By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Local health authorities said Wednesday that 16 more people are suspected of having contracted swine influenza (SI) following the first case detected in a patient who returned from a recent trip to Mexico.
The Korea Center for Disease Control and Management (KCDC) is examining blood samples of the 16, who visited the United States or Mexico.
It said a blood sample from the first patient had been sent to the U.S. Center for Disease Control for thorough checking, while the other suspected patients are being closely monitored. The female patient was hospitalized at the Armed Forces Medical Command.
Jeon Byeong-yul, a KCDC official, said, ``Twenty-three people have shown symptoms ― sore throats, severe coughs, high fevers, runny noses and malaise ― but six were diagnosed with simple colds.''
The disease center is examining people who shared the flight with her from Mexico days ago.
The health authority has provided Tamiflu to eight people who sat near her on the flight and 40 others who share a house with her here, though no symptoms were yet reported, as a possible preventive measure. There is no vaccine yet confirmed to prevent SI but Tamiflu and Relenza, antiviral drugs, are expected to be the most likely to do so.
According to Incheon International Airport, more than 90,000 travelers have been scanned with thermal cameras to detect high fever from possible infection with swine flu, but no new cases have been reported.
The government has issued a ``caution'' nationwide to pay extra care to SI, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family designation. The World Health Organization is reportedly considering calling it Mexican Influenza.
The government will start a campaign to ease public anxiety, as pork sales are falling even though meat cooked over 71 degrees Celsius is safe.
``We'll hold campaigns through the media to raise public awareness of the disease but convey information so that people will not be confused or nervous,'' Jeon said.
Food and Agriculture Minister Chang Tae-pyong said the government was taking all necessary steps to guard against the spread of the disease. ``Seoul has taken swift and concrete steps to deal with the outbreak, but it must not take any action that can cause panic,'' he said.
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by the type A influenza virus, which causes regular outbreaks among livestock. Humans rarely get it but infections can and do happen. In Mexico, the death toll linked to the disease, is believed to be more than 159.