First case of H1N1 announced in Lao PDR

The first case of H1N1 in Lao PDR was announced in a media release today by the Ministry of Health.

Below is an except.

'Lao PDR's first case of new influenza A (H1N1) was confirmed on Tuesday, 16 June 2009 by the National Center for Laboratory and Epidemiology (NCLE).
The infected person does not require hospitalisation and is currently isolated at home. He is recovering well with a mild illness that did not require treatment with Tamiflu medication. While the identity of the person cannot be made public, it can be shared that the person recently travelled from a country with confirmed cases of Influenza A H1N1. All close contacts of this person are being contacted and monitored for symptoms of infection in order to minimize the spread of infection in the community.
A sample was collected from the patient on the afternoon of June 15th, and was sent to NCLE for testing. The positive result was confirmed on June 16th using Real-Time RT-PCR testing with materials specifically designed to detect the new A/H1N1 influenza, provided by USCDC. An emergency meeting was convened hours later by the Health Minister and key health officials.'