WHO's Tally of A/H1N1 Cases Rises to 615
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The total number of laboratory confirmed A/H1N1 flu infections worldwide has risen to 615 with 17 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a latest update on Saturday.
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Passengers wear face masks as they arrive at Beijing Capital International Airport on May 2, 2009 in Beijing, China. The first cases of A/H1N1 flu were reported in Asia on Saturday, prompting health officials to quarantine the sick and take other actions to prevent a spread of the outbreak that has rattled the world for a week. The Chinese government decided to suspend flights from Mexico to Shanghai because of the case, the Foreign Ministry said Saturday. Beijing Health Bureau announced on Saturday that 17 passengers on the same flight with a confirmed case of influenza A/H1N1 infection from Mexico to Hong Kong via Shanghai had been quarantined in Ditan Hospital. All these 17 quarantined passengers haven't shown symptoms of flu by far. [Feng Li/Getty Images/CFP] |
A total of 15 countries and regions have officially reported laboratory confirmed cases to the UN agency, including Mexico, whose confirmed number of human cases has increased to 397, including 16 deaths.
The rapid rise in cases from Mexico reflects ongoing testing of previously collected specimens, the WHO said.
The US government has reported 141 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death, it said.
In addition, 13 countries and regions have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths, including Austria (1), Canada (34),Hong Kong, China (1), Denmark (1), France (1), Germany (4), Israel(2), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (4), Republic of Korea (1), Spain (13), Switzerland (1) and Britain (13).
The WHO said the situation continued to evolve and it would renew its tally on a regular basis.
Meanwhile, the agency reiterated that it was not recommending travel restrictions related to the outbreak of the A/H1N1 virus.
"Limiting travel and imposing travel restrictions would have very little effect on stopping the virus from spreading, but would be highly disruptive to the global community," it said in a statement on Friday.
Since the virus has already been confirmed in many parts of the world, the focus now is on minimizing the impact of the virus through the rapid identification of cases and providing patients with appropriate medical care, rather than on stopping its spread internationally, the WHO said.
However, it suggested that individuals who are ill should delay travel plans and returning travelers who fall ill should seek appropriate medical care.
(Xinhua News Agency May 3, 2009)
