MANILA, Philippines – A foreign student at a university in Manila was found positive for the swine flu virus, prompting authorities to suspend classes there until June 14, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Wednesday.

The student, 21 and a female, from the De La Salle University arrived in the country on May 12 and started attending classes on May 25, the start of the first trimester, Duque said.

“We laud the DLSU for self-imposed suspension of classes from June 4 to 14 or 10 days after an international female student is positive for AH1N1 today [Wednesday].”

“She just has cough and sore throat, no fever,” said Duque, who declined to provide further information on the student.

The student started to show symptoms of the AH1N1 infection on May 29, prompting health authorities to subject her to tests that were found positive this Wednesday.

“It is possible she may have gotten this here and not from country of origin,” said Duque.

DLSU has 13,000 students and 1,500 staff who were advised to observe self quarantine.

But DLSU-College of Saint Benilde will continue to hold classes.

“We are doing contact tracing to see other exposed individuals related to the case. There is limited exposure to the newly confirmed case,” said Duque.

Brother Armin Luistro, DLSU president and chancellor, said the student only attended four classes with 30 students each, all of who have now been advised to watch out for flu-like symptoms and were instructed to call health authorities.

“There were very limited contact to the dormitory and she came in contact with only four teachers in her classes,” said Luistro.

“I appeal to student staff and students of DLSU Taft, Manila to avoid going to malls and crowded places for 10 days as precautionary measure,” said Duque.

Since May 1, the DOH has had 457 cases, of which 22 had been found positive, 78 with pending laboratory tests, 56 new ones under observation while the rest had been discharged after their tests yielded negative results.