H1N1 Flu : 3 on MAS flight turn up at hospital

KUCHING: Three of nine people in Sarawak who had travelled on the same flight with the two people infected with the influenza A (H1N1) virus, have gone to the Sarawak Hospital after showing symptoms of flu.

A woman, in her 20s, went to the hospital for a check-up on Saturday after coming down with flu.

She was quarantined overnight but was discharged yesterday after testing negative for the virus.

Her 52-year-old mother, who was also on the same Malaysia Airlines flight MH091 that flew in from Newark to Kuala Lumpur last Wednesday, showed no signs of the illness but was ordered to remain at home.

The rest of the family members have also been ordered to stay at home. Yesterday afternoon, a young man in his 20s went to the same hospital after showing signs of flu.

He was sent to the quarantine ward for observation and tests.

Friends of the man said that he and the woman quarantined on Saturday and the two positive cases in the peninsula were all friends, studied at the same university in the US and were all returning from their convocation.

Nine passengers on that MH091 flight then took connecting flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching, Sibu and Miri.

Six disembarked here, two in Miri and one in Sibu.

Melissa Crocker, Malaysia Airlines public relations officer for Sarawak, said four of the passengers took the connecting flight with MAS.

"We are cooperating with the Health Ministry and supplying passenger details to them."

As of 6pm yesterday, the other six passengers had yet to report to the health authorities.

Source

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