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Japan swine flu cases surge, most are teenagers& |9 L8 |1 g# N7 K$ E/ X
By MARI YAMAGUCHI – 1 hour ago * ^, a" N+ }; p' }
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TOKYO (AP) — A wave of new confirmations sent the number of swine flu cases in Japan soaring to more than 120, health officials said Monday, prompting the government to order the closure of schools and the cancellation of community events.# d3 k! Z9 g' f) L& O9 ]
5 M4 T" r' Z( q ~At least 121 people have tested positive for the H1N1 virus, according health officials in the hardest hit areas. Most of the infected are teenagers, and all were recovering in local hospitals or their homes. Local media reports said the number was likely to go higher than 130.
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The country had just four confirmed cases as of Friday, all of whom were believed to have caught the flu outside of the country. But on Saturday, the Health Ministry confirmed the first case caught domestically, in the port city of Kobe, about 270 miles (430 kilometers) west of Tokyo.! {+ I- Q- I" c" H. K& a
. `( I9 X1 N- q* D- UThe number quickly increased from there, with four at the Tokyo airport, 78 in Hyogo, which includes Kobe, and 39 in the Osaka area. Osaka is Japan's second-largest urban area.& h+ E2 M9 j/ k4 @# r' R' ^- W; \) g
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"We must be careful, but with quick treatment patients can recover," said Prime Minister Taro Aso. "We must respond calmly and appropriately."
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Aso said the government is not yet planning to restrict gatherings.
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NTV, a commercial TV network, quoted World Health Organization officials as saying the new wave would make Japan the fourth-most infected country in the world, after Mexico, the United States and Canada.8 W6 q. Y" r$ Y6 W# {. N5 R2 \* y
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Hospitals have set up special "fever clinics" to separate possible swine flu carriers from other outpatients. Local governments established hot lines to guide people with flu symptoms. Newspapers also published graphics explaining the proper ways to wash hands and gargle.7 h3 I9 A/ C9 F: n# h
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Along with the school closures, the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ said most of its staff at a branch in Hyogo Prefecture, southwest Japan, were working from home after an employee tested positive./ e8 c0 Y3 P7 w2 a
: Q) U: G c7 o3 a& N"We have not determined how the virus spread in the region, and we are doing our best to track down the route of the infections and contain them," Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said.
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5 f8 x: E3 e: h1 h# jJapan's first four cases were spotted at an airport quarantine after three high school students and a teacher returned from a school trip to Canada in early May.
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Officials said they did not know whether the first four cases were related to the latest outbreak.
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7 _6 ?3 N {+ [# G2 V"We are issuing an epidemic warning," Osaka Gov. Toru Hashimoto said at a news conference. "We must be prepared for a further expansion."# C- x5 T5 ]9 z; A& i$ T* ~# |/ c
6 |: p' p% U4 R+ y# E9 o; X. DThe H1N1 swine flu virus is a new influenza strain. Health officials have warned that it could eventually infect millions of people.' d: z, H" S" P x% @3 R
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The World Health Organization has confirmed at least 8,480 human cases of swine flu in nearly 40 countries, mostly in the U.S. and Mexico, including 72 deaths. |
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发表于 2009-5-17 22:24
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