Updated at 3:30pm, 28 July 2009
PUTRAJAYA, 28 July 2009: The death toll due to Influenza A(H1N1) in the country rose to three today with the death of another patient.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the latest victim was a 42-year-old Malaysian male who was confirmed of having Influenza A(H1N1) on Thursday.
Liow said the man had been unwell since 6 July and had been seeking outpatient treatment from several clinics and private hospitals. The man was later admitted to a private hospital in Kuala Lumpur on 18 July as his condition had deteriorated. He was found to be suffering from diabetes, while an x-ray showed that he had pneumonia.
“On 19 July, the patient was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit as he was having breathing problems and needed to use the ventilator. As the case was becoming more acute, a throat sample was taken on 22 July, and he was confirmed positive for Influenza A(H1N1) on 23 July.
“However, the patient had suffered various complications and died yesterday (27 July) at 4:40pm due to severe pneumonia with multiorgan failure 10 days after seeking treatment,” Liow told reporters here today.
Liow, who expressed regret over the incident, said all clinics and hospitals in the country should take immediate steps in tracing patients infected with Influenza A(H1N1) so that immediate treatment could be given.
“This patient had gone round to a few clinics since he was not well from 6 to 18 July … yet the clinics didn’t take any swab sample for H1N1.
“I would like to urge all clinics and hospitals to be vigilant, to be effective, and to take immediate action and measures in any suspected influenza case.
“There are many cases coming in with pneumonia, but they have to test whether it’s H1N1. They have to take this immediate step,” he said.
On the current situation, Liow said 95 new cases of Influenza A(H1N1) had been detected, all of them being local cases among Malaysian citizens,
He said the total number of cases in the country had so far increased to 1,219, of which 574 cases or 47% were imported, while the remaining 645 cases or 53% were locally infected. — Bernama
