22-year-old woman is fifth H1N1 case

Singapore has confirmed its fifth case of Influenza A (H1N1).

Th e Ministry of Heath (MOH) said yesterday that the latest patient is a 22-year-old Singaporean woman who went on a trip to Vermont and New York in the United States from May 13 to last Thursday.

She returned on Flight NH901 from New York via Tokyo and arrived in Singapore last friday shortly after 11.30pm.

The ministry spokesman said the woman, who was seated in Row 36 on the flight, passed checks by the thermal scanner in the airport as she did not have a fever at the time.

Her family met her at the airport and drove her home.

She developed a fever at about 8am he next day and her mother drove her to Tan Tock Seng Hospital Emergency Department later that morning.

She was admitted to the Communicable Diseases Centre for further assessment in the early afternoon and laboratory results confirmed her infection at 8pm last Saturday.

The woman joined four other patients here infected with the H1N1 virus. Three have been discharged. The first patient, a 22-year-old undergraduate, is still warded and in a stable condition.

MOH has started contact tracing of the fifth H1N1 patient's close contacts. they will be quarantined and provided with antiviral medication.

The Ministry urges passengers seated from row 34 to 38 on NH901 last Friday to contact it on 1800-333-9999 if they have not already done so.