Isnin, 19 April 2010

Four-year-old girl from Sibu is latest victim of A(H1N1)






KUALA LUMPUR: A four-year-old girl from Sibu died on Sunday after catching the Influenza A(H1N1) vi­­rus.
Her death was classified under Ca­­te­­gory 2 — described as deaths indirectly caused by the virus.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the girl died from pneu­monia and blood poisoning with an underlying H1N1 infection.

There were 31 new H1N1 cases de­­tected as of yesterday, bringing the number of people admitted into hospitals with influenza-like illnesses to 550.
To date, 13,158 patients have been diagnosed with H1N1.

“Out of this number, 66 have tested positive for H1N1 and 13 are in intensive care. Ten of those in ICU are patients in the high-risk group,” Liow told reporters at a press conference after visiting the 12th Defence Ser—vices Asia (DSA) exhibition at PWTC here yesterday.

Liow reiterated this was not the second A(H1N1) wave.

“We are also monitoring if the virus has mutated to a more deadly form.

“So far, it has not, although the transmission rate is still high because we have not built up immunity to the virus yet,” he said.

Daily practice: Tadika Juara Cerdik pupils going through a temperature check at the kindergarten in Petaling Jaya yesterday.

Liow urged those in the high-risk group to get vaccinated as other complications could arise if they caught the virus.

He added that anti-viral medication did not kill the virus but only slowed down its reproduction rate while human antibodies killed the virus.

In Putrajaya, Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said only one cluster case – involving two students from SMK Bukit Sentosa 2 in Rawang – was alerted to health authorities between Sunday and yesterday morning.

He said one of the students was admitted to the hospital while another received outpatient treatment, adding that both were given anti-viral medication.

The ministry was waiting for the results of their laboratory tests.

“Parents and teachers should keep a close eye on the health status of students,” he said.

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