Macao reported its first confirmed A/H1N1 flu case on Thursday as a Philippine man who was found having fever upon arriving at the Macao International airport has tested positive for the virus in medical tests.
The patient has been quarantined in Macao's largest public hospital and his health condition remained stable so far, said Lei Chin Ion, director of Macao Special Administrative Region's (SAR) Health Bureau.
The Philippine man boarded a Cebu Pacific Air plane, flight No.5J-362, in Manila and arrived at the Macao International Airport Wednesday evening. He was later transferred to the hospital after being detected having fever at the airport checkpoint, according to the Health Bureau.
Although the patient was found at the airport and directly sent to the hospital, but there is still the possibility that patients with no obvious symptoms may have already entered Macao, said Lei.
Thirty passengers sitting in the front and rear three rows of the seats taken by the patient on board the plane have been deemed as individuals who have close contacts with the patient. Some 11 of these passengers have been located, who will be put under medical observation, according to the Bureau.
More of such cases will be detected in Macao in the future given the current situation of the epidemic around the world, said the SAR's Chief Executive Ho Hau Wah on the sideline of a public function this morning.
The first batch of A/H1N1 flu vaccines will be delivered to Macao in September this year. Local high-risk group, including children, old people and patients with chronic illness, will be firstly inoculated.
So far over 300 confirmed cases have been reported in Macao's neighboring regions including Hong Kong SAR and the Chinese mainland.
(Xinhua News Agency June 19, 2009)
