BANGKOK (Xinhua) -- The second round of the A/H1N1 influenza outbreak in Thailand has started, Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said Thursday.
In the countryside the A/H1N1 virus is spreading in schools as the winter is affecting Thailand, the minister said.
Also, the people's gathering at festivals during the winter time has contributed to the second outbreak of the new flu, Witthaya said.
Hence, public health agencies nationwide have been instructed to strictly implement preventive measures for four months from November to February to curb the outbreak, he said.
These preventive steps include wearing a face mask, often washing hands, avoiding crowded places, and suspending working or class after developing flu-liked symptoms.
Students, working people, elders, and those with chronic diseases will be closely monitored, the minister said.
On Wednesday the Bureau of Epidemiology reported one more death case due to the A/H1N1 contraction, bringing the country's death toll from the new virus to 185.
Thailand had its first two confirmed patients on May 12.
H1N1 Situation in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 (Bernama) -- An Influenza A(H1N1) cluster was reported at the Sekolah Kebangsaan Paya Bungor, Kuantan, last week, Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said.
In a statement, he said the district health office had taken the necessary measures to address the matter.
Meanwhile, he said the death toll from H1N1 in the country remained at 77, with no new deaths reported.
Last week, 619 new patients were hospitalised with the influenza-like illness (ILI).
Up to Nov 14, 448 ILI cases were still being treated at 62 hospitals nationwide, he said.
On the global H1N1 situation, Dr Ismail said as at Nov 8, there were 503,536 confirmed H1N1 cases with 6,260 deaths in 206 countries.
He said the transmissions in the northern hemisphere countries such as North America, West Canada, Europe and Asia showed an unusual increase of ILI cases.
The surveillance in those countries showed that the percentage of the H1N1 virus detected was higher compared to seasonal influenza virus.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Global Death Toll Due To A(H1N1) Exeeds 6000 - WHO
THE number of swine flu deaths has grown by more than 370 over a week to pass 6000, as the pandemic spread into more than 199 countries and territories, World Health Organisation data showed.
The A(H1N1) pandemic is currently being fuelled by "intense and persistent'' transmission in North America and an "unusually early'' start to winter flu season in Europe as well as in central and western Asia, a WHO statement said.
The death toll recorded on November 1 reached at least 6071, it added.
The Americas region accounts for nearly three quarters of the global toll with 4399 deaths, an increase of 224 in a week.
The proportion of recorded visits to doctors in North America due to influenza-like illness exceeded levels seen over the past six flu seasons, according to the UN health agency.
Just 42 per cent of samples tested there were positive for influenza, but all of them were for the pandemic A(H1N1) strain.
The WHO also highlighted signs of "increasing and active transmission'' of pandemic influenza virus across Northern and Eastern Europe, including Ukraine and Belarus, as well as in eastern Russia.
The A(H1N1) pandemic is currently being fuelled by "intense and persistent'' transmission in North America and an "unusually early'' start to winter flu season in Europe as well as in central and western Asia, a WHO statement said.
The death toll recorded on November 1 reached at least 6071, it added.
The Americas region accounts for nearly three quarters of the global toll with 4399 deaths, an increase of 224 in a week.
The proportion of recorded visits to doctors in North America due to influenza-like illness exceeded levels seen over the past six flu seasons, according to the UN health agency.
Just 42 per cent of samples tested there were positive for influenza, but all of them were for the pandemic A(H1N1) strain.
The WHO also highlighted signs of "increasing and active transmission'' of pandemic influenza virus across Northern and Eastern Europe, including Ukraine and Belarus, as well as in eastern Russia.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Second Wave Of Influenza H1N1 To Hit Thailand And Malaysia In Mid- November
BANGKOK, Nov. 4 Thailand's public health ministry Wednesday reported two more deaths from the A/H1N1 flu, which raised the death toll from the new flu to 184.
The two new victims occurred during a period of Oct. 18 to 31, the public health ministry said. Those, who have congenital diseases and are pregnant women, are the most risky groups, Thai News Agency reported.
Meanwhile, Paijit Warachit, public health permanent secretary, said the ministry has adjusted a system of viral drug management to ensure flu patients can access to the drug in time.
Also, the ministry has instructed every hospital to continue closely monitoring those, who develop the A/H1N1 flu-like symptoms, he said.
