(Correction) INFLUENZA A H1N1 DEATHS LEAP TO 14

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 6 (Bernama) -- Another death related to Influenza A (H1N1),
that of a 57-year old male pensioner at the Putrajaya Hospital Tuesday, has
raised the number of deaths due to the pandemic to 14 since Thursday morning.

Director-General of Health Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said the victim
who had diabetes and hypertension was admitted to the hospital's intensive care
unit (ICU) with symptoms of fever, cough and difficulty in breathing.

"He was confirmed having the virus Tuesday. He died Tuesday of Acute
Pulmonary Oedema secondary to H1N1," he told reporters here Thursday.

In that regard, Dr Mohd Ismail again stressed that people with high risk
like pregnant women, those with lung disease, obesity, diabetes, asthma, low
immunity, heart disease and breathing difficulty to seek immediate treatment at
the nearest clinic or hospital as treatment for Influenza A (H1N1) was very
effective if treatment was started within 48 hours of onset of symptoms.

He said that those who have normal influenza symptoms and not in the high
risk groups are advised to not panic and rush to get themselves tested.

He said this was because many H1N1 cases in Malaysia, and the rest of the
world, would show light symptoms and 98 per cent would recover even without
specific medicine.

"Patients with light symptoms are asked to rest and God Willing will recover
in three or four days. After recovering they will have the anti-body, so it is
not necessary for all cases with light symptoms to undergo H1N1 testing," he
said.

Dr Mohd Ismail said H1N1 testing would only be done for cases admitted to
ward and those with high risk.

He said this was because the Institute of Medical Research (IMR), which is
responsible for testing, is swamped with 500 tests a day and that 80-90 per cent
were tested negative.
-- BERNAMA