Thailand confirms 30 new A(H1N1) cases

BANGKOK, June 11 (TNA) – Thailand’s Public Health Ministry has recorded new 30 Influenza A (H1N1) cases including 21 cases reported in the eastern resort town of Pattaya and four students at a Bangkok school, raising the total cases detected in Thailand to 46.

Four students at a school in Bangkok have been confirmed as having contracted the H1N1 virus so far after an 11-year-old boy from that school was recorded as the 16th flu patient on Wednesday.

Another 21 new cases detected in Pattaya included 17 workers at an entertainment venue in Pattaya who had contact with two Taiwanese tourists, and four doctors and nurses, offering medical treatment to the two tourists, according to Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai.

Two Taiwanese tourists were diagnosed as having contracted the H1N1 virus when they returned home from a trip in Pattaya. The other five new cases, confirmed by the lab tests, are suspected cases still under surveillance of the public health ministry, Mr. Witthaya said.

Among five cases being monitored are one Englishman, one Thai man returning from Singapore, and one Thai woman returning from the United States.

The two other cases are a man who has not been abroad but went to Suvanabhumi airport to pick up his son, who was returning from the US, and a woman whose son was earlier reported as the 16th H1N1 case.

The public health minister assured the public not to panic despite the increasing number of patients.

Mr. Witthaya said the virus is not virulent and the illness can be completely cured if properly treated. However, everyone must help prevent the spread of the disease.

He advised flu patients to stay home and to wear face masks to prevent spreading the disease to other people. (TNA)