Tra Vinh reports one death over swine flu

A doctor checks on a patient with the swine flu H1N1 (Illustrative photo: VNA)

Tra Vinh (VNA) – The Health Department in the
Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh on August 9 announced that it has recorded a
death caused by the swine flu A/H1N1.

The deceased, Nguyen Thanh Hong, 60, was hospitalised at the
local Tieu Can general hospital on July 31 over breathing problems. He was
diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – a common lung
disease, high blood pressure, and Cushing’s syndrome – a collection of signs
and symptoms due to prolonged exposure to cortisol.

He was transferred to the Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh
City and died five days later. Tests from the Ho Chi Minh City Pasteur
Institute showed that he was positive for A/H1N1.

Cao My Phuong, Director of the Tra Vinh Health Department,
said the agency is intensifying measures to prevent the disease from speading.
She unveiled that Hong’s house and its surrounding areas have been sterilized
while medical staff involved in his case have been put under health
surveillance.  

A/H1N1 is one of the three most common seasonal
influenza strains in Vietnam, with at least five deaths recorded since the
beginning of this year.

The A/H1N1 virus causes a pernicious respiratory infection.
Its symptoms are similar to seasonal flu, those of a fever, cold, cough, and
headache. The virus then spreads to the respiratory system, causing other
complicated symptoms such as wheezing and phlegm.

Patients suffering from A/H1N1 flu and seasonal flu normally
recover after a week. However, vulnerable groups include the elderly, children,
pregnant women, diabetics, cancer patients, HIV-positive people, and those with
pre-existing respiratory issues.

Vietnam previously experienced an pandemic in 2009,
with over 9,000 cases of people contracting the disease and nearly 20 deaths
within four months, according to the Ministry of Health. -VNA