Earlier, The Public Health Ministry expects the second round of Type A (H1N1) influenza outbreak is expected to hit the country in the middle of this month but with less severity, public health permanent secretary Paijit Warachit said on Monday.
Mr Paijit said less severity of the flu is anticipated on the grounds that people have acquired enough knowledge and experience to cope with it.
Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart, chairman of the committee on prevention and control of H1N1 pandemic, said during April 28-Oct 24 this year H1N1 flu spread to all provinces and nearly all districts of the country.
It was believed 6 million Thai people had contracted the flu and developed immunity against it.
The death toll from the flu in Thailand was 182, 90 men and 92 women, most of them between 31-40 years of age. They constituted about 3 per cent of the death toll worldwide, Maj-Gen Sanan said.
Maj-Gen Sanan said stricter measures must be taken to cope with the second round of pandemic. The Disease Control Department has ordered a total of 5 million doses of H1N1 vaccine, he added.
On the distribution of the vaccine, priorities will be given to public health staff, pregnant women, people weighing more than 100 kilogrammes, people aged below six months and above 64 years, and those with brain problems.
The two new victims occurred during a period of Oct. 18 to 31, the public health ministry said. Those, who have congenital diseases and are pregnant women, are the most risky groups, Thai News Agency reported.
Meanwhile, Paijit Warachit, public health permanent secretary, said the ministry has adjusted a system of viral drug management to ensure flu patients can access to the drug in time.
Also, the ministry has instructed every hospital to continue closely monitoring those, who develop the A/H1N1 flu-like symptoms, he said.
Earlier, The Public Health Ministry expects the second round of Type A (H1N1) influenza outbreak is expected to hit the country in the middle of this month but with less severity, public health permanent secretary Paijit Warachit said on Monday.
Mr Paijit said less severity of the flu is anticipated on the grounds that people have acquired enough knowledge and experience to cope with it.
Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart, chairman of the committee on prevention and control of H1N1 pandemic, said during April 28-Oct 24 this year H1N1 flu spread to all provinces and nearly all districts of the country.
It was believed 6 million Thai people had contracted the flu and developed immunity against it.
The death toll from the flu in Thailand was 182, 90 men and 92 women, most of them between 31-40 years of age. They constituted about 3 per cent of the death toll worldwide, Maj-Gen Sanan said.
Maj-Gen Sanan said stricter measures must be taken to cope with the second round of pandemic. The Disease Control Department has ordered a total of 5 million doses of H1N1 vaccine, he added.
On the distribution of the vaccine, priorities will be given to public health staff, pregnant women, people weighing more than 100 kilogrammes, people aged below six months and above 64 years, and those with brain problems.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Obama declares H1N1 a national emergency
WASHINGTON (Oct 25): US President Barack Obama has declared 2009 H1N1 swine flu a national emergency, the White House said on Saturday.
The declaration will make it easier for US medical facilities to handle a surge in flu patients by allowing the waiver of some requirements of Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health insurance programs as needed, the White House said in a statement.
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday that H1N1 has become widespread in 46 of the 50 US states, a level comparable to the peak of ordinary flu seasons but far earlier and with more waves of infection expected.
Obama signed the statement on Friday night.
The White House statement said the declaration was intended to prepare the country in case of "a rapid increase in illness that may overburden health care resources." It was similar to disaster declarations issued before hurricanes hit coastal areas.
"It's important to note that this is a proactive measure -- not a response to a new development," an administration official said.
"H1N1 is moving rapidly, as expected. By the time regions or healthcare systems recognise they are becoming overburdened, they need to implement disaster plans quickly," he said.
Seasonal flu normally peaks sometime between late November and early March and kills about 36,000 Americans in an average year.
H1N1 has hit young adults and children the hardest, while seasonal flu normally is more dangerous for people over age 65.
H1N1, declared a public health emergency earlier in the year, has killed more than 1,000 people in the United States and put more than 20,000 in the hospital since it emerged earlier this year, the CDC said. But health officials are quick to note that the actual number of cases cannot be measured.
The new declaration clears the way for waivers of federal requirements that, for example, could prevent hospitals from establishing off-site, alternate care facilities that could help them deal with emergency department demands, the White House said.
The Health and Human Services Department is trying to deliver vaccines against H1N1 but says production is falling short of projections because companies are having trouble making them.
