By: Annie Freeda Cruez

PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA - New measures have been put in place to contain the influenza A (H1N1) outbreak, especially of "imported" cases.

These include designating 10 more hospitals to take throat swabs from travellers suspected of having the flu and more stringent screening at international airports.

The 10 hospitals are Selayang Hospital, Serdang Hospital, Ampang Hospital, Putrajaya Hospital, University Malaya Medical Centre,

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Seberang Jaya Hospital, Sungai Petani Hospital, Sultan Ismail Hospital in Pandan, Johor, and Sultan Ahmad Shah Hospital in Temerloh, Pahang.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said travellers, especially those from infected countries such as Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and the Philippines, would be sent to these hospitals for throat swabs.

"The suspected cases will be ordered to be home quarantined. If results show them positive for the flu, they will be admitted to one of the influenza A-designated hospitals," he said at the daily press conference after chairing the sixth influenza A technical committee meeting yesterday.

"In the next week or so, we may allow private hospitals to do the screening."

Dr Ismail said those suspected of being infected with the H1N1 virus and who had existing illnesses or were suffering from chronic lung diseases would be admitted to designated hospitals after the throat swabs.

Similarly, he said, all children under 18 years old and showing flu symptoms would be admitted to the nearest designated hospital.

"We will give anti-viral treatment to all suspected cases for two days. It's a precautionary measure to stop them from infecting others."

Dr Ismail said the admission period had also been shortened from seven to three days.

"If they are okay on the third day, we will discharge them, give them the required medication and ask them to quarantine themselves," he said, adding that patients preferred the home environment to complete their recovery.

To reduce local transmissions, Dr Ismail said, the technical committee decided that those who arrived from badly affected countries such as Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom should be self-quarantined during the seven-day incubation period.

"They should alert health authorities if they come down with fever, cough, sore throat and headache. Schoolchildren whose schools and classes have been closed must also practise self-quarantine."

He said institutions of higher learning had been put on high alert to avert closure and university students who went on holidays abroad had been told to go on self-quarantine for seven days.

He said Malaysians and foreigners must cooperate with the health authorities on self-quarantine or else the situation could worsen.

On tighter screening at international airports, Dr Ismail said health officers would scrutinise the health declaration forms as some had been untruthful.

The health officers will also be on the lookout for passengers who do not look well.

Dr Ismail said the health authorities would not be carrying out checks on passengers in planes as this might delay transit passengers.

"We will, however, scan everyone when they come out of the aircraft and another time before they reach the Immigration."

Dr Ismail said there had been a 400 per cent increase in the number of cases in a week.

"Last week, we had 21 cases with one local transmission but this week, we have 80 cases with 11 local transmissions. This means there is a gap in the detection system."

--NST