Thailand reports 2nd H1N1 flu death

[Gert van der Hoek]

Saturday June 27, 2009

Thailand confirms first 2 H1N1 flu deaths



BANGKOK (Reuters) - Two people have died from the H1N1 influenza virus in Thailand, the Public Health Ministry said on Saturday, the first deaths since the virus was detected in the country six weeks ago.

A 42-year-old Thai man died early Saturday and a 40-year-old local woman succumbed to the virus in a private hospital on June 20, the Public Health Ministry said.

The ministry said it was only informed of the woman's death late on Friday. Thailand has so far reported more than 1,200 cases of the new flu.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/6/27/worldupdates/2009-06-27T111524Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_-406387-1&sec=Worldupdates

[Chuck]

Re: Thailand reports 2nd H1N1 flu death

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-06/27/content_11612701.htm

A/H1N1 flu takes new death tolls in Asia-Pacific region


HONG KONG, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The Influenza A/H1N1 virus has killed two people in Thailand, the new country in the Asia-Pacific region to have reported death cases in the latest flu pandemic.

The first victim, a 40-year-old woman from Bangkok, died from pneumonia and haemoptysis, Witthaya Kaewparadai, Thai Public Health Minister, told a press conference at 11 a.m. local time Saturday to brief details on the flu death.

The woman, who was sent to a private hospital on June 8 after falling ill, developed fever and dyspnea and died on June 20, Dr. Kamnuan Ung-Chusak, Director of the Office of Epidemiology under the Department of Disease Control, said along with Mr. Witthaya.

Another victim, a 42-year-old male engineer from the central province of Chonburi, also died from complications on June 26, Mr. Witthaya said.

As of Saturday noon, Thailand confirmed 1,209 Influenza A/H1N1 cases. Of them, over 1,100 have recovered, and 22 of them, with 2 in critical condition, are being treated in hospitals.

In its neighboring country Myanmar, the first case of influenzaA/H1N1 was confirmed on Saturday. A girl aged 13 was confirmed to have been infected with the flu, according to an evening broadcast of the state-run Radio Myanmar.

The girl, who came back from Singapore by flight No. 3K 585 on Friday afternoon, was first found with no such human flu when screened at the airport. But she coughed seriously when she attended the evening tutorial class on the same day and then she was taken to the Yangon General hospital at night.

She was confirmed by the hospital authorities that she had carried the virus.

All of her fellow students and her family members have been separated and put under medical watch.

The 91 other passengers, who traveled with the girl in the same flight, and people who have contacts with her are also being screened.

In Malaysia, seven new cases of A/H1N1 flu were confirmed on Saturday, raising the total number of such cases in the country to112.

Malaysian Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said that a four-year-old boy from the Penang State in northwestern Malaysia was the latest case among the seven.

The boy was infected by his older sibling, he said.

So far, Malaysia recorded a total of 16 locally transmitted cases of A/H1N1 flu, he added.

Vietnam's Ministry of Health confirmed eight more A/H1N1 flu cases, raising the total number of infections in the country to 84, local online newspaper the Youth reported Saturday.

Vietnam has so far confirmed 84 cases, including 73 in southern provinces, seven in northern and four in central provinces. Among those, there are nine human-to-human transmission cases. A total of 32 patients had been discharged from hospitals, said the report.

The number of influenza A/H1N1 confirmed cases in New Zealand rose to 507 on Saturday, up 54 from 453 on Friday.

The region housing the largest number of influenza A/H1N1 patients is Wellington, with 173 cases, followed by Auckland, 140,then Canterbury who has 128 people with the virus.

Hong Kong SAR government announced to have confirmed 33 new cases of A/H1N1 influenza in the 24 hours by 2:30 p.m. Saturday, bringing the total number of A/H1N1 influenza cases to 629 in the city.

Its Department of Health and the Hospital Authority (HA) is pondering to adjust mitigation phase measures against the A/H1N1 Influenza, a government spokesman said on Saturday.

The new measures would formally take effect on June 29 and preparatory work was now being undertaken, the spokesman said.

"Most recent data show that HSI (human swine influenza A/H1N1) has become the dominant strain of influenza virus in Hong Kong, making up more than 70 percent of all influenza viruses. About one in eight patients seen at the HA's Designated Flu Clinics are tested positive for HSI. These data prove that HSI is widely circulating in the community," said the spokesman.

