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JERUSALEM, May 2, 2009 (AFP) - A third case of swine flu has been confirmed in Israel, in a man who recently returned from Mexico, the health ministry said on Saturday.
"An Israeli man aged 34 who recently returned from Mexico has been diagnosed with the virus," health ministry spokeswoman Einav Shimron told AFP.
"He has been taken to Tel Aviv's Ichilov hospital and put in an isolated section along with his partner," he said, adding that the results of the tests on the woman tests were not yet known.
Military radio said that the man and his 27-year-old partner were hospitalised on Friday and that their condition was not considered serious.
The influenza A(H1N1) virus has already been confirmed in two Israelis who recently returned from Mexico, in the first such cases in the Middle East. They have been allowed to leave hospital following treatment.
Israel on Thursday imposed strict controls at airports and border crossings to monitor people returning from Mexico in an effort to prevent further swine flu infections.
Israel also raised its alert level to five, one notch below the highest phase six level, and decided to import more flu medicine since current stocks only cover the needs of 16-17 percent of the population.
A special clinic for travellers arriving from Mexico was set up at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport, the health ministry spokeswoman said.
"We have advised them to stay home for seven days after their departure from Mexico," she added.
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