HHS has also moved to make available stockpiles of antiviral drugs oseltamivir, made by Roche AG under the brand name Tamiflu, and zanamivir, an inhaled drug made by GlaxoSmithKline under the brand name Relenza.
On Friday the US Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorisation for an experimental new drug called peramivir, made by Biocryst Pharmaceuticals Inc and licensed to Shionogi & Co Ltd.
The authorisation allows the intravenous drug to be used in hospitalised patients who cannot take pills or inhale Relenza or when Tamiflu or Relenza do not seem to be helping. - Reuters
The declaration will make it easier for US medical facilities to handle a surge in flu patients by allowing the waiver of some requirements of Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health insurance programs as needed, the White House said in a statement.
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday that H1N1 has become widespread in 46 of the 50 US states, a level comparable to the peak of ordinary flu seasons but far earlier and with more waves of infection expected.
Obama signed the statement on Friday night.
The White House statement said the declaration was intended to prepare the country in case of "a rapid increase in illness that may overburden health care resources." It was similar to disaster declarations issued before hurricanes hit coastal areas.
"It's important to note that this is a proactive measure -- not a response to a new development," an administration official said.
"H1N1 is moving rapidly, as expected. By the time regions or healthcare systems recognise they are becoming overburdened, they need to implement disaster plans quickly," he said.
Seasonal flu normally peaks sometime between late November and early March and kills about 36,000 Americans in an average year.
H1N1 has hit young adults and children the hardest, while seasonal flu normally is more dangerous for people over age 65.
H1N1, declared a public health emergency earlier in the year, has killed more than 1,000 people in the United States and put more than 20,000 in the hospital since it emerged earlier this year, the CDC said. But health officials are quick to note that the actual number of cases cannot be measured.
The new declaration clears the way for waivers of federal requirements that, for example, could prevent hospitals from establishing off-site, alternate care facilities that could help them deal with emergency department demands, the White House said.
The Health and Human Services Department is trying to deliver vaccines against H1N1 but says production is falling short of projections because companies are having trouble making them.
HHS has also moved to make available stockpiles of antiviral drugs oseltamivir, made by Roche AG under the brand name Tamiflu, and zanamivir, an inhaled drug made by GlaxoSmithKline under the brand name Relenza.
On Friday the US Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorisation for an experimental new drug called peramivir, made by Biocryst Pharmaceuticals Inc and licensed to Shionogi & Co Ltd.
The authorisation allows the intravenous drug to be used in hospitalised patients who cannot take pills or inhale Relenza or when Tamiflu or Relenza do not seem to be helping. - Reuters
Saturday, October 17, 2009
A/H1N1 influenza death toll rises over 4,700, says WHO
At least 4,735 people worldwide have been killed by the A/H1N1 influenza since the new flu virus was identified in April, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a latest update on Friday.
Of all the deaths, 3,406 occurred in the Americas, 530 occurred in South-East Asia and 432 occurred in the West Pacific. The other three WHO regions, Europe, East Mediterranean and Africa reported 207, 90 and 70 deaths respectively.
The WHO, which declared the A/H1N1 flu as a pandemic in June, said the total number of lab confirmed cases worldwide is now over399,232, but this case count is significantly lower than the actual number of cases that have occurred because many countries have stopped testing and reporting individual cases.
Influenza activity continues to increase in the northern temperate zones across the world, according to the UN agency.
But influenza rates in the temperate zones of the Southern Hemisphere have all returned to below baseline levels and very few detections of pandemic H1N1 2009 virus are being reported.
So far there is still no signs showing the H1N1 flu virus has mutated into a more dangerous form than the one first discovered in Mexico and the United States in April, the WHO said.
Of all the deaths, 3,406 occurred in the Americas, 530 occurred in South-East Asia and 432 occurred in the West Pacific. The other three WHO regions, Europe, East Mediterranean and Africa reported 207, 90 and 70 deaths respectively.
The WHO, which declared the A/H1N1 flu as a pandemic in June, said the total number of lab confirmed cases worldwide is now over399,232, but this case count is significantly lower than the actual number of cases that have occurred because many countries have stopped testing and reporting individual cases.
Influenza activity continues to increase in the northern temperate zones across the world, according to the UN agency.
