Rangoon (Mizzima) – Authorities on Sunday detained a journalist who tried to take a photograph of the 13-year old girl who authorities have announced is suffering from the first detected instance of A/H1N1, or swine flu, in Burma.
 
The journalist, who bribed hospital security in order to take the photograph, was detained in order to be tested for infection, a hospital official told Mizzima.
 
“It [our concern] is not simply the breaking of the rules of the hospital, his actions could also spread the disease,” said a specialist doctor of the hospital.
 
“He could be easily infected with the disease as he was not wearing any covers. Even when doctors go in to see her [the infected girl] they have to put on a special coat and mask. This reporter did not take any precaution, so we will have to quarantine him to check his situation,” the doctor explained.
 
Reportedly, the security agent who accepted the bribe from the reporter has since been sacked from his post.
 
Authorities are also said to be keeping a close watch over the infected girl’s parents, friends and schoolmates for any possible symptoms of the disease.
 
The 13-year old girl's temperature was normal when checked at Yangon Airport on June 26th. But later, while in school, her teacher, who is also a doctor at the Ministry of Health, found her cough strange and took her to the hospital.
 
While the rest of her classmates have been tested for the virus, one individual had reportedly already returned to their home village of Depayin in Sagaing Division, prompting authorities to continue their search for the missing pupil.