American baby only had seasonal flu – still no H1N1 flu cases in Japan
The reports of a possible swine flu (H1N1 flu) case at Yokota airbase have proven to be a false alarm:
The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced Sunday that a 4-month-old American baby who was quarantined at a U.S. base in Japan has seasonal influenza, ruling out the possibility of infection with the new strain of the virus.
The baby, who arrived at the U.S. Yokota Air Base on Friday on a chartered flight from Seattle along with other passengers, is recovering from the influenza A Soviet type with the baby’s temperature falling, according to the ministry.
That means there are still no confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu in Japan. However, reports of suspected cases are still being reported, with the latest being a 40-year-old woman on a flight from San Francisco who tested positive to a type-A flu test. She is in quarantine until further testing can determine what type of flu she has contracted.
If the new flu does arrive in Japan, the government appears to be well-prepared: 684 “fever clinics” are in the process of opening across Japan. I’ve also heard from students that some of the Japanese universities that sent alarming e-mails to students are beginning to backtrack now that the swine flu has proven to be far less dangerous than first expected.
- Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
- dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
- Kirainet.com – A geek in Japan (Subscribe)
