Gert van der Hoek
In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
Finland confirms two A/H1N1 flu cases
www.chinaview.cn 2009-05-12
HELSINKI, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Health officials said Tuesday that Finland has confirmed two cases of A/H1N1 flu, the first reported in the Nordic country.
Officials of Finnish Ministry of Health and Social Services said at a press conference that these two young patients, who traveled back from Mexico via Amsterdam, Holland, by same flight on May 6, were found infected with the virus in Finnish capital city Helsinki.
They have been quarantined and treated at home as they are not in any serious conditions.
The ministry warned those passengers who had been in the same flight should contact health centers if any flu symptoms show up.
It also said there was no need to panic as the country was wellprepared for the threat of A/H1N1 flu.
Finland has announced launching an operation over A/H1N1 flu outbreak on the base of the action plan drawn up in 2006 in case of pandemic avian influenza.
Four suspect cases were detected there last weeks, which were cleared of A/H1N1 flu later.
Finland has stockpiled 1.5 million antiviral medicine Tamiflu. Health and Social Sevices Minister Paula Risikko said earlier thatthe government would buy A/H1N1 flu vaccines as soon as they became available and augment its antiviral stockpiles.
Finland has been the fourth Nordic country that confirmed A/H1N1 flu cases, following Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-05/12/content_11359065.htm