Person to person flu transmission suspected here

Preliminary tests showed that two more Koreans were likely to have been infected with swine flu, health officials said yesterday.

Lee Jong-koo, director general of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters that the two separate cases involved a 44-year-old woman who had contacted with the nation`s first probable patient upon her arrival at Incheon Airport.



Along with 38 other people living together with the first patient at the same residence, the female patient has been treated with Tamiflu in case of possible infection.

Another probable patient is a 57-year-old man who has never been abroad recently. He reported flu symptoms to a local health center on April 29 and was prescribed with Tamiflu.

As no more indications, excluding the preliminary viral tests, are found to explain his infection for now, epidemiologists are also looking into the possibility he might have another type of influenza.

With the final confirmation of the first swine flu patient due out today, the newly-found two probable cases put health officials on alert, signaling a possible person-to-person infection here.

"Just in case of the flu outbreak in the community where the male patient lives, quarantine teams are conducting preventive measures centered on his current home and the neighboring areas," Lee said.

According to health officials, all the three probable patients, who are under quarantine at a state-designated isolation hospital, are showing mild illness with their respiratory symptoms almost gone.

Health officials are carefully discussing the discharge of the first female patient, who has been hospitalized since last Sunday as the World Health Organization recommends patients be permitted to leave the hospital when there is no development in their symptoms for a week.

"Except that they are required to avoid close contact with others within two meters, their probable disease doesn`t need to affect their social life. By wearing masks, they are well cooperating with health officials` directions," Jun Byung-yool of the disease control center.

Despite the confirmation of two more probable swine flu patients, the government maintained its alert level at the current "attention."

Of the 77 suspected patients tested here as of yesterday, 51 have been found to be negative for the virus and three have had their status upgraded to "probable patients," whose symptoms are highly suspected to be infected with the swine flu influenza. Tests on other 23 cases were ongoing.

"The growing number of suspected cases doesn`t exactly say that more Koreans have been affected with the disease than people in other countries," Jun said. "I think it`s more because of the public`s growing awareness about the disease and prompt reports on their illness following the government guidelines."

Taking advantage of Koreans` health-conscious characteristics, some fraud rings are enticing people to buy Tamiflu or other antiviral medicines, spreading rumors that the government`s stockpile of such drugs is running out.

Asking the public not to be misled by such criminal activities, Jun said Tamiflu is a prescription drug that should be diagnosed by a doctor after proper examination.

"The government has already secured 2.5 million doses of antiflu drugs Tamiflu and Relenza. Sensing a possible lack of drugs in the market, the government is discussing with pharmaceutical companies and related institutions to release their reserves of drugs," Jun said.

Anticipating mass entry of overseas Koreans from Mexico and other flu-affected areas - including residents abroad, students and people working in overseas offices - the government is also making efforts to secure isolation facilities for inspection and treatment.

Considering they are possibly exposed to the flu virus, more quarantine staff will be dispatched to airports for more prompt inspection. An in-flight inspection will be done and suspected travelers will be directly moved to isolation hospitals, said health officials.

Following the WHO`s decision to stop using term "swine flu" on Thursday, the Korean government also asked reporters to rename the disease by its technical scientific name "H1N1 influenza A."

Swine flu has genes from human, bird and pig viruses. In the current outbreak, the WHO says the virus is being spread from human to human, not from consumption of or contact with infected pigs.

By Lee Ji-yoon



(jylee@heraldm.com)