PM: 20 more flu cases in Pattaya

Another 20 cases of A(H1N1) influenza have been found in the resort town of Pattaya, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Thursday.

The patients were all workers at entertainment places.  All were now in the care of the Public Health Ministry,  the prime minister said.

Health officials would examine  people at major tourist attractions in both Pattaya and Phuket to get a more accurate number of how many people have so far caught the flu in Thailand.

On Wednesday, the Public Health Ministry put the number of confirmed flu cases at 16, after an 11-year-old 6th grade boy at a private school in Sam Sen area of Bangkok was found to have the flu virus.

The ministry ordered three classes at the school closed for three days and 13 other students from the school were placed under close watch after they showed flu-like symptoms.

The 11-year-old boy is the second case of human-to-human transmission confirmed  in Thailand.  He has not recently travelled out of the country, officials said.