ID :
75523
Sun, 08/16/2009 - 09:08
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/75523
The shortlink copeid
57-yr-old Okinawa man confirmed as Japan`s 1st death from new flu
NAHA, Japan, Aug. 15 Kyodo -
Japan reported its first death linked to the new strain of influenza Saturday
when the Okinawa prefectural government said a 57-year-old man on the southern
island died after being infected with the pandemic disease.
The man, a resident of Ginowan, appears to have died of blood poisoning after
the H1N1 flu strain triggered pneumonia, the health ministry said. Japan
reported its first new-flu patient in May and has since had more than 5,000
confirmed cases.
''It seems that having the new flu in addition to a combination of heart
illness and kidney dysfunction weakened his immune system,'' a prefectural
government official said, noting that the man had suffered cardiac infarction
and received kidney dialysis on a regular basis.
He first complained of a sore throat and other flu-like symptoms on Aug. 9, and
had a fever of 37 C the following day when he had dialysis. But a simple
examination found he did not have the new influenza.
But since the man's body temperature climbed to 39 C on Wednesday, local health
authorities conducted another simple examination, and this time he tested
positive for the type A virus, according to the local government.
Although he was being given the Tamiflu antiflu drug, his condition
deteriorated further and he died at 6:54 a.m. Saturday, it said, adding an
additional detailed test confirmed his infection with the new influenza.
No one around him shows any suspected symptoms of the new influenza, the
prefectural government said.
Commenting on the news, Prime Minister Taro Aso called for people in Japan to
''act calmly and stay alert by heeding information from the central government
as well as local governments.''
''The (national) government has been stepping up efforts to enhance medical
preparedness toward the fall and winter and will continue to try to cope with
any changes in the situation,'' Aso said, referring to possible large-scale
outbreaks of new-flu cases feared for the coming flu season.
Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yoichi Masuzoe, meanwhile, unveiled a plan
to take samples from the dead man in order to investigate whether there has
been a mutation of the new-flu virus' genetic material.
After the first case of infection was confirmed in Japan, the central
government initially gave top priority to preventing the spread of the new
influenza by isolating infected people, believing the disease to be highly
virulent.
Given that the new influenza turned out to be not as strong as initially
thought, however, the government reversed the policy in mid-June and focused on
treatment for patients in serious condition.
On June 11, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic of the new flu,
raising its alert level to the highest of phase 6.
==Kyodo
Japan reported its first death linked to the new strain of influenza Saturday
when the Okinawa prefectural government said a 57-year-old man on the southern
island died after being infected with the pandemic disease.
The man, a resident of Ginowan, appears to have died of blood poisoning after
the H1N1 flu strain triggered pneumonia, the health ministry said. Japan
reported its first new-flu patient in May and has since had more than 5,000
confirmed cases.
''It seems that having the new flu in addition to a combination of heart
illness and kidney dysfunction weakened his immune system,'' a prefectural
government official said, noting that the man had suffered cardiac infarction
and received kidney dialysis on a regular basis.
He first complained of a sore throat and other flu-like symptoms on Aug. 9, and
had a fever of 37 C the following day when he had dialysis. But a simple
examination found he did not have the new influenza.
But since the man's body temperature climbed to 39 C on Wednesday, local health
authorities conducted another simple examination, and this time he tested
positive for the type A virus, according to the local government.
Although he was being given the Tamiflu antiflu drug, his condition
deteriorated further and he died at 6:54 a.m. Saturday, it said, adding an
additional detailed test confirmed his infection with the new influenza.
No one around him shows any suspected symptoms of the new influenza, the
prefectural government said.
Commenting on the news, Prime Minister Taro Aso called for people in Japan to
''act calmly and stay alert by heeding information from the central government
as well as local governments.''
''The (national) government has been stepping up efforts to enhance medical
preparedness toward the fall and winter and will continue to try to cope with
any changes in the situation,'' Aso said, referring to possible large-scale
outbreaks of new-flu cases feared for the coming flu season.
Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yoichi Masuzoe, meanwhile, unveiled a plan
to take samples from the dead man in order to investigate whether there has
been a mutation of the new-flu virus' genetic material.
After the first case of infection was confirmed in Japan, the central
government initially gave top priority to preventing the spread of the new
influenza by isolating infected people, believing the disease to be highly
virulent.
Given that the new influenza turned out to be not as strong as initially
thought, however, the government reversed the policy in mid-June and focused on
treatment for patients in serious condition.
On June 11, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic of the new flu,
raising its alert level to the highest of phase 6.
==Kyodo
