Seventh victim dies from influenza A(H1N1) virus

BANGKOK, July 4 (TNA) – Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health confirmed Saturday that one more fatality has occurred from influenza A(H1N1), raising the country’s death toll from the new virus strain to seven.
 
Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nopamornbodhi said the seventh victim was a 37 year-old woman from Ratchaburi who died on Friday night.
 
He said the victim suffered fever since June 25-26 and was admitted to hospital in Ratchaburi on July 2 with a lung infection.
 
She was not on an earlier observation list, he said, as the medical professionals were unaware that she had contracted A(H1N1) until lab tests indicated the virus after she had died. 
 
The victim’s six family members were put under doctor’s observation.
 
Mr. Manit said the virus outbreak was likely to spread more widely during Thailand’s long holiday from Saturday until Wednesday due to the numbers of people who are traveling long distances and changing their locales.
 
Hospitals nationwide have been ordered to be prepared to quick respond to the outbreak if and when it appears.
 
The Ministry earlier reported that the cumulative number of virus patients rose to 1,845 as of Saturday morning with 134 new cases confirmed. Of that number 1,748 patients have fully recovered and have been discharged, but more a number of patients are still receiving treatment in hospitals and are under close surveillance. (TNA)