Rhiza Labs FluTracker Forum

PUTRAJAYA - Another death due to influenza virus A (H1N1) recorded in the country, involving a 42-year-old male lawyer from Johor Bahru on Tuesday.

Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan, Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican berkata, lelaki terbabit meninggal dunia ketika dirawat di hospital swasta Johor Bahru. Director General of Health Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said the men involved died during treatment at a private hospital in Johor Bahru.

Beliau berkata, kematian terbaru itu adalah yang pertama tahun ini, menjadikan jumlah keseluruhan mangsa yang meninggal dunia akibat virus itu meningkat kepada 78 orang, sejak wabak itu dikesan tahun lalu. He said the latest death is the first of this year, bringing the total number of victims who died from the virus rose to 78 since the outbreak was detected last year.

“Ujian makmal mengesahkan lelaki itu dijangkiti H1N1. "Laboratory tests confirmed the man infected with H1N1. Beliau yang mempunyai faktor risiko obes turut mengalami komplikasi lain termasuk kegagalan ginjal akut dan jangkitan kuman. He has also had risk factors for obesity complications including acute renal failure and infection.

“Keadaan beliau yang dirawat di Unit Rawatan Rapi (ICU) hospital berkenaan menjadi semakin tenat dan beliau meninggal dunia kelmarin disebabkan oleh pneumonia H1N1 dengan 'Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome,” katanya kepada media selepas mesyuarat teknikal wabak H1N1 di sini, semalam. "His condition is treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) the hospital is becoming more acute and he died yesterday of pneumonia caused by H1N1 is' Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome," he told media after the outbreak of H1N1 at the technical meeting here yesterday.

Dr Ismail berkata, dua kematian melibatkan seorang ibu dan anaknya yang baru melahirkan anak kedua di Hospital Melaka, 31 Mac dan 2 April lalu, bukan disebabkan jangkitan virus H1N1. Dr Ismail said the two deaths involving a mother and her new child in the Malacca Hospital, 31 March and 2 April last, not due to H1N1 virus infection.

“Dua (yang sebelum ini dilaporkan akibat jangkitan H1N1) daripada tiga kematian tahun ini bukan mempunyai kaitan secara langsung dengan H1N1 tetapi yang terbaru (kelmarin) berkaitan dengan H1N1,” katanya. "Two (which was previously reported as a result of H1N1 infections) of the three deaths this year are not directly associated with H1N1, but the latest (yesterday) in connection with the H1N1," he said.

Dr Ismail, menjelaskan daripada pemantauan berterusan, belum ada tanda virus H1N1 yang sedang menular ketika ini, mempunyai ciri-ciri berbeza daripada virus sebelum ini, yang menyebabkan gelombang kedua yang lebih serius. Dr Ismail, describes the continuous monitoring, there is no sign that H1N1 viruses are prevalent this time, with different features from the previous virus, which causes a second wave of the more serious.

“Langkah-langkah pencegahan yang disarankan dengan ubat anti viral seharusnya berkesan bagi mengekang penularan jangkitan itu,” katanya. "Preventive measures recommended by anti-viral drugs should be effective to stem the spread of the infection," he said.

Sementara itu, Dr Ismail berkata, sehingga jam 5.30 petang kelmarin, jumlah terkumpul kes ILI yang masih dirawat dalam wad seluruh negara adalah 678 kes. Meanwhile, Dr Ismail said so at 5:30 pm yesterday, the total cumulative cases are still being treated in the inclusion of wards throughout the country is 678 cases.

Four More H1N1 Positive Cases Identified In Ampang

KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 (Bernama) -- Four more Influenza A (H1N1) positive cases have been confirmed in Ukay Perdana, Ampang till 8.30am this morning, said Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican.

The new cases raised the accumulated total so far to 13,748 people, he said in a statement here Monday.

He said three were admitted to private hospitals while another received outpatient treatment while all four were given anti-viral medication.

Individuals suffering from fever, cough, cold, pregnant women, diabetic patients, obese or those with symptoms of the H1N1 must seek treatment, and members of the public are encouraged to take preventive measures by getting vaccinated at 104 centres throughout the country, he said.

"Most deaths related to the H1N1 infection were those with high risk factors. When they suffer such complications, they are vulnerable to bacteria infection and can cause death in some cases," he said.

Seventy six fresh cases of H1N1 influenza have been confirmed in Malaysia, where over 80 people have died of the swine flu virus since May last year, authorities have said.

The latest 76 are among the 592 people who were admitted for the suspected virus on Saturday evening, local media reports said today.

Health director-general Ismail Merican said seven of the confirmed victims were being treated in the intensive care unit of hospitals, with five of them in the high-risk category.

Although no new cases of cluster influenza-like illness were reported since yesterday, Ismail said they were still on high alert.

.....continues

PUTRAJAYA, May 6 (Bernama) -- Fifty-seven new Influenza A (H1N1) cases were detected nationwide until 5.30pm Wednesday, bringing the total number to 13,889 cases.

Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican however, said no deaths were recorded, leaving the number of deaths at 82 people.

