Just when swine flu alert is going lower in Asia, Japan has been hit with the flu. A total of 283 cases(as of Thursday 21 May 2009) have been report in Japan alone. The first two cases of Swine Flu has been confirmed in Tokyo on Wednesday. Having reached Tokyo, one may wonder whether the flu would spread rapidly in Japan..

A 16-year-old girl in Hachioji, western Tokyo, was diagnosed with the new flu strain after coming back from a visit to New York from May 11 to 18, metropolitan government officials said.

Another student in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, west of Tokyo, has also been confirmed as having the flu, according to Kawasaki city officials.

It has been said that the two girls are students at the same school in Kawasaki, Senzoku Gakuen High School. They had traveled with four other students and a teacher to New York for a school-related event. The student had symptoms including fever during her flight back to Japan, but was not test positive for the flu at Narita airport. After reaching home, her fever rose and her family reported to a call center, suspecting it was the flu.

The health ministry said later that a total of 24 people were confirmed as being seated close to the two girls during their flight from New York to Narita.

Of the 24 people, 16 remains in Japan, consisting of five Japanese and 11 foreigners. The 16 people and the teacher will be tracked down to ensure that they have not contracted the flu which may infect others.

Schools are affected too: a 23-year-old male student at Ritsumeikan University was also confirmed with swine flu. As a result, the campus has been temporarily closed.

As of Wednesday night Japan time, more than 10,400 people in 43 countries and territories were confirmed as having been infected with the new flu, with 83 dead in Mexico, the United States, Canada and Costa Rica. The tally in Japan is the fourth largest in the world.

Because of the flu affecting many people, my trip is canceled T_T. Cries* No idea how the flu could not have been controlled in Japan since precautions could have been taken to ensure that the flu does not spread throughout the country. Was it due to the checking at the airport? Was it not strict enough?

So people, if you’re sick, don’t fly anywhere. Rest until you’re fully recovered!

Source: JapanToday