1st new-flu case in Tokyo confirmed; infections number 263 in Japan

Wednesday 20th May, 07:00 PM JST

TOKYO —

The first cases of the new strain of H1N1 influenza were confirmed both in Tokyo and Shiga Prefecture on Wednesday, bringing the tally of infections in the country to 263 along with other cases in Hyogo and Osaka prefectures in western Japan.

The person confirmed infected in Tokyo is a 16-year-old girl in Hachioji, western Tokyo, who has a record of recently visiting the United States, officials of the metropolitan government said.

Meanwhile, a 23-year-old male student at Ritsumeikan University, who lives in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, was confirmed as being infected with the new flu virus after visiting Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, from Friday to Monday, the Shiga prefectural government said.

The private university said it will temporarily close its campus in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture, where the student attends classes.

Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yoichi Masuzoe told a press conference Wednesday that detailed examinations, called polymerase chain reaction analysis, will continue to be conducted for all those suspected of being infected with the new flu.

Newly confirmed cases were also reported in Osaka and Hyogo prefectures, including a 25-year-old female medical clerk working at a hospital in Kobe, Hyogo, which is designated to diagnose and treat people with infectious diseases, the local authority said.

Osaka, Hyogo and Shiga prefectures are located in western Japan.

The city office of Otsu decided to shut elementary and junior high schools plus kindergartens that it runs for seven days, and the Shiga government followed suit for all high schools that it runs.

In Kobe, medical institutions other than nine designated hospitals for treating people with fever, or potentially infected people, began handling such cases, as the surge in new-flu infections pushed the capacity of the institutions to the limit.

Osaka Gov Toru Hashimoto said his government will review the blanket closure of schools in the prefecture.

The moves by Kobe and Osaka Prefecture suggest that they are taking measures under phase 3 of the central government’s anti-epidemic action program, which assumes the flu is widespread. The central government is maintaining phase 2, which refers to an early stage of a domestic outbreak.

According to the Shiga government, the infected student stayed at the home of relatives in Kobe from Friday, developed a fever of more than 38 C and a cough on Sunday night, returned to Shiga on Monday morning and attended a morning class on the campus in the city of Kusatsu.

The student, who lives alone in Otsu, saw a doctor Tuesday evening at a hospital run by Otsu city and tested positive in a detailed examination, but he has almost recovered after taking Tamiflu, with his temperature falling to around 36 C, although he remains hospitalized in an Otsu hospital.

‘‘The prefectural government will do everything to prevent a further spread of infection,’’ Shiga Gov. Yukiko Kada told reporters after attending a meeting of its task force in the morning.

According to Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, where the infected female clerk works, the likelihood that the woman contracted the disease from patients is low because she developed flu symptoms on May 13, before the hospital began accepting new-flu patients.

But the center prohibited visits to inpatients after the woman became infected, it said.

The first domestic infection of the new H1N1 strain of influenza was confirmed Saturday in a high school student in Kobe with no record of recent travel abroad, a week after four people were found May 9 to have the flu on their arrival at Narita airport from Canada via the United States.

The four—three high school students and a teacher from Osaka—have already been discharged from hospitals in Chiba Prefecture.

As of Wednesday evening Japan time, more than 10,300 people in 43 countries and territories were confirmed as having been infected with the new flu, with 83 dead in Mexico, the United States, Canada and Costa Rica. The tally in Japan is the fourth largest in the world.

Wire reports

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Latest 15 of 61 Total Comments Show All

EUgirl at 12:54 AM JST - 21st May

Rekka: I think one of the Hachioji koukou girls lives in Kawasaki or opposite...Kawasaki koukou girl who lives in Hachioji...
USAkuma at 01:05 AM JST - 21st May

I think the main point of all this is that now that it has shown its ugly head here in the Tokyo area, it will complete its spread throughout Japan so long as people on crowded trains continue sneezing and coughing openly without any consideration to others around them.

Not so many years ago, people here were more considerate of each other, but those days have passed and consideration went the way of the dodo bird. So they will reap what they have sewn. Maybe they'll start learning politeness and manners again. like covering your mouth when you sneeze or cough.

maybe.
neverknow2 at 01:06 AM JST - 21st May

It's spreading here because no one knows how to cover their mouths properly and are spreading the illness like pigs in a pigpen.

100% AGREED

100% AGREED

100% AGREED

100% AGREED

100% AGREED
telecasterplayer at 01:19 AM JST - 21st May

Where in the US were these Japanese teens hanging out? My family lives in one of the supposedly hardest-hit areas of the US, and no one knows of anybody with h1n1. That includes old folks, grubby teenagers, adults who work in public service.
KnowBetter at 02:37 AM JST - 21st May

"Den Den at 11:50 PM JST - 20th May

263 out of 120,000,000 people with a bit of fever. What's that as a fraction?"

