Reporters swarm Guangfu Elementary School in Chung Ho City, Taipei county, as it resumes classes yesterday, concluding a week-long closure due to a confirmed H1N1 flu infection among its kindergarten students. CNA

TAIPEI: Taiwan confirmed another imported case of A H1N1 flu Sunday night, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 13. However, the government earlier lowered the flu alert to level two - reflecting the fact that all cases to date have been imported and there has been no local transmission.

The latest to come down with the flu is an 8-year-old Asian-Canadian girl who arrived in Taipei early Sunday morning from Montreal in transit. The case was confirmed Sunday night and announced yesterday.

The Central Epidemic Command Center said that the girl arrived at Taipei airport with her parents from Montreal via Vancouver. The family was supposed to board another plane bound for Cambodia to visit relatives there.

The girl started vomiting, coughing and experiencing fever at the Vancouver airport. After boarding the plane at Vancouver, all three family members put on surgical masks and notified the flight crew of the girl's condition.

According to the center, the girl boarded the plane May 30 and arrived at Taipei's Taoyuan International Airport at 5:30 am on Sunday. Quarantine officials boarded the plane, and after examination by doctors, the girl was listed as a suspected case and was isolated for quarantine. The case was confirmed that night.

As of yesterday the girl's fever had subsided. Other than a little coughing, she was in good condition.

Although the girl's mother has also started coughing, she was tested negative for the virus.

Analysis showed the girl was infected before boarding the aircraft in Vancouver. It was believed that she picked up the virus in Montreal.

Since the entire family wore surgical masks throughout the flight, the center decided that the risk to those in close contact with them was not high. No mandatory quarantine, therefore, was required for those in close contact with the family.

Those who sat near to the family aboard the plane were requested to report any flu-like symptoms that may manifest over the next seven days. Among those deemed to be at some risk are 54 passengers seated within three rows in front of or behind the family. Twenty-four of those passenger entered Taiwan. The rest traveled elsewhere. The center has begun contacting these people, and has reported to the World Health Organization under International Health Regulations.

Because the victim is Canadian, the center has notified the Canadian government office in Taiwan to help follow up the matter.

The center also called upon all airlines to urge passengers suffering flu symptoms such as fever and coughing to delay boarding. Alternatively it suggested that airlines refuse passengers who show symptoms permission to board until they provide proof that they are fit to travel.

If passengers are found to have symptoms in flight, the center suggested that they should be provided with masks and seated as far distant from other passengers as possible. Each case must be reported to aviation authorities before the aircraft enters the air traffic control region.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 06/02/2009 page2)