Samoa has confirmed its first case of the A(H1N1) flu, better known as swine flu, yesterday, becoming the second country in the region to test positive for the virus.
According to the Samoa Observer, tests came back positive for one of the 29 who were part of the school party from Australia.All the other swabs tested negative.
According to the report, 'treatment for the positive case and the other three girls who developed the flu-like symptoms last week have been completed', according to Samoa's General Manager of National Health Services, Dr Stanley Dean, since treatment for them began immediately.
All of the party have begun taking tamiflu pills as they plan to leave the country within the week and transit through Auckland and New Zealand authorities 'insist the pills have to be taken three days before arrival', according to Dr. Dean.
Samoa becomes the second country in the region, after Tahiti's confirmation early this month, to have a confirmed case of swine flu.
Other nations in the region have had suspected cases which have so far turned out negative.
The latest update from the World Health Organization is that 76 countries have officially reported 35, 928 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 163 deaths.