A 27-year-old Australian resident of Laos who returned to the country on June 11 has been confirmed as the first case of influenza A (H1N1) in Laos.
Health officials said the man, whose name has not been revealed for privacy reasons, does not require hospitalisation and is being isolated at his home.
He is recovering well with a mild illness that does not require treatment with Tamiflu medication.
The man travelled through Australia , several countries in Africa and then Thailand prior to entering Laos , but his symptoms developed after arrival.
Samples were collected for testing on June 15 and the test result was found to be positive a day later.
Efforts are being made to get in touch with those who may have been exposed to the virus from contact with the man.
Those with symptoms of infection will be monitored to minimise the spread of the infection in the community.
Minister of Public Health Dr Ponmek Dalaloy said at a press conference yesterday the World Health Organisation had raised its pandemic alert level from 5 to 6 last week.
He said the decision was based on the spread of virus, not on its severity.
“The severity of the virus is moderate. It's not necessary to close the border to control the virus. We have held meetings with many countries to jointly respond to the virus,” he said.
“People should not panic too much about the situation. The virus will not have any adverse impact on our SEA Games preparations. We have declared this case so that we can cooperate more fully with other countries.”
The ministry will strictly monitor border entry points and enhance surveillance measures to make sure all monitoring is effective.
World Health Organisation Representative to Laos Dr Dong Il Ahn said he would not be surprised if further cases were reported in Laos in the coming weeks along with tourist arrivals.
He said he was concerned the virus would spread in local communities.
The WHO said it would have sufficient supplies of anti-viral drugs for Laos in the event they were deemed medically necessary.
A team of health officials went to the office where the Australian man worked to check on those in close contact with him, but nobody else was found to be sick.
The man had gone to work on Monday for half the day.
The government has been working with relevant organisations and neighbouring countries to prepare for the virus since the outbreak started in Mexico .
Preparations include clinical management and disease-control training for health professionals at national, provincial and district levels, and strengthening measures at international border crossings.
Dr Ponmek said members of the public had an important role to play in controlling the spread of the virus by staying home if they were sick, coughing or had a runny nose.
People should also wash their hands frequently with soap and limit contact with people whom they think might be sick.
It is advisable for those who have a fever and respiratory symptoms to be monitored and limit their contact with others.
As at June 16, 35,928 cases of the A (H1N1) virus have been confirmed in 76 countries, with 163 deaths.
