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[george]

New 69 H1N1 new cases confirmed, 200 suspected cases in Thai Navy personnel  

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's Ministry of Public Health on Thursday confirmed 69 new cases of influenza A(H1N1), with the cumulative total at 1,054 patients.

Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nopamornbhodi however said that among the 1,054 H1N1 flu patients, 1,037 have fully recovered and retuned home, while only 17 remain at hospitals.

Regarding the 200 naval personnels showing flu-like symptoms, the deputy minister said that they have been quarantined and were put under treatment in two hospitals under the Royal Thai Navy, waiting for laboratory lab test.

The Royal Thai Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Kamthorn Pumhirun said that 4,000 navy personnels have attended the Navy's training camp in Sattahip, Chonburi province, but 200 of them are being quarantined after having fever.

"Among the 200 suspected cases, seven out of ten have flu-like symptoms. Two personnels are showing severe symptoms and being sent to the Intensive Care Unit," said the Navy chief.

Admiral Kamthorn said that initially the navy personnel will be sent to various navy departments after the training ends, but the plan was temporarily suspended after some of them develop flu-like symptoms.

The Navy chief added that the suspected cases are put under suveillance of Sattahip Naval Base's Abhakorn-kiatiwong Hospital and Queen Sirikit Hospital in Chonburi.

He said hygienic masks have been distributed to relatives who come to visit the naval personnels at the Navy base, but the Royal
Thai Navy may consider to suspend the visits, as sources of the flu is yet identified.

Admiral Kamthon also instructed the Naval Education Department to set up preventive measures for the schools under Royal Thai Navy including Naval Rating School and Royal Thai Naval Academy to prevent the spread of virus.


-- TNA 2009-06-25

[george]

Ratchaburi provincial school closed 2 days following flu scare

Ratchaburi: -- The director of the provincial Benjama Rachuthit School cancelled classes for two days Thursday and Friday after over 50 of it students developed flu-like symptoms.

The students with the symptoms are still being monitored by the Ratchaburi Public Health Office as to whether they have got the Type-A (H1N1) influenza.

-- The nation 2009-06-25

[george]

Prison officials to help fight new flu virus

BANGKOK: -- The Public Health Ministry has come up with a proposal to appoint a "Mr Influenza A(H1N1)" at all 145 prisons to try to counter the spread of the infectious disease.

Prison officials will be choosen and asked to fight the spread of the new flu virus.

"We want all Mr Influenza's A(H1N1) to work closely with health officials," Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewpara-dai said yesterday.

He has already raised the issue with the Justice Ministry.

Witthaya met yesterday with Justice Ministry permanent secretary Kittipong Kittayarak and Corrections Department director general Nathee Chitsawang on how best to pre?vent the flu spreading.

"There are over 160,000 inmates at 145 prisons across the country. We need stringent preventive measures or else the disease will spread quickly among inmates," Witthaya said.

Prison officials were already given to manuals on how to pre?vent influenza type A(H1N1).

The Public Health Ministry has also given 10,000 face?masks to the Corrections Department to boost disease prevention efforts.

The number of patients with the disease in Thailand has risen to 985. Of 86 new cases confirmed yesterday, 63 are stu?dents.

Epidemiology Bureau direc?tor Dr Passakorn Akarasewee also reported four infections at the Naval Rating School.

So far, there are no influen?za A(H1N1) cases in local pris?ons.

Mental Health Department chief Chatree Banchuin said the findings of a recent survey showed nearly one in four peo?ple were very worried about influenza type A(H1N1).

The poll, conducted at four department stores in Bangkok and adjacent provinces last weekend, asked 715 people about the new disease.

"Of all respondents, 22 per cent said they were very worried because they believed influen?za type A(H1N1) is a serious dis?ease," Chatree said.

Another 19 per cent, howev?er, said they weren't worried much even though they thought the disease was dangerous.

"A sizeable number of respondents or 37 per cent say they have little worry about the influenza A(H1N1) and they are convinced the disease is not a serious illness," Chatree said.

However, 22 per cent of those polled were worried about the disease even though they knew it wasn't very dangerous.

According to the World Health Organisation, 52,160 people in 99 countries have been infected with the new flu.

Of them, 231 have died.


-- The Nation 2009-06-25