Swine Flu Cases In Kazakhstan Are Central Asia's First
July 27, 2009
ASTANA -- Kazakh health officials say a German citizen was found to be carrying the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.
The patient, who flew to Astana from Duesseldorf, Germany, has been quarantined.
Last week six Kazakh children returning home from London were found to be H1N1 positive.
RFE/RL reports from the Kazakh capital say that swine flu has caused some panic among Astana residents, many of whom have started using surgical masks to protect themselves from the virus.
All drugstores in Astana are currently sold out of the surgical masks. The H1N1 cases are reportedly the first cases of swine flu in Central Asia. The virus has infected people in more than 160 countries worldwide.