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SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH )has confirmed another H1N1 case, bringing the total to 15 cases so far. The latest case is a 39-year-old Indonesian woman who is the aunt of an earlier case.
She went to Changi Airport to fetch her niece who returned from New York via Frankfurt on Monday. When the niece developed symptoms on Tuesday, the aunt brought her to Raffles Hospital by taxi.
The aunt had been on home quarantine and was given medication, but laboratory results confirmed on Saturday that she has been infected with the H1N1 virus. She has mild symptoms and is in stable condition.
Three of her family members have already been placed on Home Quarantine Order (HQO).
The Health Ministry said although the 15th case was started on chemoprophylaxis when she was served the home quarantine order, it should be noted that she could already have been infected through close contact with her niece prior to taking the medicine.
While chemoprophylaxis can significantly reduce the risk of infection, it does not completely eliminate it.
As such, MOH reiterates its advice to avoid non-essential travel affected areas such as Melbourne and the State of Victoria in Australia, Kobe and Osaka in Japan and Chile, USA, Canada and Mexico.
For those returning from the affected areas, they should seek medical attention promptly and call 993 for an ambulance if they become unwell within seven days of their return.
They should avoid taking public transport or taxi to minimise exposure.
MOH said to date, six patients have been discharged and nine are still in hospital. The 12th patient involved an 18-year-old Singaporean man who took the MRT in the morning of June 3 to see his GP.
MOH said its risk assessment showed that there is limited exposure to the public as it was only a two-minute train ride from Serangoon to Kovan.
The Health Ministry said Singaporeans need not be unduly alarmed as the virus remains mild and all patients are stable. However, the ministry added that this is an example that should not be followed by others.
MOH said that contact tracing for the 13th and 14th cases have been completed.
The 13th case involved a 23-year-old Singaporean man who travelled to Melbourne from May 27 to June 3. MOH has identified 44 close contacts on the flight.
It managed to contact 18 out of the 19 passengers with entry records into Singapore. They comprise 11 Singaporeans and seven foreigners, and they have been placed under HQOs. Their period of quarantine ends on June 11. One foreigner is uncontactable.
MOH has alerted the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority to inform the ministry if he should turn up at Singapore's checkpoints.
The ministry has also informed WHO and its IHR counterparts of the 25 passengers who are out of Singapore.
For the 14th case that involved a 22-year-old Singapore Airlines air-stewardess, MOH said it did not conduct contact tracing of flight passengers on SQ25 flight travelling from New York to Frankfurt on the basis that the confirmed case is unlikely to have been infectious while onboard the plane.
She had developed symptoms more than 24 hours after disembarkation. Her quarantine period is from June 5 to June 11.
MOH has identified four close local contacts and they have been placed under HQOs. Her quarantine period is from June 5 to June 11. - CNA/vm
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