He said until 8am Thursday morning, 13 influenza-like illness (ILI) cluster cases were reported in Perak, Johor, Kelantan, Selangor, Sarawak, Negeri Sembilan and Terengganu.

"A total of 632 ILI cases are being treated in hospitals nationwide. Of that total, 76 cases have tested positive for H1N1.

"Nine cases are being treated in the intensive care unit while six have high risk factors," he said in a statement here.

Dr Mohd Ismail reminded the public that the H1N1 pandemic was still active and advised those with symptoms of ILI to immediately seek treatment from the nearest clinic, adding that the public should continue to be cautious and take preventive measures.

PUTRAJAYA, May 7 (Bernama) -- Seventy-three new Influenza A (H1N1) cases were detected nationwide, until yesterday afternoon, raising the total number of cases to 13,962.

Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican however, said no deaths were recorded, since the number of deaths remained at 82.

According to Dr Mohd Ismail, 616 Influenza Like Illness (ILI) were being treated in hospitals nationwide and of that total, 92 cases had tested positive for H1N1.

"Ten cases are being treated in the intensive care unit while eight have high risk factors," he said in a statement here on Friday.

Dr Mohd Ismail reminded the public that the H1N1 pandemic was still active and advised those with symptoms of ILI to immediately seek treatment from the nearest clinic, adding that the public should continue to be cautious and take preventive measures.

"Those with ILI symptoms like fever, cough, cold or throat pain should stay away from public functions and public areas," he said.

KUALA LUMPUR: Is it possible for five government doctors to handle a staggering 500 to 700 patients a day?

Impossible as it sounds, this is the typical day for doctors at the Sungai Buloh health clinic who have almost become "robots" when treating patients.

This has left them with absolutely no rest, lunch on the run or no time even for a toilet break as each one of them has to treat an average of 70 patients per hour.

Not only has the problem deeply affected the doctors, it has left patients with no option but to wait between two and five hours to see a doctor.

The doctors told the New Straits Times that they were at their tether's end and could not take it any more.

Dr Nirmal Singh said that although there were seven doctors on the roster, only an average of five worked every day which aggravated the problem.

"We have to examine, treat, fill forms and do referrals. This has left us with absolutely no time to counsel patients let alone have a word with them."

He and the others regularly worked from 8am to 5.30pm without a break "to the extent that we are almost near breaking point."

The situation has led doctors roping in general workers to help fill forms at the clinic located three kilometres from the Sungai Buloh Hospital.

From Saturday (May 1), even this could not be done as the authorities terminated contract workers who cleaned toilets and told the general workers to take over.

"This has left us with little help most of the time. We need clinic assistants appointed to help us operate this clinic efficiently," he said, adding that the frequent lack of air-conditioning did not help.

The doctors did not have air-conditioning for two weeks last month which left them frazzled by the end of the day.

The clinic was crowded most of the time as it catered to people from as far away as Shah Alam, Tanjung Karang, Ijok, Batang Berjuntai, Rawang, Bukit Beruntung, Damansara and Kepong.

"This is not all. The clinic also handles patients referred to us from the Sungai Buloh Hospital," said the doctors.

The clinic also handled dengue and influenza A (H1N1) patients who had to be handled with care.

Another doctor, who declined to be identified, said the clinic had breached its capacity which was 350 to 400 patients a day.

"We get a lot of patients referred from the Sungai Buloh hospital. Sometimes our emergency department is unable to cope with the number of cases coming in as we only have three beds."

The seven nurses on duty daily also have their hands full as they have to register patients, take blood samples, screen diabetes and hypertensive patients, do ECG, check fever and do blood tests from as many as 200 patients.

The clinic has three medical assistants.

In 2003, the health clinic handled some 76,000 patients a year with the number rising to more than 110,000 last year.

Chinese Confined to Barracks Over Flu Fears
China’s badminton chiefs have banned their shuttlers from sightseeing in Kuala Lumpur to safeguard them from bird flu ahead of next week’s Thomas and Uber Cups.

The Chinese men’s and women’s teams are strong favorites to retain their prestigious titles when the tournaments wrap up on May 16, and head coach Li Yongbo told reporters the players had been instructed to stay safely locked up unless they were playing or training.

“The players have been told to stay in their rooms. They are only allowed to go to the training venue and to Putra Stadium,” Li said during a pre-competition media conference.

“We have brought our own medical team with us and are taking all sorts of precautions to ensure none of us catch the virus,” he said.

Two of Malaysia’s coaches — Misbun and Rashid Sidek — were both treated for the H1N1 virus but have since been given a clean bill of health.

China boasts world and Olympic champion Lin Dan as its top singles player in the men’s Thomas Cup. He will be joined by Chen Jin, Bao Chunlai and Chen Long.

For the doubles, China has named former world number ones Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng, Guo Zhengdong-Xu Chen and Chai Biao-Zhang Nan.

The Chinese women’s team features world No. 1 Wang Yihan, second-ranked Wang Xin and fourth-ranked Wang Shixian.

“We came here prepared to retain both Cups and that is just what we intend to do,” Li said.

“I’m confident the teams have it in them to face all comers. We should be standing tall on May 16.”