Taiwan disease control authorities said Wednesday about 15 medical students showed respiratory symptoms during a conference in Taipei, with six of them testing positive for the A/H1N1 flu virus.

The students were attending the 30th Asian Medical Students' Conference 2009, an eight-day forum which started Sunday and attracted more than 400 medical students from Taiwan and other regions and countries.

Most of the patients came from Hong Kong, the authorities said, adding that the patients were isolated at a local hotel for rest and treatment.

More than 20 people at the event could have been infected by the virus, but authorities approved the continuation of the conference after organizers handed out face masks to participants.

(Xinhua News Agency July 30, 2009)