WOW, around 7 million have already died or left Japan already? Last I heard Japan has around 127 million people NOT 120 million.
XXXXX at 03:07 AM JST - 21st May

This can't be the first.
tigerguy at 03:56 AM JST - 21st May

It's spreading here because no one knows how to cover their mouths properly and are spreading the illness like pigs in a pigpen.

I agree with you 100%. I've witnessed people on the trains coughing and sneezing openly like it was their duty to spread their dirty germs around. I've also seen people excavating their noses and then wiping it onto the train seats. They should wear a mask and be more considerate.
Fadamor at 04:04 AM JST - 21st May

The U.S. says the disease is hitting obese people harder than people of normal weight. Not sure why...
XXXXX at 04:19 AM JST - 21st May

in other words, there'll be more cases in the USA than in other countries...
kenchan at 04:37 AM JST - 21st May

smith> yr rationale would make sense if the Japanese contagion was in Tokyo, but its been in Osaka and that has about the same population as London. Plus I would consider London transport to be one of the most dirty systems in the developed world. It is infested with mice everywhere and I make sure I wash my hands after coming off the northern line.

Bento is probably right about higher checks rates in Japan...but only because getting an appointment at yr local GP in the UK is a nightmare...you'll be over yr flu by the time you can get an appointment..I kid u not people!
IvanCoughalot at 09:21 AM JST - 21st May

I've witnessed people on the trains coughing and sneezing openly like it was their duty to spread their dirty germs around. I've also seen people excavating their noses and then wiping it onto the train seats. They should wear a mask and be more considerate.

Tigerguy - you use the Chiyoda Line too, eh? There was a ridiculous old battleaxe in Kita-Senju last evening sneezing her wig off every five seconds without even a gesture of covering her mouth, then she glowered at me like it was my fault. She very nearly got mooned.

It sickens me to see these halitosic Toshis knuckle-deep in their own sinus every day. And then, when they finally get something, they have a good look at it. What do they expect to find up there?

"This could be it! The Koh-in-Noor diamond! Got it! Let me count my riches...oh no, just another bogey. Better wipe it on the seat. Oh, my stop..."

Then he gets hold of the handrail and gets off the train, holding the escalator rail or pushing the button on the lift. Next passenger uses the lift, and carries Toshi's bogey into his own office.

Oh, I wonder why it's spreading?

a) No soap in washrooms (parks, public buildings and public transport) b) No idea of even rudimentary public hygiene.

But never mind, I'm wearing a mask like I've seen people around me do, so I'll follow suit and regardless of how useless the mask is in terms of disease control, it will act as a talisman against evil.

Utterly disgusting, these people.
MagnusGarstin at 01:32 PM JST - 21st May

Hi Ivan, most of the foul characters I've been unfortunate enough to witness plumbing the depths of their nasal cavities on a train have at least had the decency to eat it after rolling it around for a while. In this way, I suppose that they are actively stopping the spread of germs by bravely ingesting their own grey and khaki "flubber-lumps". I offered one a tissue once but he got most offended as I had obviously negated his supreme goodwill gesture toward world hygiene. Stupid me.
Yelnats at 03:22 PM JST - 21st May

I have never seen anyone wipe their boogers on a train seat in 25 years. Most people that cough and sneeze are wearing masks, and it is due to pollen and also not to spread colds.
kenchan at 08:55 PM JST - 21st May

its funny when I read people's compliants about the worsening behaviour of Japanese in public places like trains....I don't disagree but relatively the Japanese are still way more polite than western countries like the UK, US, France etc...It will be another 5 to 10 years before Japan even comes close to being as rude and aggressive as the public in the west.

Therefore, the argument that the Japanese are spreading the virus alot because of their rude coughing is a false assumption imho.
IvanCoughalot at 10:21 PM JST - 21st May

Kenchan - how often to you see - or more likely hear - Toshi hacking up the contents of his bronchioles and gobbing it out into the street or station platform?

For me, it's a daily occurrence. Sickening in every sense of the word, and the mucosa expelled is home sweet home to the influenza virus.

And there seems to be an unwritten law in this country that once you reach the age of 45, you are exempt from the public courtesy of covering your mouth when you cough, sneeze or yawn.

Maybe this isn't spreading the virus yet, as it may not be human-to-human airborne - yet. But it certainly isn't going to help anything, and it is a sign of abysmal manners.