Quarantined Passengers from Mexico Flight Show No Flu Symptoms

Xu Jianguang, head of Shanghai municipal health bureau, speaks at a press conference in Shanghai, east China, May 3, 2009. Sixty-eight people who were on the same Mexico City-Shanghai flight with a Mexican national later diagnosed with influenza A/H1N1 in Hong Kong, have been located and are in quarantine in Shanghai, health officials told reporters Sunday. None have displayed any flu symptoms, according to Xu Jianguang. [Xinhua/Liu Ying]

    None of the passengers quarantined in China who took the same flight with a Mexican national later diagnosed with influenza A/H1N1 in Hong Kong had shown flu symptoms as of Sunday noon, China's health ministry said.

    All the passengers aboard Thursday's Mexican flight Aeromexico 098 from Mexico City to Shanghai have been located and those who remained in China were quarantined, the ministry said.

    The Mexican, a 25-year-old male, arrived in Shanghai Thursday aboard the flight, which carried 176 passengers and 13 crew. Hourslater, he and some other passengers left for Hong Kong on China Eastern Airlines flight MU505.

    He was confirmed on Friday in Hong Kong to be infected with influenza A/H1N1. It was also the first such case in Asia.

    Mao Qun'an, an official with the ministry, said China had "redoubled its prevention and control efforts" following the notification from Hong Kong, including tracing the passengers and putting them under medical observation, suspending flights from Mexico starting Saturday, and stepping up communication with Hong Kong and the World Health Organization.

Strict Quarantine

    The week-long quarantine in Shanghai affects 68 people, including 48 passengers whose destination was Shanghai, seven who intended to go on to other destinations, and 13 crew members.

    They were divided into two groups in two hotels, one in Nanhui district, the other in Pudong district.

    Fifty-nine relatives of the 48 Shanghai passengers were asked to stay at home for observation.

    Another 28 people who had close contacts with the Mexican at the airport were also under observation at home. They include two customs staff, eight border police, six China Eastern staff and 12safety inspectors.

    Among the 176 passengers on AM098, excluding the 55 in Shanghai,111 went to 18 Chinese provinces and municipalities, which have taken similar measures against the epidemic, while 10 others left the Chinese mainland, going to Japan, Thailand and Hong Kong.