The Zhejiang case is a 39-year-old resident of Hangzhou, the provincial capital. She went to Australia on May 17 and flew back from Melbourne to Hong Kong Saturday and then flew to Hangzhou later that day.

China has raised vigilance against influenza A/H1N1 after the first case of local transmission was found.

Because the case indicated that the virus had begun to spread to local populations from an imported case, "the Ministry of Health attaches great importance to the case and will soon consider stepping up prevention and control work nationwide," the ministry said in a statement.

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was also discussing further measures, such as the closure of schools and entertainment venues, should the situation turn serious, the center's chief epidemiologist Zeng Guang said on Friday.

But he stressed that there was no need for panic because the government had made careful preparations and the disease was largely preventable and treatable.

Vice Premier Li Keqiang on Friday urged vaccine companies to step up preparations for vaccine production during an inspection of Sinovac, the only Chinese company qualified to produce vaccines for a flu pandemic.

Beijing Health Bureau said from Sunday ambulances on the "120" and "999" service would take those who had close contact with confirmed cases or showed symptoms of fever to hospital for free.

The bureau also urged those who arrived from abroad to quarantine themselves at home for a week.

According to the World Health Organization, 53 countries had officially reported 15,510 cases of A/H1N1 infection, including 99 deaths, as of Friday.

(Xinhua News Agency June 1, 2009)