KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11 (Bernama) -- After seven days of no record of deaths due to Influenza A(H1N1), on Friday a death was registered bringing the total now to 74.
Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said the victim was a disabled 19-year-old male from Gerik, Perak.
"He was admitted to the Gerik Hospital on Aug 19 for fever, cough, sore throat and vomitting over four days. On Aug 20, he was referred to the Ipoh Hospital for specialist treatment and anti-viral treatment was started.
"However, he died on Aug 23 due to lungs complication due to Acute Pulmonary Oedema with underlying Influenza A H1N1 infection. The case was confirmed to be H1N1 through laboratory tests on Aug 28," Dr Mohd Ismail said in a statement on Friday.
Meanwhile, 198 new patients with influenza-like illness (ILI) symptoms had been admitted into hospital for treatment while 190 had been discharged.
"This leads to 1,104 patients with ILI being treated in 101 hospitals, including eight private hospitals, throughout the country. Of the patients being treated just 261 patients (23.6 per cent) were positive for H1N1," he said.
He said of the 261 patients positive for H1N1, 41 were in the intensive care unit (ICU) of which eight were new cases while six patients had been taken out of the ICU.
"Of the 41 patients in the ICU, 32 (78 per cent) had risk factors. The breakdown of the risk factors are chronic illness (13 patients), chronic respiratory illness (one), obesity (nine), children below five years (eight) and pregnancy (one)," he said.
Dr Mohd Ismail also said till now there was no vaccine in the market that could protect a person from Influenza A (H1N1) as the vaccine was being tested at the clinical stage and that Malaysia would get the vaccine as soon as it was marketed.
He said those who wanted to perform the 'haj' or 'umrah' were required to take the Seasonal Flu and Meningitis vaccine.
On the antiviral treatment, Dr Mohd Ismail said those in the high risk group could get it at any clinic or hospital and they were encouraged to visit Influenza A (H1N1) prevention and treatment clinics as listed on the website http://h1n1.moh.gov.my that can provide antiviral treatment at reasonable rates.
-- BERNAMA
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