One more H1N1 death reported

July 26, 2017

Another death from the H1N1 virus was reported yesterday, this one a 43-year-old fisherman from Ayeyawady Region, according to local authorities, bringing the death toll from this year’s outbreak of swine flu to three.

The death of the man from H1N1, also known as swine flu, was confirmed by the Medical Superintendent of Ministry of Health and Sports Local authorities held an emergency meeting at the Pyapon District General Administration Department and announced the death yesterday, urging the public to taking precautionary measures.

The man was taken to a local clinic on Thursday in Pyapon and transferred to Yangon General Hospital on Saturday.

Myanmar health officials said on Tuesday that two people had died after contracting H1N1 influenza in Yangon, a day after the government said more than a dozen people had contracted the virus known as swine flu.
A pregnant 29-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man died at Yangon General Hospital on Monday, and lab tests later confirmed that they were both infected with H1N1, said Thinzar Aung, deputy director of the infectious diseases department at the Ministry of Health and Sports.

“Initially these people sought treatment at Yangon General Hospital on 24 July with suspected pneumonia,” she said.

The ministry on Monday confirmed the virus had infected three other people in Yangon and 10 people in Matupi, Chin State.
In the statement released yesterday, the ministry also confirmed one H1N1 infection at the 550-bed Children’s Hospital (Yankin).

So far, 20 patients have been infected with H1N1 and of them three died, said the statement.

The ministry called for the public not to panic, describing the cases of H1N1 as a regular seasonal phenomenon.
No outbreak of H1N1 has been reported in Myanmar since the global swine flu pandemic in 2009, when the virus spread to most countries in the world and infected dozens of people in Myanmar. Myanmar’s livestock ministry has also reported an outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu in the south of the country, the Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health said on Tuesday.

More than 1,800 chickens were culled after the virus was detected last month at a farm in Dawei, 370 km southeast of Yangon.
Health experts have made the following precautionary suggestions to decrease the chances of H1N1 virus infection:
1. Avoid crowded places. Transmission of the swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is spread person-to-person by airborne droplets expelled from the respiratory tract during coughing or sneezing.

2. Wear a surgical mask when going out, especially while taking public transport. Try not to touch objects around that may have been touched by a lot of other people.

3. When you sneeze, cover your mouth and nose.

4. Wash your hands frequently. Keeping your hands clean is important as there can be many infected things around you.
5. Cold is an early symptom of swine flu. If you catch a cold, get yourself checked as soon as possible.

7. Don’t touch your eyes or nose directly after touching an unknown, possibly dirty objects, especially those in public spaces.
8. Drink lots of water every day.

9. Eat using only clean utensils and plates. Do not use them until they are properly sterilised and clean.

10. Maintain a safe distance, about 3-6 feet, from people who suffer from any respiratory illness.

GNLM

Ref; The Global New Light of myanmar