Bandar Seri Begawan - The Ministry of Health yesterday confirmed that a 19-year-old Bruneian student who arrived from the United Kingdom on June 16 for summer holidays has tested positive for Influenza A (H1N1) and is currently being quarantined and undergoing treatment at the Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Hj Al-Muhtadee Billah Hospital in Tutong.

This was disclosed by Minister of Health Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Haji Osman yesterday.

The minister said that the student first showed symptoms on June 19 before voluntarily turning in himself at the Accident and Emergency Department at Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (Ripas) Hospital yesterday.

"We carried out the RAPID result test on him which proved positive. We then put him through the PC1 and other subsequent tests which confirmed him as the first Bruneian infected with Influenza a (H1N1)," he said, adding that the patient is currently in a "not to be worried" condition.

Even though the source of infection could not be confirmed at press time, the minister believed that the student had first contracted the virus either in UK or through transit stops on his journey to Brunei.

"This is a case that came from other countries, as we all know UK is one of the affected areas with numerous confirmed cases of the infection," he said.

Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi was however optimistic that the infection would be successfully contained as the patient has been isolated and quarantined immediately after he reported himself.

"We have taken timely measures... from the moment we knew that he was a suspect, we have kept him away from his family so there is a good chance that we have prevented it from spreading to any of his family member," he said.

"In fact, we have traced his movement to the time where he left his place of stay in UK, but according to our information, he had gone directly to the airport from his residence where he boarded the flight... he was not ill during the time, so the likelihood of him spreading the virus to others is very remote," said the minister.

Other passengers on the flight, BI098, will not be contacted by the ministry due to the low risk of infection.

The minister then advised the general public to remain calm and not to panic.

He stressed the importance of taking precautionary measures such as restricting travel and keeping up one's personal hygiene and coughs/ sneeze etiquette.

"If you follow the advice (provided by the ministry), we are pretty confident that we can minimise the risk of big infection numbers," said Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi, adding that total prevention of the infection is unlikely due to the nature of today's travelling culture.

"We are quite anxious because many students will be returning for their summer holidays so we will be more stringent when it comes to monitoring people entering the country," he said.

Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi also spoke on the importance of reporting oneself to the relevant authorities as soon as possible if one develops any symptoms of H1N1 to help contain the pandemic.

The one positive case has elevated Brunei's flu alert level from Phase 6A to Phase 6B.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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