TWO more people were found positive of influenza A (H1N1) virus in Zamboanga Peninsula, bringing to three the confirmed cases in the region, a health official said Friday.

Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (Resu) chief Dra. Norvie Taruc said that among the new confirmed cases is a 63-year-old woman of Zamboanga City who recently arrived from Los Angeles, California.

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The other one is a 53-year-old man from the province of Zamboanga del Norte who just came from Perth, Australia.

Taruc said the two were already given the appropriate medications and were placed on house quarantine.

She said the Resu received Friday afternoon the laboratory results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Manila.

The first confirmed case of A (H1N1) in Zamboanga Peninsula was a nine-year-old pupil of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (Adzu). He came into contact with an A (H1N1)-affected relative.

Taruc advised the public not to panic despite the increasing number of A (H1N1) cases in the region. He, however, advised the public to immediately seek medication once they experienced signs and symptoms of the virus, which include fever, colds, cough and sore throat.

She said the public must also practice basic hygiene to avoid infection of the A (H1N1) virus.

The DOH has also placed under observation three other pupils of Adzu elementary school who showed signs and symptoms of H1N1 infection, Taruc said.

She said two of the cases under observation are classmates, while the other is a schoolmate of the nine-year-old pupil who was first found positive of A (H1N1).