Five new cases, flu panel to meet

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry is holding its first inter-ministry influenza committee meeting on Friday, as the country recorded five new cases of influenza A (H1N1) today, the highest number recorded in a single day.
The health authorities are now bracing for more cases and struggling to prevent local transmission of the virus.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said he would chair the meeting at the Health Ministry in Putrajaya to be attended by the relevant ministries and government agencies.
"The committee, which is part of the National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan (NIPPP) will discuss and coordinate various measures, including the possiblity of introducing new measures as recomended by the WHO (World Health Organisation)," he said here yesterday.
This morning, the health authorities confirmed three more cases involving all males -- a Malaysian student returning from holiday in Manila, a British tourist and a Malaysian student returning from Melbourne.
The three are now being treated in isolation wards at Sungai Buloh Hospital in Selangor and Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital in Kuantan, while their families are placed in quarantine.
The passengers and crew members who were on their flights are being traced.
Two more cases were confirmed yesterday afternoon -- a 14-year-old female student from the United States, who came to visit her relatives in Sabah, and a 24-year-old Malaysian woman who had visited Melbourne between June 4 and Saturday.
They were warded at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu and Sungai Buloh Hospital respectively.
The inter-ministerial Influenza Pandemic Committee, which coordinates all efforts to prevent the outbreak of the H1N1 was activated after WHO declared H1N1 as a worldwide pandemic on Thursday.
The latest H1N1 viral strain -- a combination of the previously circulating animal and human strains -- emerged in Mexico in April and has since been confirmed in 83 countries.
Malaysia has, so far confirmed 17 cases and no local transmission.
It means the disease has not spread locally and the virus has been quickly contained at the carrier level, but health authorities are struggling to ensure it does not spread locally.