H1N1 cases exceed 100

The total number of people infected with the H1N1 flu virus here passed the one hundred mark on Saturday, 50 days after the nation`s first case was announced on May 2.

According to the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, 115 people have contracted the virus in Korea, with 10 additional cases found yesterday.



Along with five separate cases - including four Americans and one Korean traveling from the United States - another five people were infected with the disease after having been in close contact with confirmed patients.

Two females are believed to have fall sick after being infected through a company colleague, who was found to have the virus on Saturday.

Three people were also confirmed to be infected with the disease through their friend, a 19-year-old Korean student who recently returned from the United States and tested positive for the virus on June 18.

All of them were place in a state-run isolation hospital for treatment and observation.

Health officials are tracking down passengers onboard the same flights, along with those confirmed patients and others who might have been in close contact with them.

Health officials said the number of confirmed patients will continue to increase in the coming months as students from abroad and vacationers who travel to other countries return Korea.

(jylee@heraldm.com)

　



By Lee Ji-yoon