http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?fi ... sec=nationPUTRAJAYA: A 61-year-old woman in Kuala Terengganu has died from influenza A(H1N1), pushing the country’s death toll to 81.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said the victim, who was suffering from heart disease, diabetes and hypertension, had been admitted to the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital on April 23 for breathing difficulties and died the following day.
“Medical experts confirmed that the cause of death was due to A(H1N1) virus.
“We also received a report of another death in the same hospital in Kuala Terengganu but test results showed that it was not directly related to the A(H1N1) virus,” he said in a statement here yesterday.
He said although the 46-year-old man, who suffered from dilated cardiomyopathy and hypertension, was confirmed to have A(H1N1), blood test results showed that his cause of death on April 23 was due to pneumonia and sepsis from bacterial infection.
“We would like to draw the public’s attention that the majority of deaths related to A(H1N1) involved patients in the high-risk category, suffering from asthma, diabetes, kidney and heart diseases, and lung complications as well as pregnant mothers and those with morbid obesity.
“Therefore, we advise those in this category to get themselves vaccinated at the 104 government health facilities nationwide or at private clinics and hospitals,” he said.
Dr Ismail said in the past 24 hours, three Influenza-like Illness cluster cases — one in Malacca and two in Kuala Lumpur — were reported involving 13 people, 12 of whom were tested positive for A(H1N1).
Those confirmed with A(H1N1) included five students each from SJK(C) Jalan Davidson in Kuala Lumpur and SK Bandar Baru Seri Petaling 2.
Another cluster case involved two members of a family residing in Taman Indah, Malacca, who were given anti-viral treatment after being confirmed positive for A(H1N1).