Ministry calls on Thailand to keep guard up

The Public Health Ministry renewed its insistence yesterday that the country needs to maintain the highest possible measures to guard against the spread of influenza type A (H1N1) - commonly known as swine flu.

It urged all Thais and foreigners who have recently returned from abroad and are even mildly feverish not to attempt self-medication, but to report immediately to a hospital.

The Public Health Ministry's permanent secretary, Dr Prat Boonya- wongvirot, was speaking following the confirmation that a Thai man who had just returned from the US was the country's fourth case of influenza type A.

"The highest measures need to be maintained continuously to prevent an outbreak of influenza type A (H1N1), and a surveillance system for people who come into close contact with infected cases is also important, to reduce the spread of disease," he said.

On Friday the World Health Organisation reported that the virus had so far sickened more than 15,510 people in more than 53 countries and had been linked to 99 deaths.

As well as having confirmed four cases of infection with the new flu virus, the Public Health Ministry is waiting for laboratory tests on samples collected from another six people who are now under medical care.

The latest case of confirmed infection was a 50-year-old man who arrived in Bangkok around midnight last Monday. He was admitted to hospital in Bangkok on Tuesday morning with mild symptoms including a slight fever, coughing, a sore throat and body aches.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said doctors sent samples for tests at both the Department of Medical Science's National Influenza Institute and Siriraj Hospital's laboratory. Both laboratories confirmed that he was suffering from the new influenza type A (H1N1).

The man has since recovered and has been allowed to return home. He and five members of his family were given the anti-viral drug oseltamivir for five consecutive days to treat the flu, the minister said.

On Saturday, the Public Health Ministry reported that a 50-year-old woman who recently returned from US was Thailand's third confirmed case of the new flu.

The minister said rapid detection of the new cases of infection resulted from good cooperation from members of the public returning from abroad, and collaboration from private hospitals who had informed the ministry. This immediate action has strengthened Thailand's surveillance system to prevent the spread of the disease.

Witthaya said he did not want a panic over a possible new flu pandemic. The virus had exhibited only mild symptoms, much like seasonal flu, and the infection was effectively treated with oseltamivir.

Meanwhile, a senior official of the Disease Control Department, Dr Supamit Chunsuttiwat, said the Public Health Ministry expected that the number of laboratory-confirmed cases of the new flu virus would "continuously increase" in this pandemic period.

He said rapid detection and access to treatment were the key mechanisms to preventing its spread.

"People who have recently returned from abroad, from flu-plagued countries, should undergo immediate treatment if they develop flu-like symptoms and have a slight fever," he said, stressing that these were matters of great concern.

"We want them to be checked at a hospital rather than attempting any self medication, because we can provide medicine for flu treatment to them and their families immediately," he said.

The chief of the Health Academics Team, Dr Tawee Chotpitayasunondh, said earlier that Bangkok could not avoid the arrival of the new flu virus because it was a tourism hub with an international airport.