Tuesday, 28 July 2009

Swine flu spreads to 17th victim

The Phnom Penh Post
Monday, 27 July 2009
Cheang Sokha

Official rejects rumour of Olympic Market case.

A 23-YEAR-OLD Irish woman has become the country's 17th confirmed case of A(H1N1) influenza, commonly known as swine flu, after testing positive for the virus on Friday.

Ly Sovann, deputy director of the Communicable Diseases Control Department at the Ministry of Health, said the woman had travelled to Cambodia from Vietnam and had been asked to remain in Siem Reap pending further examinations.

"She is fine, but we asked her to stay for a week so that we could monitor her health," Ly Sovann said Sunday.

Market fears
He also dismissed rumours of an outbreak of the virus at Phnom Penh's Olympic Market in an attempt to calm fears expressed by market workers on Friday that a cloth vendor at the market had contracted the disease while travelling in Thailand.

One vendor has been tested and has shown no signs of the virus, Ly Sovann said, adding that health officials will continue to examine her health until the end of the month.

Market manager Thai Dara said unfounded "rumours" kindled fears of an outbreak, and that vendors were satisfied the disease was under control.

"Health officials have explained to the other vendors, and now they're calm," he said.

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