Fourth Finnish swine flu patient found

Young man in north of Finland caught virus in USA

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A fourth Finnish case of the A(H1N1), or swine flu virus was confirmed on Saturday evening in the north of Finland. A man of working age had caught the virus during a trip to New York. He is reportedly in good condition.
      The symptoms emerged just over a day after his return to Finland.
      The National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) reported the case to the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) in Stockholm. However, at the request of the patient, the Finnish health care district did not issue a public statement on the matter, which led to the one-day delay in reporting the incident.
      The patient also asked that his home community and the hospital where he was treated should not be made public.
     
The spread of the virus now focuses on the Southern Hemisphere, where the colder “flu season” has started.
      For reasons not quite understood, influenzas do not spread easily in the summer in the Northern Hemisphere, although the spread of flu virus is not directly related to heat waves, says Pekka Ruutu, research professor at THL.
     
Some laboratory samples were tested during the weekend for H1N1, but all proved to be negative.
      The previous confirmed case was diagnosed on Wednesday last week.
      Travellers returning to Finland from Mexico, the United States, and Canada are urged to monitor their state of health for seven days after their return, and to seek medical attention if any flu symptoms appear.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Swine flu still expected to arrive in Finland in the autumn (28.5.2009)
  Researcher: Swine flu to land in Finland from south in the autumn (18.5.2009)
  Swine flu brought to Finland from Mexico by couple is milder than feared (13.5.2009)
  Finland prepared even for major epidemic of swine flu (28.4.2009)

Helsingin Sanomat