(KPL) Swine flu made a come back to Laos. The Ministry of Public Health said last Tuesday that six people in Attapeu province had this infectious disease and this deadly disease came at a time when this province was still suffering from the effects of typhoon Ketsana.
This ministry also said that another lot of 11 people of this southern province were suspected of suffering from A (HINI) and to clarify the situation their blood samples had been brought to Vientiane for examination.
Dr Inpanh Inthirath, Deputy Head of the Public Health Service of Attapeu province, told KPL News yesterday that an Attapeu province-based medical team visited an area where there was an outbreak of swine flu, an ethnic school in Samakhisay district.
The medical team detected eight suspected cases and took their blood samples and sent them to Vientiane.
However, the team confirmed six genuine cases and some of them were on the recovery path.
According to the latest update, the medical team found another 11 suspected cases of swine flu and it had sent their blood samples to Vientiane.
“After typhoon Ketsana we were faced with the problem of outbreaks of various diseases, such as water-borne diseases, diarrhoea and swine flu,” said Dr Inpanh.
He also said that almost all the affected students at the ethnic school came from districts that were close to the Vietnamese and Cambodian borders.
In order to control the spread of swine flu the Ministry of Public Health announced the temporary closure of schools in the affected areas.
With the addition of confirmed cases of swine flu from Attapeu province the country’s total number of cases edged up to 275 and with two deaths.
Swine flu had been detected in 11 provinces, such as, Vientiane Capital, Savannakhet, Borikhamsay, Khammouane, Attapeu, Saravane, Champassak, Luang Prabang, Xiengkhouang, Bokeo and Vientiane provinces.
The Ministry of Public Health said that as the swine flu virus thrived in cool weather and during such a time this disease was likely to be more widespread than ever and so Laotians should take extra precautions during the coming height of the cool weather in Laos.
KPL Lao News Agency
