South Korea confirms third case of swine flu

May 7, 2009, 2:24 GMT

Seoul - South Korea on Thursday confirmed its third case of infection with the influenza A(H1N1) swine-flu virus.

The latest case was a 62-year-old woman who was found to have been infected with the virus after returning from a recent trip to the United States, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.

She recovered and would be released from hospital later Thursday, the KCDC said.

The woman was on the same flight as a 51-year-old nun who has been confirmed as the first case of swine flu in South Korea. The nun tested positive for the virus after returning from Mexico via the United States.

On Tuesday, authorities confirmed that a fellow nun who had close contact with the first patient was also infected with the virus. It was the first case in Asia of a human-to-human infection.

Both nuns recovered and have left the hospital. In Asia, so far, three cases in South Korea, four in Israel and one in Hong Kong have been confirmed.

Around the world, there have been more than 1,800 confirmed cases, the large majority in Mexico and the United States.