(3rd LD) South Korea reports first death from influenza A

(ATTN: ADDS gov't briefing and remarks throughout)
SEOUL, Aug. 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's health authorities reported the first
death here from influenza A on Saturday, raising concerns that the country is no
longer insulated from the contagious disease that is spreading worldwide.

The deceased, whose identity has been withdrawn, is a man in his 50s who recently
returned from a trip to Thailand. Three days after returning home on Aug. 8, he
complained of high fever and was admitted to a local hospital as his health
condition deteriorated, authorities added. He was later found to be infected with
the H1N1 virus.
The exact reason for his death is still under investigation but he is suspected
of having died of pneumonia, a complication caused by the new flu virus, the
Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention said.
"We were notified by hospital officials that he died of pneumonia and other
resulting complications earlier in the morning and an investigation is still
underway to confirm the exact reason for his death," Lee Jong-koo, head of the
KCDC told reporters in an emergency press briefing.
"Tests have been conducted on 65 coworkers who traveled with the man to Thailand,
as well as his family members, but no flu cases have been confirmed yet.
Antibiotics are also being administered to medical staff who might have been in
contact with the patient," he added.
News of the death came just hours after the ministry confirmed an additional 62
cases of the new flu overnight, bringing the total number of infections here to
2,032.
Pneumonia is a common complication among flu patients and is responsible for a
majority of the deaths caused by influenza viruses, experts say.
Most patients infected with the virus in South Korea, however, have shown only
mild symptoms and have made brisk recoveries after receiving antibiotic
treatment.
There have been two official cases involving pneumonia caused by the H1N1 virus
in South Korea, including the deceased, Lee said. Previously, a solider developed
pneumonia after being infected with the new flu but made a full recovery.
South Korea has been relatively insulated from the global pandemic, which has
claimed about 1,500 lives worldwide since the disease was first identified in
April.
As of Saturday, 402 people remained in isolation in South Korea at their homes or
state-designated hospitals. The other patients have recovered after being treated
with antibiotics.
The KCDC recommends that those traveling to "severely-affected countries" such as
the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries increase
efforts to maintain personal hygiene and report immediately to authorities when
they show flu-like symptoms.
The government earlier said it will secure enough vaccine to inoculate around 27
percent of the nation's population against the flu virus. The vaccines will be
available beginning in November, ahead of the winter flu season, it added.
In late July, the ministry upgraded its disease alert level by one notch to the
second-highest, calling for cities and provinces to run emergency disease control
systems around the clock.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
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