Romania Swine Flu Suspicion Doesn’t Confirm – Health Ministry

Nechita said the two patients suspected have been diagnosed with rhinopharyngitis. A woman and her 18 month-old son were thought to have contracted the potentially deadly swine flu virus after a trip to Portugal.

"The case signaled in Arad was diagnosed with viral rhinopharyngitis and none of the patients had a fever. The baby contracted the illness from his mother, who is breastfeeding him,” Nechita said in a press release, adding the two will remain under strict supervision until they get well.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday said it raised its level of swine flu pandemic alert from phase 4 to 5, one step short of a full-scale pandemic.

Nine infectious diseases hospitals in Romania’s capital city Bucharest and towns countrywide received antiviral medicines for swine flu prevention. Antiviral medicines were provided to "Matei Bals" Institute for Infectious Diseases and "Victor Babes" hospital in Bucharest, as well as the infectious diseases units of hospitals located in Craiova, Timisoara, Cluj, Brasov, Constanta, Iasi and Targu-Mures.

Doctors urged Romanian citizens who returned from swine flu-hit areas to go to an infectious diseases hospital as soon as possible in case of flu-like symptoms.