Re: Malaysia: total deaths- 70
Teacher's death due to A(H1N1); Death toll reaches 69
Karen Arukesamy and N. Shashi Kala
PUTRAJAYA (Aug 24, 2009) : A 38-year-old female teacher was confirmed to be the latest victim of the Influenza A(H1N1) today, bringing the death toll to 69.
The SMK USJ 12 teacher died on Aug 19 due to pneumonia with acute respiratory distress syndrome and was confirmed to be positive of the virus the next day, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai told a press conference here today.
“She received treatment from a private clinic on Aug 13 for cough and fever for two days. The rapid test result showed that she was positive of Influenza A and she was given symptomatic treatment but not Tamiflu,” he said.
On Aug18, the patient went to a private hospital for treatment and was immediately referred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in Kuala Lumpur Hospital after she had breathing difficulty and cyanosis.
“The throat swab was taken on Aug 18 and she received Tamiflu on the same day. She died the next day and the throat swab test confirmed she was infected with Influenza A(H1N1) on Aug 20,” Liow said.
The delay in announcing the latest fatality was because the ministry had to ascertain if the virus was the primary cause of death in the case.
Liow also said 306 new patients with Influenza-like Illness (ILI) have been admitted to hospital for treatment in 85 hospitals, including four private hospitals, nationwide.
The total number of patients being treated is 1,455, of whom 285 are confirmed positive for A(H1N1). Some 300 patients have recovered and have been discharged.
Of the 285 confirmed cases, 39 are in ICU with 33 of them from the high-risk group, including five children and one Down's Syndrome patient.
Globally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported 237,455 total cases with 2,544 deaths, which showed that the pandemic spread is still active, with 182 countries affected.
"It is important to remember that the number of confirmed cases is not reflective of the real situation. Numbers don't tell the whole story. You have to look at the context," Liow said.
Reminding the people the ministry wants everyone to take ownership of the pandemic to control the outbreak, he said: “Since it is the school holidays, we urge parents to monitor their children’s activities and prevent them from visiting crowded places like public gatherings, cinemas or shopping centres.
“Parents should ensure that children who are ill and have fever and cough practise social distancing."
Liow also said he would be meeting with suppliers of the rapid test kits to ensure that prices are made more affordable. At present, there are various kits in the market, ranging from RM80 to several hundred ringgit a kit, depending on the accuracy.
He also said he will be meeting with private healthcare practitioners this week to ensure that the ministry's guidelines on A(H1N1) are followed.
"The guidelines are clear and doctors should be clear about what to do. If they are unsure about anything, they should check the ministry's website which has all the details," he said.
http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=37282
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=435558
August 25, 2009 17:16 PM
Death Of Child Raises H1N1 Flu Death Toll To 70
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 (Bernama) -- A three-year-old child has died of Influenza A(H1N1), raising to 70 the death toll from the disease in the country.
Director-General of Health Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said Tuesday the child died on
Aug 18 of encephalitis with cerebral odema and multi-organ failure.
He also said that 52 new cases of Influenza-like illness (ILI) were admitted to hospitals while 162 ILI patients were discharged, leaving 1,354 ILI patients still under treatment in 82 hospitals nationwide.
Dr Mohd Ismail said in a statement that treatment was first administered to the child on Aug 12 after suffering from
fits and cough for two days.
However, the following day, the child's condition worsened, requiring admission to the intensive care unit and treatment with the anti-viral drug, Tamiflu, he said.
Dr Mohd Ismail said that of the 1,345 patients in hospital, only 202 or 15 per cent had been confirmed as H1N1 positive, and 42 of these cases were under intensive care.
"Of the 42 cases under intensive care, 38 are in the risk category, having chronic illnesses (15), being obese (nine), suffering from diabetes (six), being children or infants (three), women who were pregnant or in the post-delivery period (three) or suffering from Down's syndrome (two)," he said.
Dr Mohd Ismail said the World Health Organisation (WHO) had reported a total of 239,397 H1N1 cases with 2,578 deaths worldwide as of today, indicating that the pandemic was still active.
-- BERNAMA
