Army reports cluster infection of type-A flu

[Ronan Kelly]

Army reports cluster infection of type-A flu
2010/05/09 22:01:53
Taipei, May 9 (CNA) Some 45 soldiers of the 10th Army Corps in central Taiwan's Taichung County have been hospitalized and quarantined following an outbreak of type-A flu, a spokesman for the corps said Sunday.

The soldiers began developing coughs and fevers on April 30 after they arrived from Dalin in the southern county of Chiayi for a training camp in Houli, Taichung County, according to Huang Kai-shen, the corps spokesman.

They were then sent to Taichung Armed Forces General Hospital for medical treatment and were diagnosed with type-A flu, Huang added.

To prevent the spread of the virus, all of the infected soldiers have been isolated and put under observation, although some of them are already recovering, Huang said.

The army corps has adopted measures similar to those used against influenza A(H1N1) and has asked its other members to check their temperatures regularly and to wear masks if they develop any flu symptoms, according to Huang.

(By Lee Hsi-chang and Y.L. Kao) ENDITEM/ pc
http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?ID=201005090015&Type=aLIV

 

[tetano]

Re: Army reports cluster infection of type-A flu

Flu-infected soldiers in central Taiwan to leave hospital
2010/05/10 14:03:29
Taipei, May 10 (CNA) Some 45 soldiers of the 10th Army Corps in central Taiwan's Taichung County who were hospitalized following an outbreak of influenza were due to be discharged from hospital Monday after recovering, a spokesman for the corps said later that day.

Forty-seven soldiers at a training camp in Houli were taken to Taichung Armed Forces General Hospital after developing coughs and fevers, 45 of whom tested positive for influenza, according to Huang Kai-shen, the corps spokesman.

The 45 infected soldiers were suspected of having contracted influenza A(H1N1) because all the samples taken from six of the infected tested positive for the virus strain, Huang said.

However, all the soldiers recovered after treatment, Huang added. The soldiers were among 180 new recruits who arrived at Houli from a training center in the southern county of Chiayi, he said.

The fact that only five of the 180 had received H1N1 vaccination made it possible for a cluster infection to break out, said Tsai Wen-che, a Taichung County health official.

Tsai urged military officers and servicemen to get vaccinated against H1N1 as soon as possible to avoid further cluster infections.

Taichung County's Bureau of Public Health will also send medical experts to the army corps to provide health and hygiene education and will adopt other monitoring and follow-up measures to keep the virus at bay, Tsai said.

Meanwhile, the army corps has already adopted measures against the virus and has told personnel to check their temperatures regularly and to wear masks if they develop any flu symptoms, according to Huang.

Department of Health Minister Yaung Chih-liang said that because the H1N1 virus is still being transmitted in communities and many people have not been immunized, small clusters of infection are expected to occur, but he ruled out the possibility of large scale outbreaks. (By Chao Hung-chin and Y.L. Kao)

http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?ID=201005100012&Type=aLIV

 

[tetano]

Re: Army reports cluster infection of type-A flu

STAFF WRITER, WITH CNA
Tuesday, May 11, 2010, Page 2

Forty-seven soldiers from the 10th Army Corps in Taichung County who were hospitalized following an outbreak of influenza were scheduled to be discharged from hospital yesterday after recovering, a spokesman for the corps said.

The soldiers, who were at a training camp in Houli Township (后里), were taken to Taichung Armed Forces General Hospital after developing coughs and fevers. All but two tested positive for influenza, corps spokesman Huang Kai-shen (黃開森) said.

Samples taken from six of the infected soldiers tested positive for A(H1N1), Huang said.

All recovered after treatment, Huang said.

The soldiers were among 180 recruits who arrived at Houli from a training center in Chiayi, he said.

The fact that only five of the 180 had received H1N1 vaccination may have facilitated a cluster infection, said Tsai Wen-che (蔡文哲), a Taichung County health official.

Tsai called on military officers to get vaccinated against H1N1 as soon as possible to avoid further cluster infections.

Taichung County?s Bureau of Public Health will dispatch medical experts to the army corps to provide health and hygiene education and conduct monitoring to prevent outbreaks, Tsai said.
This story has been viewed 451 times.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2010/05/11/2003472690