Six more Bangladesh citizens, who came to Dhaka from the United States (US), were tested positive of Influenza A (H1N1), commonly known as swine flu, a doctor said Wednesday, reports UNB.

Dr Mahmudur Rahman, the government spokesperson on swine flu, told a health seminar and press briefing in the city that they conducted tests on 28 suspects who mostly came from the USA on June 14 and detected positive influenza virus H1N1.

Dr. Rahman, also director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Diseases Control and Research, and of the National Influenza Centre, said infection of the patients, aged two to 20 years, was not serious and they were kept in home confinement.

"We have detected the new affected persons in the last two days. After detection of the first swine-flu case, our team found out those who got affected. Of them, six people were found H1N1 virus-positive," he said.

He said all the seven affected persons, including three from outside Dhaka city, remained under treatment and confined to home until this month-end.

On June 19, the authorities first announced the detection of first human case of swine flu in Bangladesh who came from New York on June 14.

Dr Mahmud said most swine flu-affected persons came from the USA by the same flight in which the first one arrived.

Asked about the preparation to prevent the pandemic H1N1, he said health support desks in 16 air, sea and land ports had already started screening tests while the screening began at Zia International Airport on April 29. About 41,386 passengers have been screened until June 14.

He also said that the influenza wards at Chest Diseases Hospital (NIDCH) at Mohakhali were ready to tackle any kind of emergency.

"Isolation units at 30 district hospitals have already been completed and the isolation units will be ready at all district hospitals by the end of the year," Dr Mahmud said.

He said all district civil surgeons had been directed by the director general (DG) of health services to keep themselves prepared for tackling the situation.

About laboratory facilities, he said Bangladesh was quite capable of diagnosis of Influenza A H1N1 at laboratory of IEDCR with Real-time RT-PCR to provide swine-flu-confirmatory results within 24 hours.

However, admitting apprehension about spread of the influenza epidemic, he said Bangladesh was at risk of epidemic as it was a densely populated country. So, people would have to take precautionary initiative.