Thailand acts against mystery flu

Thailand acts against mystery flu

People across east Asia are concerned about the virus

Authorities in Thailand have imposed strict procedures to guard against a mysterious flu virus that has killed one person in Hong Kong and led to a global warning from the World Health Organisation.

Thailand's Health Ministry said it would require air passengers travelling from the main affected areas; Hanoi in Vietnam, China's Guangdong province and Hong Kong, to undergo screening before boarding flights to the country.

Passengers are being required to fill out health forms indicating whether they had been to the affected areas, and airlines have been instructed to report immediately if any passengers begin exhibiting symptoms.

The announcement follows similar moves by Singapore and Taiwan, which have both urged their citizens not to travel to Hanoi in Vietnam or southern China "unless absolutely necessary".

Calming panic

So far, dozens of suspected cases of atypical community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) have been reported in Hong Kong and Vietnam.

Some victims are now critically ill. The cases appear to be confined to medical staff or people who have been in close contact with others who are infected.

In Hong Kong, officials have urged the public not to panic saying they are doing everything possible to contain the virus.

They have dismissed suggestions that the virus could have been unleashed by terrorists.

'Global alert'

The source of the outbreak is not known. However, it is being linked to the death of a 48-year-old American businessman in Hong Kong on Thursday.

There is a possibility it can mutate or it may be a virus that is known to us

Hong Kong Health Minister Yeoh Eng-kiong

The signs and symptoms of the disease in Hanoi include initial flu-like illness, with rapid onset of high fever followed by muscle aches, headache and sore throat.

In some, but not all cases, this is followed by double pneumonia - with some patients needing help from a ventilator to stay alive.

Doctors are now trying to establish whether the virus has passed into the local community.

World Health Organisation experts are concerned that the man who died may have passed the infection on to many others.

It has warned public health surveillance teams throughout the world to be vigilant for outbreaks.

Reports say sales of medical masks have soared in Hong Kong in the past 24 hours.

High infection rate

Hong Kong Health Minister Yeoh Eng-kiong said tests were being carried out to try to identify the strain of virus involved.

They have so far revealed that it is a "B" strain version of flu. He said: "The rate of infection is very high. At first it's a respiratory illness and it deteriorates into pneumonia. There is a possibility it can mutate or it may be a virus that is known to us."

But Hong Kong Government officials said the illness was not related to a strain of "bird-flu" that killed a man in February.

It is possible the outbreak is linked to a spate of "atypical pneumonia" cases in the southern Guangdong province of China in February, which killed five people and infected hundreds more.