3 handball players confirmed A/H1N1 flu at National Games

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-10-19 22:35

JINAN: Three handball players from China's 11th National Games tested positive for A/H1N1 virus as early as last Thursday, the local organizing committee told a press conference Monday.

"Now the temperatures of the three have dropped to normal," the deputy secretary of the local organizing committee, Zou Jifeng, said.

Anhui and Hebei handball teams were scheduled for the opening match of the event on Sunday. However, it was canceled due to the influenza.

"Three people were found higher temperatures with some influenza symptoms in routine temperature checks when both teams arrived at the hotel on the same bus last Thursday," Zou said.

"The samples were sent for test immediately and were confirmed A/H1N1 positive at 10 pm that night. Members of the two teams have been quarantined since then," he said.

The announcement was delayed as it needed final confirmation from the Shandong health administration, which announced the cases Monday morning.

Local organizing committee vowed to prevent the outbreak of the influenza and inoculated A/H1N1 vaccines to the most vulnerable groups, including volunteers and workers related to the Games.

Earlier this month, the Health Ministry warned possible serious and even fatal cases of the A/H1N1 virus as weather cooled and people returned to work after an eight-day-long National Day holiday.

The first death from the disease was reported when an 18-year-old woman in Maizhokunggar County, in Tibet's Lhasa City, died on October 4.

Those handball players will be quarantined until 11 p.m. on 22nd, during the time all the matches against them will be canceled and their opponents take the winnings, Zou said.

It is still unclear if the two teams can compete for the rest of the matches. "It will be decided on the medical observations during these days," He said.