The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it had tracked down 16 of 17 passengers who entered Taiwan yesterday from Tokyo after they boarded the same flight from the US city of Detroit to Tokyo as three passengers who Japanese authorities yesterday confirmed had tested positive for swine flu.
The remaining passenger has already left the country on a flight to Hong Kong, the CDC said.
The 17 people included two Americans and 15 Taiwanese, CDC spokesman Shih Wen-yi (施文儀) said.
“The chances of these 17 people being infected is quite low because they did not have close contact with the three confirmed Japanese patients. But, to be 100 percent safe, we still need to find them to confirm that,” Shih said.
Shih said the 17 passengers arrived in Taiwan late on Friday night. Japanese authorities at the time had not discovered any cases of the virus and the 16 passengers did not show any flu symptoms at customs, so they were not detained.
The Japanese government announced yesterday morning that a teacher and two students returning from North America had tested positive for swine flu, the first confirmed cases of the disease in that nation.
The confirmed cases in Japan have raised concern because Japanese tourists constitute the largest segment of tourist arrivals in Taiwan, with more than 1 million visiting each year.
In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has issued a “yellow” travel alert for Japan, bringing to 28 the number of countries and areas that Taiwan has tagged with the yellow advisory since the outbreak of swine flu began in Mexico.
“In light of the fact that Japan has confirmed three human infections of swine flu, the ministry has issued a yellow travel alert for the country and is advising citizens to take health precautions,” MOFA’s Bureau of Consular Affairs said in a press release yesterday.
Mexico remains the only country for which MOFA has given a “red” travel alert, with officials cautioning the public to avoid all non-essential trips to the country until further notice.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY JENNY W. HSU
Also See: ANALYSIS: Avian flu, 9/11 help US prepare for pandemic
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