"Since HSI is now widely circulating, measures such as patient isolation and contact tracing are no longer efficient in reducing transmission. Priority is now accorded to disease surveillance and management of clinically more severe cases," the spokesman said.

"Clinical specimens will continue to be collected at Designated Flu Clinics and public hospitals to monitor the activity of HSI in the community on a daily basis," he added.

Meanwhile, temperature screening, health declarations and broadcast of health messages at the control points would remain unchanged.

The spokesman said starting June 29, travelers with mild symptoms and intercepted at all boundary control points would be provided with face mask and guidance notes for seeking medical consultation.

"As for severe case, Port Health Officers will take them to public hospitals by ambulance for medical examination," he said.

In Macao SAR, one more confirmed case of influenza A/H1N1 was reported on Saturday, bringing the total number of such cases to 16.

The newly confirmed case was imported, concerning a 24-year-oldChinese mainland resident who arrived in Macao on June 5 and traveled to Philippine between June 21 and 22, according to Macao's Health Bureau. He showed flu symptoms after returning to Macao on June 23.

[Shiloh]

Re: Thailand reports 2nd H1N1 flu death

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009...l_30106250.php


Team to study first fatalities
By Pongphon Sarnsamak
The Nation
Published on June 29, 2009

Doctors need to know more about risk factors

A Public Health Ministry academic team will today consider the risk factors behind the first two deaths linked to type A (H1N1) influenza that have been reported since the virus hit Thailand on late April.

The move came after the Ministry's Bureau of Epidemiology reported a 42-year-old-man, who had not been categorised as a high risk patient of influenza A (H1N1), died on Saturday morning.

Citing information from the United States and Mexico, Dr Tawee Chotepitayasunon, chairman of the ministry's influenza academic team, said high risk patients of influenza A (H1N1) - children under five, pregnant women and elderly people with chronic conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes - would be tested.

But this victim, who recently returned from abroad, had no congenital disease. He fell ill on June 18 with fever and a running nose. He had gone to a pub in Bangkok with friends before developing flu-like symptoms.

He was admitted to hospital on June 23 with a high fever, coughing and pneumonia. He was also given oseltamivir, but his condition worsened, and he died on Saturday morning. The other victim, a 40-year old woman, a heart patient, died on June 20 after five days of treatment.

" We need to know how people with mild symptoms progress to severe symptoms and die. We need more research to find out the other risk factors indicating a change in health conditions when the virus infects humans," he said.

" We hope we will come up with new information that helps us know clearly about this new flu virus as we now only know about its spread and severity," he said.

Yesterday the Public Health Ministry reported 80 new cases of Type-A (H1N1) influenza cases, lifting the confirmed cases in Thailand to 774. Of the new cases, 68 are students and three from the general public, he said, adding that 20 patients are still hospital. Another three cases were under the close watch of doctors, including two navy conscripts in Chonburi province.

Department of Medical Service's director-general, Dr Rawat Vitruthvej said one navy conscript is in critical condition with difficulty breathing. His condition has improved slightly and he is being supported by a medical team from Rajavithi hospital. A-57-year-old woman, admitted to private hospital, is gradually recovering but remains in intensive care unit.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai urged provincial health officers and medical workers at hospitals nationwide to be ready for the type-A (H1N1)influenza. " Medical teams should be prepared to respond immediately for cases in critical condition," he said.

He also expressed concern over seasonal flu infection among students as the virus has already spread and infected 10,000 people across country.

However, he was certain the Public Health Ministry could handle the pandemic and contain the spread of the virus, despite the death at the weekend.

However former deputy health minister Vicharn Meenchainant said the government has failed to control the spread of disease, charging it had hidden information and delayed treatment for patients with the new flu virus.

"The government is trying to inform the public the disease has no severity, but it is still spreading and has a virulence higher than seasonal flu. Moreover, it is not clear use of the current antiviral drug can control the disease," he said.

"More and more people will die if the government does not take action for this situation seriously," he said.

Witthaya said the Public Health Ministry did not hide any information over the spread of disease. " We should not politicise this issue as it is one of the life and death of people," he said.