LOC22:32
19:32 GMT
CAIRO, May 16 (KUNA) -- Egyptian Health Ministry announced on Saturday that
the number of persons who have been admitted to hospital for suspected
infection with Influenza A subtype virus (H1N1) hit 68 but the test results
came negative.
"No laboratory-confirmed infection has been reported in Egypt so far," the
ministry's spokesman Dr. Abdulrahman Shahin told reporters here.
"The last four suspected cases in the country included a 50-year old
Egyptian woman, a Colombian, 35, and two Chinese nationals," he revealed.
"The world's epidemiological map of the confirmed swine flu cases includes
33 countries," he said, citing statistics of the World Health Organization.
"A total of 8,451 persons have contracted the deadly virus worldwide and
the death toll hit 72, including 66 in Mexico, four the United States, and
only one in Canada and Costa Rica respectively, Dr. Shahin noted.
The Ministry has launched a hotline numbered 105 to help the citizens with
information and advice on how to deal with the epidemic and report on any
suspected case, he went on to say.
The number of pig culled since the start of the national preventive
campaign against virus on May 1 till Friday has hit 36,000, the medical
official added.
The medical surveillance measures being implemented by the ministry covered
1,335 passenger flights, 67 ships and four cars carrying a total of 172,731
passengers arriving in Egypt from countries hit by the epidemic, he said,
adding that no swine flu victim has been spotted among the passengers. (end)
bna.gb
KUNA 162232 May 09NNNN