TAIPEI: Three more cases of swine flu, officially known as A (H1N1) influenza, were confirmed in Taiwan yesterday, including the first-ever domestic infection, according to the Central Epidemics Command Center (CECC).

The first case of domestic infection, which is Taiwan's seventh confirmed case, involves a 40-year-old woman, had been in contact with Taiwan's fourth confirmed swine flu patient, said CECC spokesman Shih Wen-yi.

With the appearance of a domestic infection for the first time, the outbreak has been upgraded to the third stage of the yellow alert, suggesting that imported cases have already caused a second wave of infections in the community, Shih went on.

That same day, two more imported cases were also confirmed, bringing the total number of infected patients in Taiwan to nine, Shih added.

The two newly confirmed imported cases involved two students who both returned from San Francisco May 23 via EVA Airways flight BR007, according to Shih.

The outbreak is expected to stabilize soon however, and preparations are gearing up already to prevent an epidemic should the virus return in an even more virulent form in the autumn/winter season this year, the Department of Health chief said yesterday.

Yeh Ching-chuan said he anticipates that the A (H1N1) outbreak in Taiwan will be brought under control by the end of June. He added that he hopes Taiwan could maintain its yellow epidemic alert.

But he forecast a second wave of outbreaks in autumn and winter this year, adding that the government is taking contingency action. It has ordered six tons of Shikimic Acid, a key ingredient in Tamiflu, the primary medication in the treatment of the deadly flu strain, he said.

With the raw ingredients, Taiwan would be able to produce one ton of Tamiflu for use by 1 million people, Yeh said, noting that the government will also procure 10 million doses of vaccine against the A (H1N1) flu.

The government will purchase 2.5 million doses of swine flu vaccine from foreign pharmaceutical manufacturers and will contract local companies to produce the other 7.5 million doses, he said. The vaccination program can get underway in October, if necessary, Yeh said.

In addition, the government has purchased 5 million doses of vaccine against seasonal flu - far more than the 3.2 million doses it bought last year - for use this autumn and winter, Yeh said.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 05/26/2009 page2)