Source: Xinhua
05-05-2009 14:08
Special Report: Tech MaxRIO DE JANEIRO, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's Health Ministry announced on Monday that 25 people were suspected of being infected with the A/H1N1 flu in the country.
According to the ministry, the suspected cases involved nine different states. Other 36 people in 19 states are being monitored by the health authorities, and a total of 60 cases have already been discarded by the doctors as the patients were diagnosed with other diseases.
Last Friday, Brazil changed the definition of suspected case of the A/H1N1 flu virus. Now, any person who comes from a country where there are confirmed cases of the disease and shows flu-like symptoms is considered a suspected case.
Additionally, anyone who was in contact with the infected people is also considered a suspected case. Under the new rules, all people who arrive from international trips showing the symptoms of A/H1N1 flu virus infection must be monitored by the ministry.
In order to speed up the diagnosis process, Brazil will receive on Tuesday kits for quick diagnosis of the new flu virus. The kits, which are produced in Atlanta, the United States, will be delivered to three major laboratories in the cities of Rio, Sao Paulo and Belem.
With the new kits, doctors will be able to diagnose the patients in two or three days, while the current diagnosis process, though accurate, takes 15 days to be completed.
Over 1,085 people in 21 countries have already been infected with the A/H1N1 flu virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday. A total of 26 people died from the disease in Mexico and the United States.
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Editor:Yang Jie
