Chiang Mai – Burma’s authorities have confirmed detecting the second case of type A/H1N1 influenza in a 20-year old man in the country’s former capital city of Rangoon.
According to Burma’s state-run media, New Light of Myanmar, the man arrived Burma from Thailand with the Air Asia flight No. FD 3770 on July 6. The man became the officially announced second person contracting the deathly flu after the Junta’s paper reported on June 28 of the first human case on a 13-year old girl.
The paper said, the man, was not found having fever when inspected by health officials at the Rangoon International Airport on July 6. But, he developed a slight fever and complained of a sore throat next afternoon.
Reportedly, he took medical treatment as an Out Patient, but on July 8, the township health officials led by the Township Medical Officer visited his home and examined him and referred to the Waybargi Infectious Diseases Hospital.
After the Public Health Laboratory confirmed that the man has contracted type A/H1N1 influenza virus, he was quarantined at the Waybargi hospital.
Meanwhile, the paper said, the 13-year old girl has recovered fully and has been discharged from hospital after treatment.
The detection of the second case of A (H1N1) coincided with an order issued by the Rangoon Divisional Peace and Development Council (DPDC) not to wear surgical masks in schools.
“The directive says wearing surgical masks in schools will create panic among people. Schools have been instructed not to allow students and teachers to wear surgical masks, except those who are sick. The directive is on security grounds,” said a woman teacher of the State High School No. 1 in Rangoon.
But students’ parents said they are worried of sending their children to schools without wearing masks.
“My daughter said that they were not allowed to wear masks. There are many children who are suffering from cold and cough. The girl who contracted the virus is from this school, so we want our children to wear masks in school. We have no choice but to send our children to school or else their studies will be affected,” a father of a student from the Rangoon Technical College told Mizzima.
An official from the Elimination of Infectious Diseases said that they were not aware of the directive on not to wear surgical masks at schools. Reportedly, the directive was issued without prior consultations or knowledge of the Ministry of Health.
“We can’t understand the DPDC directive. It is very dangerous to be in crowded schools without any protection. We don’t know yet why they ordered not to wear masks,” the father said.
The paper said, following the detection of the second case, authorities have quarantined the patient and his family at home to prevent spread of the virus. Moreover, the paper said Health officials are keeping close surveillance on all the 104 passengers, who were onboard the flight of the Air Asia, and the airport officials on duty on July 6.
