Two more type-A (H1N1) flu deaths reported

The latest victim was a 15-year-old girl in Chon |Buri province who had been suffering from chronic illness, including a brain tumour, diabetes and a blood disease.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said the other fatality was a 45-year-old man with a record |of heavy drinking and smoking.

The Public Health Ministry also reported 59 new cases of type-A (H1N1) flu, lifting the number of |confirmed cases in the country to 1,473. Of this number, 1,448 people have fully re-covered. Only 20 people are in hospital.

The ministry's deputy |permanent secretary, Dr Paijit Warachit, has in-structed medical workers to keep a close watch on a 21-year-old woman who was admitted to Chon Buri Hospital with severe flu-like symptoms.

Disease Control Depart-ment spokesperson Dr Suppamit Chunsutiwat said about 10 per cent of the patients with the new flu virus who had been admit-ted to hospital could develop a severe illness. However, only 1 per cent will die as a result.

Citing an international study, Suppamit said about 70 per cent of those developing severe type-A (H1N1) flu were those with underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

"We need more research into individual patients to find out the risk factors that cause severity of illness and fatality. This information would then be developed as medical guidance for treating patients," he said.

However, Suppamit suggested people suffering for more than three days from flulike illness with high fever and body aches should seek hospital treatment.

He added that the Public Health Ministry would revise its guidance for healthcare workers if it saw a drastic increase in the number of people with type-A (H1N1) flu being admitted to hospital.

The antiviral drug oseltamivir is prescribed |for patients with severe symptoms and complications.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation reported a patient in Denmark, who was confirmed as having been infected with the type-A (H1N1) virus, had showed resistance to oseltamivir.

According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the level of resistance has not changed the capability of the virus to transmit or cause disease, and the assessment is still that this is a relatively mild form of influenza.