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Singapore confirms 1st H1N1 flu case

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-05-27 13:52

SINGAPORE -- A 22-year-old Singaporean woman was confirmed to be Singapore's first case of Influenza A(H1N1) on Wednesday.

According to TV broadcaster Channel NewsAsia, the patient stayed in New York from May 14 to 24, and returned to Singapore from New York on SQ25 on May 26 at 6:30 a.m. local time.

Full Coverage:  A(H1N1) Influenza Outbreak Related readings:  A(H1N1) confirmed cases continue to rise across world  Mainland confirms 12th A(H1N1) flu case  Hong Kong confirms two new A(H1N1) cases  Official: 18 US soldiers have H1N1 in Kuwait  A(H1N1) flu death toll rises to 80 in Mexico

Singapore's Health Ministry (MOH) said it has initiated contact tracing of her close contacts. Passengers who had traveled in the same flight and were seated in rows 52 to 58 are urged to call the local hotline to check on their health condition. They will be quarantined and provided with antiviral prophylaxis.

The report said the patient began to develop cough symptom while onboard, but she passed the thermal scanner at the airport as she did not have fever then.

She later consulted a local clinic doctor who decided to send her for testing, given her travel history. Laboratory confirmation of her infection was made by midnight of May 26, the report said.

The patient is currently being treated at the Communicable Disease Center at Tan Tock Seng Hospital and is in stable condition, the report added.

The MOH urged all medical practitioners and healthcare institutions to keep vigilant to suspect cases, adding that Singapore will continue with temperature screening for passengers entering Singapore at all land, sea and air checkpoints.