued to monitor their own flu situations closely Friday.

Australia decided not to upgrade its A/H1N1 flu alert despite the WHO declared the virus as a "pandemic", the highest of its six levels.

Australian Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon said on Friday that health officials decided to remain on the "contain" level except for Victoria, which is at "modified sustain".

"We believe we can continue with our targeted effort to treat those most at risk in Victoria and to continue to try and delay the community spread in those jurisdictions where there are not large numbers of cases," Roxon said.

That will continue to be reassessed on a daily basis, she said.

There were 1,336 cases of A/H1N1 flu in Australia as of Friday afternoon.

Seven new confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 were recorded in New Zealand on Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 34.

There were also 25 probable cases of influenza A/H1N1 in New Zealand, up from 10 on Thursday, the Health Ministry said. But New Zealand would not change its response to WHO's move either.

"We are running a very tight containment strategy and it's working well," the ministry said.

Thailand on Friday reported another 43 case of Influenza A/H1N1,bringing the total number to 89, official said.

Of the 43, 37 received treatment from private hospitals in Bangkok, one from southern provinces of Songkhla and Phuket each and three from Pattaya, the Nation news website on Friday night quoted Dr Prat Bunyawongwirote, Public Health Ministry Permanent Secretary as saying.

On May 12, the Public Health Ministry announced the country's first two confirmed A/H1N1 flu cases and by June 11, the country has totally 46 confirmed A/H1N1 flu patients.

But the Thai education minister said it is still not necessary to order all schools in the capital Bangkok to suspend classes.

In a related development, Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said the number of the A/H1N1 flu patients is expected to rise further, while currently Thailand is also on the normal human flu season.

However, Thai people should not be panic and should follow preventive steps suggested by the Ministry, said Witthaya.

Indonesia has made full preparations to face the A/H1N1 flu pandemic, an Indonesian senior official said here on Friday.

"WHO officials have made contacts with the health minister regarding this issue. We have prepared three million Tamiflu tablets and set body heat detectors in airports to face A/H1N1 pandemic situation. The detailed steps will be drafted by the related institutions in the country," Indonesian Foreign Affairs spokesperson Teuku Faizasyah told a press conference in the foreign affairs ministry.

With 80 people dead from avian flu, Indonesia was regarded to have the highest fatality number in the world.

Vietnam's Ministry of Health said that the country confirmed two more influenza A/H1N1 cases, bringing the total number of flu patients to 25.

Cambodia is still safe from the epidemic of A/H1N1 flu disease. But with the virus continuing to spread internationally, the Cambodian government are still vigilant and that precaution measures have been and being taken at all points of entries into Cambodia, especially, at the international airports such as Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

Singapore said on Friday night that the A/H1N1 flu alert level in the city state will remain at yellow, but the shift to mitigation measures may be inevitable.

In a statement issued on Friday night, Singapore's health ministry said that in calibrating its Disease Outbreak Response System Alert (DORSCON) level to Yellow on May 11, this year, Singapore has already taken into account the above development.

Pointing out that with a level 6 pandemic, the shift to mitigation measures may be inevitable, the ministry said that it may be a matter of time that Singapore has community spread.

Singapore reported 6 new flu cases Friday, bringing the total confirmed cases to 27.

In China's Hong Kong, eight people were tested positive for theA/H1N1 influenza virus in Hong Kong on Friday, bringing the number of confirmed cases of the disease in the city to 71.

On the WHO's move to escalating the pandemic alert, health officials said Hong Kong has already prepared for the development, adding the city's strategy is moving from containment to mitigation phase.

Meanwhile, a study conducted by University of Hong Kong (HKU) Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine showed that the initial transmission of A/H1N1 flu virus to humans may take place in early2009, months before the outbreak was detected.

The flu virus has already affected 74 countries worldwide and the number of reported A/H1N1 infection has reached to 28,774,including 144 deaths, according to WHO.

Editor: Mu Xuequan