Hanoi on Wednesday reported its first human case of influenza A (H1N1) virus while Ho Chi Minh City increased its tally by two more to 19 so far.

He had been in the US for 11 days and a few days in South Korea before arriving home last Friday, sitting next to a passenger with flu symptoms.

The first test showed he was positive for the H1N1 virus and a blood sample was then sent to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology for confirmation.

In HCMC, a 45-year-old woman identified only as V.T.T.A. is quarantined at the city’s Tropical Diseases Hospital, while a six-year-old child is being treated at Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital.

The child arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport from the US on Tuesday, after transiting in Hong Kong.

Those having traveled on the same UA 869 flight with the child have been asked to limit physical contact with others and call the City Health Department via hotline number (08) 390 309 981 if they have any health problems.

Also on Wednesday, eight passengers at the Tan Son Nhat Airport were found with body temperatures above 38 degrees Celsius. They have been isolated at the Tropical Diseases Hospital and Children’s Hospital No.1 pending test results.

Dr. Phan Van Nghiem of the City Health Department said if more than 50 suspected patients are found, the officials will conduct random checks to figure out the development trend of the virus. Severe cases will be hospitalized and others treated at home, he said.

In a meeting with the World Health Organization Wednesday, Vietnam requested regular updates about flu prevention and treatment measures worldwide.

The Preventive Health and Environment Department under the Health Ministry said Wednesday that five members of the V-League Hoang Anh Gia Lai football club have been isolated for treatment in the Central Highlands Gia Lai Province.

One of them came down with a fever after coming from Brazil on May 31 and the others have also been infected. Blood samples of all the players have been set for H1N1 testing.

Tran Ngoc Huu, head of the Pasteur Institute in HCMC, which has so far tested 500 blood samples, said the virus might have spread wider already as health officials have only supervised 300 out of 900 passengers that traveled on the same flights with the first detected patients.

The National Administration of Tourism on Monday asked tour operators not to take tourists to countries with a high incidence of the influenza A H1N1 virus.

Source: TN, VNA