MALAYSIAN HEALTH MINISTRY CONTINUES TO MONITOR H1N1 MUTATION

KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 (Bernama) -- The Influenza A (H1N1) virus
in the country has not mutated but the Malaysian Health Ministry has taken
measures to monitor the situation, minister Liow Tiong Lai said Monday.

"We monitor from time to time to see whether the virus has mutated, which
could have dire consequences.

"For the time being there, is no mutation and we are still at level 0, with
a death rate of 0.04 per cent, but the rate of infection is still high," said
Liow.

Speaking to reporters after launching the Battlefield Healthcare Life
Demonstration in conjunction with the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2010
exhibition here, he said most people were immune to certain types of flu but not
H1N1 which was why it spread easily.

"I'm confident the disease can be contained, although infection is fast, if
we can we improve our treatment and quickly treat symptoms," he said.

Liow said the total number of H1N1 cases had increased to 13,158, with
31 new cases recorded Monday.

There are 550 patients who are being treated in hospitals, of which 66 are
positive for H1N1, he said.

"The number of people being treated in the intensive care units (ICU) has
increased by 13 cases, 10 of which involve those in the high-risk group, and
Sunday one cluster was reported in a school, where two of its students were
admitted to the Kuala Kubu Bharu Hospital," he added.

Regarding the death of a four-year-old child in Sibu Sunday, Liow said
although the child was infected by H1N1, a bacteria attack and blood infection
were also detected.

"He experienced complications which caused his death. His death is said to
be in the second category because it was not caused directly by H1N1, but
because it was due to some other bacteria," he said.

-- BERNAMA