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China quarantines 7 flu-affected flight passengers

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-05-10 08:32

BEIJING -- Seven passengers from a flu-infected flight were put under quarantine in China on Saturday, the Chinese Health Ministry said.

Full coverage:  A（H1N1）Influenza Outbreak Related readings: Costa Rica sees 1st H1N1 death Japan confirms 4rth case of swine flu China prevention in line with int'l rules US cases at 1,639; precaution urged Analysts: 'No impact' yet from A/H1N1 flu for China's economy Flu spreads in US, Asia pledges common fight

Three Japanese passengers boarding the US airlines NW025, which flew from Canada to Japan via the United States on Friday, had been diagnosed with influenza A/H1N1, the ministry said, citing a Saturday notification from the World Health Organization China office.

Of the co-passengers, some had left Japan, including seven who arrived in Chinese cities of Shanghai and Beijing Friday night.

The ministry said it then immediately told relevant local health departments to track down the seven passengers.

So far they had all been located and put under medical observation, the ministry said in a statement.

Quarantine officers prepare to inspect passengers on a flight from the US, at Narita international airport May 9, 2009. Three Japanese males who had spent time in Canada have been confirmed to have the new strain of flu, the first confirmed cases in Japan, a Japanese Health Ministry official said. [Agencies]

Previously, China had quarantined 166 passengers who were on board flight AM098 (Mexico City-Shanghai) on April 30 after a Mexican, one of the travelers, was later confirmed in Hong Kong to have influenza A/H1N1.

Among them, 38 Mexican passengers and crew were flown back to Mexico on Monday. And the remaining 128 passengers, including a few Mexican nationals, continued their week-long quarantine across China till Thursday, when they were released after showing no flu-like symptoms or tested negative to the virus.

As of 8 a.m. Saturday, no confirmed or suspected A/H1N1 cases had been reported on the Chinese mainland, the ministry said.

Worldwide, 2,500 confirmed cases, including 46 fatalities, had been reported in 25 countries and regions by then.