First human-to-human case

Thailand yesterday confirmed its first human-to-human transmission of type-A (H1N1) influenza, which has killed 117 people worldwide.

"This case of a mother and her child is the first infection from human to human," said Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart, who oversees the national outbreak-prevention operations centre.

The 49-year-old mother, who returned from the United States on May 25 with her 50-year-old husband after contracting the disease there, became the sixth victim in Thailand.

The mother, whose name is being withheld, was understood to have spread the virus to her 19-year-old son, the seventh infected person, after she returned home.

The third type-A (H1N1) victim identified yesterday was a 20-year-old woman who had also just returned from the US.

All of them have already taken the anti-viral drug oseltamivir for flu treatment and were under the observation of the Public Health Ministry's Surveillance and Rapid Response Team.

Thailand now has eight confirmed cases of the new flu, while the World Health Organisation reported 66 countries with 19,273 official cases of type A (H1N1).

The mother reportedly developed flulike symptoms like body aches but did not have a fever while travelling by air to Thailand.

Three days after arrival, she fell ill and received treatment at a hospital.

The woman has recovered by now, while only one of her three children has tested positive for the new flu.

Her personal driver is also under close watch for any symptoms, due to their proximity.

Senior health expert Kumnuan Ungchusak said the chances of catching the disease depended on a person's immunity and the length of the exposure to the virus.

In the latest case, the mother and her husband had visited several places in the US, with Chicago, Illinois as the last stop.

The 20-year-old female patient whose identity was also withheld had spent time in New York before returning to Thailand this past Sunday and developed mild symptoms, such as a runny nose and coughing.

She was admitted to a Bangkok hospital on Tuesday. Five other family members and friends are under close observation.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said the government would focus on infection prevention in schools and other educational institutions, as well as factories and other places with large numbers of people.

The Education and Labour ministries will quickly disseminate information to the public, in order to prevent any outbreak in schools and workplaces.

"We'll consider closing schools if necessary," he said, adding that infected people should stay home until they were fine.

Gaps remain in preventive measures at Suvarnabhumi Airport, as the thermal scanners there may not be able to detect all infected passengers, Witthaya admitted.

Public cooperation in helping look out for the spread of this flu is now the most important means of fighting a possible pandemic.