Japan confirms 3 cases of new flu strain

By Yoko Kubota

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan announced on Saturday its first confirmed cases of the new strain of flu -- a teacher in his 40s and two male teenage students who had spent time in Canada.

The global spread of the virus has kept alive concern over a possible pandemic, although scientists say this strain does not appear more deadly than seasonal flu.

The three Japanese had returned to Japan via Detroit on Friday after spending time in Canada, Health Minister Yoichi Masuzoe told a televised news conference.

All three were in hospital and the teacher was being given Tamiflu while the two students' fevers had subsided, he said.

Another 49 passengers who arrived on the same plane will stay in a separate facility for observation for 10 days, while all passengers on the plane were urged to pay close attention to their health for the same period and contact health authorities if they suffered any symptoms.

The new H1N1 flu has killed its first patient in Canada, making it the third country after Mexico and the United States to report a death from the virus that has sickened more than 3,000 people in 27 countries.

Japan has been checking passengers arriving on flights from the United States, Mexico and Canada and will keep doing so, but Masuzoe noted that such measures had their limits.

"I want to ask everyone to respond calmly and coolly," Masuzoe said.