A (H1N1) is milder than seasonal flu

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra hands out facemasks to passengers at the Hua Lamphong Railway Station yesterday as part of a campaign to reduce the spread of influenza A(H1N1).

The influenza A (H1N1) death toll in Thailand rose to six when the latest victim succumbed to the illness in Bangkok on Wednesday.

"Lab tests have now confirmed that he died of the influenza A (H1N1)," Epidemiology Bureau director Pasakorn Akarasewi said yesterday.

The latest victim was an overweight 30yearold man. A private hospital admitted him as an inpatient on June 30.

Diagnosed with pneumonia, he passed away the following day.

During his treatment, he had not been given oseltamivir - a medicine known to effectively cure the influenza strain in most cases.

"Actually, this man had fever since June 26. Two days later, he visited a doctor and was told his tonsils were inflamed," Pasakorn said, "He came back two days later with worsening conditions".

After his death, lab tests were conducted to determine whether he had caught the A (H1N1) virus.

"We still do not know how this man caught the virus," Pasakorn said, "Anyway, obesity put him among people who have a risk of getting the severe form of influenza A (H1N1)".

As of yesterday, flu had killed 332 people worldwide.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai speculated that the spread of influenza A (H1N1) might continue throughout the year, as confirmed cases were now being detected in wider areas.

"This new disease has already spread to 41 of Thailand's 76 provinces," he said.

Dr Prasert Thongcharoen, a wellknown virologist, believes the disease could finally infect over one million people in the country.

"But even if the virus continue to infect and kill more and more people over the year, its severity is lower than that of the seasonal flu virus," he said.

He was speaking after attending a meeting on how to handle influenza A (H1N1).

Held at the Disease Control Department, the meeting agreed that students and working people had a high risk of getting infected. However, children aged below five, elderly people aged over 65 and people with underlying diseases were the ones risking severe forms of the disease.

Prasert suggested that people with flulike symptoms should rest at home, stop drinking and smoking and refrain from nightclubbing or attending any social gathering.

Anyone who has a high fever for more than a few days should immediately seek hospital treatment.

"It would be good if they also bought a thermometer to measure their body temperature so they could know whether they have fever or not," he said.

However, he added that the meeting also agreed that the government should withdraw thermal scanners from international airports, as the devices were clearly useless in controlling the disease.

Prasert said it would be better if thermal scanners were installed at main hospitals instead.

Currently, Thailand has seen 1,710 confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1). Most patients have recov¬ered satisfactorily.

In the wake of the outbreak, the Demonstration School of Khon Kaen University has also shut down temporarily.

"Some of our students developed flulike symptoms after they attended a math competition in Bangkok," school director Puangthong Ornjamras said.

She said the school would be thoroughly cleaned during the temporary closure.