On June 4, 2009, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced two newly confirmed imported cases of influenza A (H1N1) in Taiwan, which are the 15th and 16th confirmed cases in Taiwan.

The fifteenth case is a 25-year-old, Taiwan-born male who currently attends college/university in New York, the United States. In the afternoon of May 28, 2009, the case returned to Taiwan from New York through Hong Kong and arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the evening of May 29, 2009. After landing in Taiwan, the case was drove home by his father.After returning home, the case had stayed at home most of the time.On June 1, 2009, the case developed itchy throat.On June 2, 2009, he developed more symptoms, including fever, cough and chills, and called the Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922, for consultation.Afterwards, the case put on a facemask and sought medical attention.

According to the case, he wore a facemask throughout his flight back to Taiwan. Besides spending most of his time in Taiwan with his parents, he had no close contacts with other people.Further, neither the case’s father nor the case’s mother has developed any symptoms at the time of writing.Therefore, it is highly likely that the case became infected with influenza A (H1N1) in New York. In the evening of June 3, 2009Influenza A (H1N1) infection was confirmed in the case, and the case was then sent to the isolation ward for treatment.As a result, the cases’ parents have both been given antiviral prophylaxis and requested to conduct self-health management. Currently, most of the case’s symptoms, including his fever, have subsided.Further, since the case developed symptoms after arriving in Taiwan for more than 48 hours, it is thus deemed unnecessary to trace the passengers who took the same flight with the case or request them to conduct self-health management.

The sixteenth case is a 24-year-old, Taiwan-born male businessman who worked in New York, the United States. On May 31, 2009, the case returned to Taiwan from New York through Hong Kong and arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on June 1, 2009.After landing in Taiwan, the case took a cab home.After returning home, he had stayed at home most of the time.In addition, no one else besides the case was home.According to the case, he developed symptoms, including fever, muscle pains and nasal congestion, on May 31, 2009.Since the symptoms had no subsided by June 2, 2009, the case walked to a hospital for medical assistance.After reporting the case to the health authority and collecting specimen from the case, the hospital gave the case antiviral prophylaxis and requested the case to conduct home quarantine.When influenza A (H1N1) infection was confirmed in the case in the evening of June 3, 2009, the case was sent to the isolation ward for treatment.

CECC indicated that the list of 55 close contacts on the same flight with the sixteenth case from Hong Kong to Taipei has been obtained and they will be followed up by local epidemic command centers.However, the close contacts on the same flight with the sixteenth case from New York to Hong Kong and the cab driver who drove the case home at around 21:00 on June 1, 2009 have not been reached at the time of writing.CECC stated that the case took flight CX841 on May 31, 2009 and the case’s plane seat was 32H.Hence, CECC urges all close contacts to voluntarily call 1922 to contact the health authority and to conduct self-health management.

CECC has reported the cases to the World Health Organization.