Health authorities have confirmed another death due to Influenza A (H1N1), this time involving a victim who was not in the high risk category, with the death toll now at 73.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said the 25-year-old woman from Betong, Sarawak was admitted to the district hospital for fever, cough and sore throat and had previously sought treatment for a similar illness from the same hospital.
“On Aug 31, she received anti-viral treatment . She however died the next day (Sept 1) due to severe pneumonia with H1N1 infection,” he said on Thursday.
He added that laboratory test results confirmed that the victim had been infected with A(H1N1).
Dr Ismail said that in the past 24 hours, 266 new patients with influenza-like illness had been admitted to hospitals while 293 patients were discharged.
There are currenly 1,211 patients being treated in hospitals nationwide, including 11 private hospitals, and only 230 are confirmed A(H1N1) patients.
Dr Ismail said there were 41 cases in intensive care units, including five new admissions
3 million may have caught swine fluMore than three million people in Thailand may have caught the A/H1N1 flu and have recovered by themselves, the Public Health Ministry reported on Thursday.
Health deputy permanent secretary Paichit Varachit said the swine flu outbreak can still intensify in the country, especially in the rural areas of the 15 northern and northeastern provinces.
Some of them are Chiang Mai, Phrae, Lampang, Lamphun, Uttaradit, Phetchabun, Tak, Sukhothai, Khon Kaen, Mahasarakham, Roi Et and Suphan Buri.
"People should not take the outbreak too lightly and they should follow the ministry's sanitary measures. Those with severe flu symptoms should see a doctor immediately," Dr Paichit said.
The country's death toll from swine flu infection rose to 130 last week, up by 11.
