A 62-year-old woman is infected on the flight that brought a nun already carrying the virus. South Korean authorities tighten controls and boost anti-flu stockpile. China releases 26 quarantined Canadian students. Brunei does the same to 200 British soldiers. In Afghanistan Kabul zoo locks up the country’s only pig. in the Philippines victory celebrations for boxer Manny Pacquiao are postponed.

Seoul (AsiaNews/Agencies) – South Korean authorities confirmed a third swine flu case, involving a 62-year-old woman who returned from the United States on the same flight as Seoul's first confirmed patient, a nun. The second case of influenza A (H1N1) was that of another nun, who picked up her fellow sister at the airport.

As a consequence South Korea has stepped up its inspections of inbound travellers, announcing plans to stockpile enough Tamiflu and other anti-influenza drugs to treat five million people.

Elsewhere around the world more countries are reporting more cases, but local authorities are also stressing that matters are under control.

In China, where 26 Canadian students were quarantined as a precautionary measure in a hotel in Changchun (Jilin), the authorities rejected accusations that hundreds of people were preventively quarantined.

In Brunei a quarantine order was lifted on 200 British soldiers who had arrived in the country for a military exercise. Three soldiers who had shown flu symptoms and who were isolated from the rest at Tutong hospital were also released. All the soldiers have now moved to an undisclosed location but are not in quarantine.

Every country affected by the pandemic threat has announced tighter controls, but in some cases some of the precautionary steps taken are a bit extravagant.

Kabul zoo quarantined Afghanistan’s only pig. after contacting colleagues in foreign zoos, Kabul Zoo Director Aziz Gul Saqib locked the animal away to avoid panic among visitors worried about the Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic.

Similarly, in the Philippines the authorities have decided to reschedule world boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao’s victory parade in Manila.

In the United States where he won the IBO light Welterweight title, the Filipino boxer was asked by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Filipino authorities to wait for five days in Los Angeles before coming home. However he chose not to stay and is scheduled to arrive back home tomorrow. But his parade and meeting with President Gloria Arroyo at Malacanang Presidential palace will have to wait.

In the Philippines no swine flu cases have been reported. Three of five people held for observation have been released.

According to the World Health Organisation 24 countries have been reported cases involving the H1N1 virus for a total of 1,893 people infected.

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