Haiti paper says authorities note human flu in DR

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A Haitian newspaper reported Saturday that a government official acknowledged authorities erred when they said the neighboring Dominican Republic had an outbreak of avian flu.

The daily Le Nouvelliste reported that Public Health Minister Florence Duperval Guillaume said the presence of human flu was confirmed in a meeting with authorities from Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The two countries share the island of Hispaniola.

The newspaper also reported that Guillaume said lab results showed five Haitians tested positive with the flu. Those who fallen ill, she said, were a 13-month-old boy, a 25-year-old woman and three others.

Dominican health officials said this month that five people died of swine flu, not avian flu as Haiti had reported.

Haitian authorities responded by banning the import and sale of Dominican meats, chicken, eggs and other goods. Guillaume said the ban on meat products would be lifted soon.