PUTRAJAYA, Aug 12 (Bernama) -- Two babies and a 26-week pregnant woman were among six new deaths linked to Influenza A (H1N1), bringing the total fatalities due to the disease to 44. Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said these latest deaths involved people infected between Aug 6 and 9 and that their deaths were reported yesterday as linked to H1N1.
"Four of the cases had risk factors like diabetes, hypertension, heart problems or obesity. Their actual dates of death were Aug 7 (four), Aug 9 (one) and Aug 10 (one)," he told a press conference at his ministry here Wednesday.
Liow said one of the children, a 10-month-old girl who did not have any congenital problems, had fever and cough symptoms on Aug 1 and was brought for treatment on Aug 6 but died the next day.
She was admitted because she was having breathing problems but was not given antiviral treatment although a throat swab was taken on Aug 6, he said.
Liow said the other child was a 12-month-old boy with a congenital heart defect who had only recently undergone heart surgery at private hospital before he was referred to a government hospital on Aug 7 after experiencing fever and fits.
He said, however, antiviral treatment was not given although a throat swab was taken on Aug 8 and that the boy died on Aug 9 of surgical complications and pneumonia. It was confirmed he was infected by the H1N1 virus on Aug 10.
"Another case involved an obese 18-year-old housewife who was 26 weeks pregnant. She suffered flu symptoms on Aug 3 and sought treatment at the local health clinic the same day.
"However, her condition became worse and she was admitted into the Intensive Care Unit when she had difficulty breathing on Aug 7. Antiviral treatment was started the same day with a throat swab taken on Aug 9 before she was confirmed to have contracted H1N1 on Aug 10 and died the same day of severe pneumonia ," he said.
Liow said two of the deaths involved elderly men, aged 60 and 62, under the high risk category and that they died of severe pneumonia while the other person, a 24-year-old man without any hisory of illnesses died on Aug 7, of severe pneumonia and septicemia, and was confirmed to be a H1N1 case on Aug 10.
Liow added that 76 patients had been placed in wards and 21 at intensive care units (ICUs) of whom 12 were deemed to be at high risk due to chronic illnesses (10), obesity (one) and post-delivery (one).
A total of 86 patients were also discharged from hospitals yesterday, he said, adding that from today the ministry would no longer be updating on the total number of H1N1 cases in line with guidelines issued by the World health Organisation (WHO).
"WHO's latest guidelines only call for updates on patients hospitalised, the number at ICUs and number of fatalities," he said.
-- BERNAMA
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