China's Health Minister Chen Zhu proposed at the meeting to convene an international scientific conference on Influenza A/H1N1 in the nearest possible date in China, as he and his counterparts from other ASEAN Plus Three countries meet in Bangkok in the face of the threat of the new flu virus.
China will work closely with and provide necessary technical assistance to ASEAN countries on flu-fighting, the minister said, adding that one possible area for collaboration is capacity building, another being scientific research.
"If needed, China is willing to organize training courses for rapid diagnostic technology and provide reagents to ASEAN countries," Chen said.
In India, the Health Ministry said on Friday that the country remained free from H1N1 flu Friday while testing three suspected H1N1 cases, after samples of 26 persons have been tested negative so far.
A total of 39,729 passengers have been screened so far, including 5,042 from affected countries, said the ministry.
In a latest development, one person who disembarked at Hyderabad airport Friday has been referred to health facility and is under observation, said a health official.
In Vietnam, health officials of the Ho Chi Minh City authority said that that a Malaysian traveler arriving at the city's Tan Son Nhat International Airport on Thursday showed the flu-like symptom, said the local newspaper Pioneer on Friday.
The 67-year-old tourist named Soohar was detected of having a high body temperature and was isolated and taken to the city's Tropical Diseases Hospital for A/H1N1 tests.
In Indonesia, Dr. I Gusti Ngurah Mahardika, head of a laboratory at Udayana state university in Denpasar of Bali said the influenza A/H1N1 virus has not been found in the country so far, according to the state media Antara news agency.
"Based on data available until now, no virus of this kind has been found in Indonesia," the researcher said.
However, the doctor warned there was a big possibility for the virus to enter the country through public traffic.
(Xinhua News Agency May 9, 2009)
