Japan confirms first domestic H1N1 infection
Japan has confirmed its first domestic case of H1N1 flu, a high school student in Kobe:
A high school student from Kobe, western Japan, tested positive for swine flu after coming down with fever, Shinsuke Izumi, assistant manager at Kobe city’s crisis management center, said by phone. Test results show two more students from the same school are “99 percent certain” to have swine flu and the outcome of a final analysis by Tokyo’s Infectious Disease Surveillance Center will probably be announced today, he said.
Health officials are investigating how the first student, who said he didn’t go overseas, contracted the illness, Izumi said. Japan will introduce measures to prevent the infection from spreading, based on its investigation of the patient and those who came in contact with him, Prime Minister Taro Aso said in a statement, without giving specific details.
The Hyogo prefectural government has responded by announcing that the school high school in question will be shut down for 10 days, along with 75 kindergarten, elementary, junior high, and high schools in the city (but not all of the city’s schools). A city festival has also been canceled. Schools in other prefectures have canceled planned class trips to the Kobe area as well.
Some other reactions to the H1N1 flu threat include:
- The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will distribute lots of posters urging travelers and public transportation passengers to wear protective masks. [The value of such mask-wearing has been called into question, but the MLIT doesn't seem to care.]
- JR West and Hankyu Railways are telling their employees to wear masks.
- Sporting events that were supposed to be held in Kobe are being postponed or canceled.
- The Osaka Kyocera Dome has stopped selling “jet balloons.” Warnings about wearing masks and washing hands/gargling throats will be made during baseball games.
- Those unlucky enough to enter the country on a plane containing a flu carrying passenger will be forced to undergo 7 days of quarantine if they happen to be seated within a risky distance of the flu carrier.
- Josai International University had to cancel an academic conference because it was feared that its international guests would cause flu infections.
- The Japanese women’s soccer team canceled a series of international exhibition matches. Children’s soccer teams also seem to be following this path.
- New Zealand and Canada are reporting large numbers of tour cancellations from Japanese. Hawaii’s tourism industry is also taking a big hit.
A panel of experts believes the virus may already be spreading throughout Japan. Those who may already be infected may not show symptoms for several days, and when they do, they will have likely spread it to other unsuspecting victims.
If Japanese authorities attempt to continue their policy of hyper sensitivity towards the flu, we can expect quite a lot of closures and cancellations in the near future.
Update: 5 students at another high school in Kobe have been found to be infected.
- Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
- dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
- Kirainet.com – A geek in Japan (Subscribe)