But influenza rates in the temperate zones of the Southern Hemisphere have all returned to below baseline levels and very few detections of pandemic H1N1 2009 virus are being reported.
So far there is still no signs showing the H1N1 flu virus has mutated into a more dangerous form than the one first discovered in Mexico and the United States in April, the WHO said.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Signs of second H1N1 wave emerging
SINGAPORE, Oct 14 — The number of people in hospital for Influenza A (H1N1) in Singapore is down to six, but there are troubling signs that a second wave could be gathering.
Polyclinic attendances are creeping up, and patients with upper respiratory tract infections hit more than 13,000 for the past two weeks, up from more than 11,000 early last month. Asked if this could signal the start of a second wave of the virus here, the head of the Communicable Disease Centre (CDC), Associate Professor Leo Yee Sin, said: “It may.”
Although the percentage of patients with influenza-like illness has dropped to 16 per cent, Singapore is closely monitoring the situation, she added.
With the northern hemisphere winter nearing, countries like the United States, Mexico and Britain are starting to see an expected resurgence of H1N1, with cases climbing rapidly.
Dr Wong Sin Yew, an infectious diseases physician in private practice and former head of the CDC, said although it was hard to say for certain if a fresh surge in H1N1 cases was occurring, the increasing numbers around the world is an indication of its inevitability.
“The writing is on the wall,” he said.
In the northern hemisphere, the outbreaks have been mild, though the increase is coming earlier than the traditional winter flu season, which raises concern that the numbers may soar in coming months.
Singapore has traditional peaks for seasonal flu from May to June and December to January.
General practitioners told The Straits Times they had seen a slight increase in the number of patients with flu-like symptoms.
But Dr Vincent Chia, deputy director of Healthway Medical, said this could also be due to the recent rainy weather or the current school examination period, when more students tend to fall ill.
At the peak of the H1N1 outbreak in August, the number of people hospitalised with the virus was 74.
Polyclinic attendances were at 24,477 a week, compared to 13,496 last week. Almost all the influenza cases now are likely to be H1N1.
At a press conference yesterday, Leo said data from more than 100 H1N1 patients showed that only one in two had a temperature of more than 38.1 degrees Celsius, so fever is not the only indicator of H1N1.
She urged that those in the high-risk group receive Tamiflu if they have flu-like symptoms but not a high fever.
She also urged children, pregnant women, and those who were obese or had underlying conditions to go for the seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccinations, when they are available in the coming weeks.
On another matter, infectious diseases experts from four public hospitals have come together for the first time to collaborate on two clinical studies.
One will study if a higher dosage of anti-viral drug Tamiflu is effective for some patients, especially those who are overweight.
The other will study if dengue patients whose blood platelet count drops to below 20,000 per ml, compared to the normal count of 150,000 to 450,000 per ml, will benefit from a platelet transfusion. — The Straits Times
Second wave of H1N1 outbreak emerging in Taiwan 14th October 2009
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warned Wednesday that a second wave of the influenza A (H1N1) outbreak is emerging in Taiwan after the previous one peaked in early September.
According to CDC Director-General Steve Kuo, the H1N1 situation has been moderating over the past five weeks since the previous peak but a slight jump in the number of patients diagnosed with the new flu strain recently signals the beginning of the second wave.
Statistics released Wednesday by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) show that there was one more patient hospitalized with the H1N1 flu strain than a day earlier, bringing to 355 the total number of such cases since the outbreak began.
While 16 of the patients remained in the hospital, 315 had recovered and been discharged, and 24 others had died, the CECC said.
Meanwhile, 442 classes in 294 schools around the country remained suspended because of H1N1 infections among students. The number of affected classes accounted for 0.29 percent of the total, according to the CECC.
Although epidemiologists have predicted that the second peak would appear in November, Department of Health (DOH) Minister Yaung Chih-liang said it is hard to predict when the peak will be and that the DOH will continue to monitor the situation closely.
To help the public prepare for the epidemic, the DOH will distribute 5 million masks in inventory to 100,000 low-income families beginning Nov. 1, Yaung said.
Also, the CECC is expected to make public details regarding its H1N1 vaccination program on Oct. 20, when the results of human clinical trials for the H1N1 vaccine produced by local vaccine manufacturer Adimmune Corp. are expected to be released, DOH Deputy Minister Chang Shen-chwen said.
