WHO: 14 swine flu cases in Tajikistan
24/12/2009
There have been 14 cases of swine flu confirmed in Tajikistan so far, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
A spokeswoman for the country's health ministry Maysara Qurbonova has confirmed that of 225 samples taken and sent for testing, 14 were found to be H1N1-positive, reported Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
She added that nine of the swine flu patients are individuals who have come overseas from countries such as China, India and Russia.
The remaining five, two of who are children, are Tajiks and come from the country's capital city Dushanbe.
All 14 individuals are receiving medical treatment for the condition and some have already left hospital, Ms Qurbonova is quoted by the publication as saying.
However, there have been no fatalities recorded so far due to the outbreak of the infection in the country, Craig Hampton, a technical officer at the WHO's disaster preparedness response unit, told the news agency.
In October, Unicef confirmed that over two million children in Tajikistan have been successfully vaccinated against measles and rubella.
Written by Clare Devlin
