YANGON—Forty-one people nationwide have died after contracting the seasonal H1N1 influenza virus between the second week of June and July 11, according to the Ministry of Health and Sports.
Yangon had the most fatalities, with 33, followed by three in the Irrawaddy Region, two each in the Bago and Sagaing regions and one in Mon State.
In the same period, there were 556 suspected flu cases nationwide, of which 208 were diagnosed as seasonal flu. Three flu strains have been found in diagnostic tests—174 cases of H1N1, also known as “swine flu,” 17 cases of H3N2 and 17 cases of influenza B.
Dr. Tun Myint, head of the Yangon Region Health Department, pointed out that in most cases the flu was not the sole cause of death; rather, it was a contributing factor along with other chronic health problems.
“H1N1 was only responsible for five deaths; other victims had been suffering from hypertension or kidney or heart problems when they contracted H1N1,” he said.
In 2017, 38 out of 406 people diagnosed with H1N1 died, among 1,165 suspected cases. Last year, there were no fatalities and only 13 confirmed cases, according to the Public Health Department.
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