NAYPYITAW—Two more people have died from the H1N1 influenza virus in Yangon and Sagaing regions, bringing the total number of H1N1 deaths to five as of Thursday afternoon, according to the Ministry of Health.
Public Health Department Deputy Director Dr. Khin Khin Gyi told media Thursday evening that, based on data available that morning, 22 patients across the country are confirmed to have the H1N1 influenza virus.
“The elderly and infants are the most vulnerable,” Ministry Deputy Director General Dr. Thida Hla said. “A 75-year-old and a 77-year-old are among the dead, and a six-month-old died of the flu at Monywa, in Sagaing Region—the youngest to have died.”
One patient was recently diagnosed with the virus in Naypyitaw but their condition is not serious, Dr. Thida Hla said.
Currently, Yangon Region—the most populous in the country—is the hardest hit by the flu, including the four deaths, followed by northern Shan State, Sagaing Region, Rakhine State and Naypyitaw, the deputy director said.
The first death was a 29-year-old woman from Kawhmu Township, followed on June 17 by a 75-year-old man from Sanchaung Township and a 32-year-old man from Dagon Seikkan Township, all in Yangon Region.
Currently, border crossings and the Yangon International Airport are being monitored and the government is sharing flu information with other countries, according to the Ministry of Health.
H1N1 has broken out annually since 2009. The symptoms are the same as seasonal flu symptoms and include coughing, fever, sore throat, stuffy or runny nose, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue.
In 2017, 38 people died of the virus across Myanmar.
Note: This story was edited on June 21, 2019 to correct the number of deaths from H1N1 in Myanmar in 2017. The original version incorrectly stated that the death toll was 12.
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