YANGON — Three more people died of H1N1 influenza on Sunday in Yangon, raising the total number of H1N1 deaths to 10, according to the Ministry of Health and Sports.
The health ministry’s Department of Public Health reported on Sunday evening that one person admitted to Yangon General Hospital on July 15 and another two admitted separately to the hospital on July 28 died on Sunday. The hospital did not give further details of the victims.
From July 21-30, Myanmar has had 182 suspected cases and 51 confirmed cases of the virus known as swine flu. The health ministry said it has accelerated emergency response, monitoring, prevention, control and awareness campaigns to combat H1N1.
“It is important to admit the person to the hospital as soon as they are suspected of having the influenza. If they are admitted early, the possibility of survival is high,” Dr. Myint Htwe, minister of health and sports, said at a meeting on the outbreak on Sunday in Yangon, according to state media.
The ministry urged the public to follow precautionary measures, including avoiding crowds, frequently washing their hands, using disposable tissues when sneezing and coughing, and thoroughly cleaning utensils and plates before use.
Meanwhile, chickens at a house in Yangon’s Mayangone Township were confirmed to have contracted H5N1 bird flu following the results of a laboratory test.
The outbreak in Yangon comes just after about 1,000 chickens died of the flu in Tanintharyi Region’s Dawei Township.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation have released instructions on how to prevent the spread of bird flu.