While people under 10 years of age will probably have to receive two shots, those aged 10 years and older will likely need only one to be protected against the disease, Chang said.
The number of schools in Japan closed because of the swine flu pandemic nearly doubled by Oct. 10 from a week earlier, according to figures from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
School Closures At The Highest Due To Influenza A(H1N1) In Japan
Almost 6,480 schools, kindergartens and day-care centers were fully or partially closed because of the influenza outbreak, the report said. Tokyo had the highest number, with 752 schools affected last week. Japan had 52,956 schools and kindergartens in May this year, according to the Education Ministry.
School closures are at the highest since January 2000 when 4,131 schools were closed, said Takeshi Enami, Deputy Director of the division of infectious diseases at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
There were 3,403 educational centers closed between Sept. 27 and Oct. 3, according to another report from the ministry.
More than 15,000 cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Japan, according to the Infectious Disease Surveillance Center. There were 24 deaths as of Oct. 14, according to the health ministry Web site. Of those, six were under the age of 20.
Many schools are closed in Japan during the flu season, the ministry said on its web site. Schools may be required to close if they are in an infected area, even if no students or staff develop flu symptoms, according to the ministry.
NOTE:-
The WHO, which declared H1N1 a global pandemic in June, says a third of the world`s population of nearly 7 billion people could catch it.
Polyclinic attendances are creeping up, and patients with upper respiratory tract infections hit more than 13,000 for the past two weeks, up from more than 11,000 early last month. Asked if this could signal the start of a second wave of the virus here, the head of the Communicable Disease Centre (CDC), Associate Professor Leo Yee Sin, said: “It may.”
Although the percentage of patients with influenza-like illness has dropped to 16 per cent, Singapore is closely monitoring the situation, she added.
With the northern hemisphere winter nearing, countries like the United States, Mexico and Britain are starting to see an expected resurgence of H1N1, with cases climbing rapidly.
Dr Wong Sin Yew, an infectious diseases physician in private practice and former head of the CDC, said although it was hard to say for certain if a fresh surge in H1N1 cases was occurring, the increasing numbers around the world is an indication of its inevitability.
“The writing is on the wall,” he said.
In the northern hemisphere, the outbreaks have been mild, though the increase is coming earlier than the traditional winter flu season, which raises concern that the numbers may soar in coming months.
Singapore has traditional peaks for seasonal flu from May to June and December to January.
General practitioners told The Straits Times they had seen a slight increase in the number of patients with flu-like symptoms.
But Dr Vincent Chia, deputy director of Healthway Medical, said this could also be due to the recent rainy weather or the current school examination period, when more students tend to fall ill.
At the peak of the H1N1 outbreak in August, the number of people hospitalised with the virus was 74.
Polyclinic attendances were at 24,477 a week, compared to 13,496 last week. Almost all the influenza cases now are likely to be H1N1.
At a press conference yesterday, Leo said data from more than 100 H1N1 patients showed that only one in two had a temperature of more than 38.1 degrees Celsius, so fever is not the only indicator of H1N1.
She urged that those in the high-risk group receive Tamiflu if they have flu-like symptoms but not a high fever.
She also urged children, pregnant women, and those who were obese or had underlying conditions to go for the seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccinations, when they are available in the coming weeks.
On another matter, infectious diseases experts from four public hospitals have come together for the first time to collaborate on two clinical studies.
One will study if a higher dosage of anti-viral drug Tamiflu is effective for some patients, especially those who are overweight.
The other will study if dengue patients whose blood platelet count drops to below 20,000 per ml, compared to the normal count of 150,000 to 450,000 per ml, will benefit from a platelet transfusion. — The Straits Times
Second wave of H1N1 outbreak emerging in Taiwan 14th October 2009
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warned Wednesday that a second wave of the influenza A (H1N1) outbreak is emerging in Taiwan after the previous one peaked in early September.
According to CDC Director-General Steve Kuo, the H1N1 situation has been moderating over the past five weeks since the previous peak but a slight jump in the number of patients diagnosed with the new flu strain recently signals the beginning of the second wave.
Statistics released Wednesday by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) show that there was one more patient hospitalized with the H1N1 flu strain than a day earlier, bringing to 355 the total number of such cases since the outbreak began.
