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Swine flu claims pregnant woman, fetus
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- An eight-month pregnant woman who refused antivirals succumbed to the A(H1N1) swine flu, as did her unborn child, health authorities said yesterday.
The woman twice tested positive for the flu, but adamantly rejected a course of Tamiflu, citing concern over the medication and potential detrimental effects on the baby's health, explained Lu Chiao-yang, head of the Public Health Bureau in Taitung County.
Officials with the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said there is no data at present which suggests that antivirals or vaccines would cause harm in women or fetuses during gestation.
Pregnant women are considered one of the groups most at risk from the A(H1N1) epidemic, and it has been shown that their infections are more likely to lead to complications or death, remarked Chang Shang-chwen, the deputy health minister.
He said the latest death demonstrates the resulting damage when pregnant women who have contracted the novel virus do not accept medical treatment.
This marked the second death involving an expecting mother, but the first to involve an unborn child.
The victim, 23, surnamed Yu, came down with a fever on Sept. 15 but sought medical attention two days later from Guanshan Tzu Chi General Hospital.
Yu was transferred to Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taitung on Sept. 18, but was discharged the same day when the fever subsided after she was put on an intravenous drip. When the fever acted up again on Sept. 20, Yu was again sent to Mackay, but had fallen unconscious prior to arrival.
Unequipped with extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) capabilities, Mackay directed the patient after placing her on intubation therapy to Hualien Tzu Chi Medical Center.
Yu died en route to the hospital, and doctors were unable to resuscitate her, noted health officials.
As previously reported, an infected pregnant woman died Sept. 13, two days after giving birth to a premature newborn, at 26-weeks old.
The mother battled the A(H1N1) virus for nearly a month before dying of multiple organ failure.
As of yesterday, 271 persons had been hospitalized for the disease, with 47 remaining under medical care, according to CECC data.
The death toll, which does not include fetal deaths, stood at 17.
Lin Ding, the deputy director-general of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), was cited as saying that the A(H1N1) epidemic has shown signs of waning in the past two weeks.
This proves the effectiveness of the ?325? policy as contributing to slower infection rates, Lin added.
Despite the abatement, residents should still be vigilant, particularly those in high-risk groups, he said.