KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia registered its sixth death due to the influenza A(H1N1) virus when a 11-year old boy admitted to hospital for complications due to the infecton died yesterday morning.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said the child was admitted to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital, Johor Baharu on July 29 with symptoms of fever.

“There were no symptoms of cough and other respiratory problems. While at the clinical treatment stage his condition worsened and he was admitted to the intensive care unit on July 30,” he said in a media statement yesterday.

Dr Mohd Ismail said examination revealed that the boy had lung infection and myocarditis.

He was confirmed to have influenza A(H1N1) infection at 11am on Aug 1.

“Due to infection complications the patient was confirmed to have died at 8.30am yesterday while being treated in the intensive care unit,” he said.

On the current H1N1 pandemic situation, Dr Mohd Ismail said till now 39 new cases including two deaths had been reported.

All were local cases and Malaysians.

Of the 39 cases reported yesterday, 35 were from eight new clusters and four sporadic.

The total of influenza A(H1N1) cases in Malaysia till yesterday are 1,429 cases with six deaths.

Of all the cases reported, 574 (40 per cent) were imported cases and 855 (60 per cent) local infection cases.

“Of this total, 1,394 cases (98 per cent) have recovered, only 19 cases were receiving anti-viral treatment in hospitals and of these eight were in the ICU.

“Ten people were receiving anti-viral treatment at home,” he said.

Dr Mohd Ismail said of the eight cases in the ICU, five had risk factors like obesity (1), pregnancy (2) and low immunity (2).

Referring to the global situation todate, a total of 183,826 cases with 1,301 deaths had been reported in 167 countries, an increase of 940 cases with 95 deaths compared to a day before.

Additional countries affected were the Channel Islands and Moldova.

Dr Mohd Ismail said to ensure early treatment with the antiviral influenza treatment for those with high risks, the Health Ministry had determined that all patients who had infection symptoms and had high risk factors (pregnancy, obesity, asthma, cronic lungs disease, diabetes and low immunity) be given antiviral influenza treatment immediately without having to do tests to detect the disease.

This was for cases that were detected 48 hours after onset while influenza detection tests were only needed for cases being treated in hospitals,” he said.

Whereas for students, including those in institutions of higher education, who have infection symptoms, they should refrain from attending classes, lectures and group activities, he said.

He said they were ony allowed to attend these activities a day after being declared free of the influenza A(H1N1).

— Bernama