While 16 of the patients remained in the hospital, 315 had recovered and been discharged, and 24 others had died, the CECC said.
Meanwhile, 442 classes in 294 schools around the country remained suspended because of H1N1 infections among students. The number of affected classes accounted for 0.29 percent of the total, according to the CECC.
Although epidemiologists have predicted that the second peak would appear in November, Department of Health (DOH) Minister Yaung Chih-liang said it is hard to predict when the peak will be and that the DOH will continue to monitor the situation closely.
To help the public prepare for the epidemic, the DOH will distribute 5 million masks in inventory to 100,000 low-income families beginning Nov. 1, Yaung said.
Also, the CECC is expected to make public details regarding its H1N1 vaccination program on Oct. 20, when the results of human clinical trials for the H1N1 vaccine produced by local vaccine manufacturer Adimmune Corp. are expected to be released, DOH Deputy Minister Chang Shen-chwen said.
While people under 10 years of age will probably have to receive two shots, those aged 10 years and older will likely need only one to be protected against the disease, Chang said.
The number of schools in Japan closed because of the swine flu pandemic nearly doubled by Oct. 10 from a week earlier, according to figures from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
School Closures At The Highest Due To Influenza A(H1N1) In Japan
Almost 6,480 schools, kindergartens and day-care centers were fully or partially closed because of the influenza outbreak, the report said. Tokyo had the highest number, with 752 schools affected last week. Japan had 52,956 schools and kindergartens in May this year, according to the Education Ministry.
School closures are at the highest since January 2000 when 4,131 schools were closed, said Takeshi Enami, Deputy Director of the division of infectious diseases at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
There were 3,403 educational centers closed between Sept. 27 and Oct. 3, according to another report from the ministry.
More than 15,000 cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Japan, according to the Infectious Disease Surveillance Center. There were 24 deaths as of Oct. 14, according to the health ministry Web site. Of those, six were under the age of 20.
Many schools are closed in Japan during the flu season, the ministry said on its web site. Schools may be required to close if they are in an infected area, even if no students or staff develop flu symptoms, according to the ministry.
NOTE:-
The WHO, which declared H1N1 a global pandemic in June, says a third of the world`s population of nearly 7 billion people could catch it.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Thailand Public Health Ministry concerned over possible bird flu and swine flu outbreaks.
Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nop-amornbodi has expressed his concerns over the second-phase outbreak of the influenza A (H1N1) and the return of avian influenza (H5N1) during this period.
Mr Manit stated that although there was no swine flu fatality according to the latest report of the Ministry of Public Health last Tuesday, the ministry still encouraged people to prevent themselves from being infected by the disease continuously.
People with flu-like symptoms are suggested to stay home until they fully recover. The deputy minister also warned that climate change and a semester break might cause the new virus to spread in the country again.
Regarding a new outbreak of bird flu, Mr Manit said the ministry had assigned provincial public health offices nationwide to monitor the situation closely and provide treatments for patients in time.
Other reports
The total number of deaths from the A(H1N1) flu stands at 165. The ministry will not give a weekly report on deaths, but will instead report the situation with the disease on its website on a weekly basis.
He attributed the drop in the number of deaths to the work of village health volunteers, saying they have been able to effectively introduce protective measures against the flu.
However, this was not confirmation that the flu threat will totally disappear, he said. Implementation of preventive measures against the flu will continue.
Mr Manit stated that although there was no swine flu fatality according to the latest report of the Ministry of Public Health last Tuesday, the ministry still encouraged people to prevent themselves from being infected by the disease continuously.
People with flu-like symptoms are suggested to stay home until they fully recover. The deputy minister also warned that climate change and a semester break might cause the new virus to spread in the country again.
Regarding a new outbreak of bird flu, Mr Manit said the ministry had assigned provincial public health offices nationwide to monitor the situation closely and provide treatments for patients in time.
Other reports
The total number of deaths from the A(H1N1) flu stands at 165. The ministry will not give a weekly report on deaths, but will instead report the situation with the disease on its website on a weekly basis.
He attributed the drop in the number of deaths to the work of village health volunteers, saying they have been able to effectively introduce protective measures against the flu.
However, this was not confirmation that the flu threat will totally disappear, he said. Implementation of preventive measures against the flu will continue.
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