Myanmar reports sixth deaths from fresh H1N1 outbreak
Six people have died in Myanmar amid a fresh outbreak of H1N1 influenza largely hitting the Southeast Asian country’s biggest city, Yangon.
Thinzar Aung, deputy director of the infectious diseases department at the Ministry of Health and Sport, said Thursday that two 5-year-old girls were among the victims of the flu epidemic in Yangon, adding that they died Tuesday at a children's hospital in the city.
The official said two men also died at other government-held hospitals of Yangon late Wednesday and early on Thursday, bringing the total number of people confirmed to have died from H1N1 to six.
Health officials in Yangon said Monday that a pregnant woman and a man had died after contracting the virus.
Thinzar Aung said Myanmar’s health system was carefully tracking down cases of H1N1, saying there was no cause for public concern. She said the total number of people currently affected by the virus is 30 and all are receiving treatment.
"We cannot say that government needs to control the spread of the virus because it is not at the level to control," said the official, adding, "These numbers are not big. It happens normally.”
Earlier this month, reports said 10 people also contracted H1N1 in Matupi, in the remote northwestern state of Chin. A case of swine flu was also reported from the area after an 8-year-old boy died with respiratory problems. This comes as people fearing a large outbreak have flooded stores in Yangon to buy surgical masks.
Health authorities, however, say H1N1 has been circulating in Myanmar as part of seasonal strains of flu, which broke out as a global pandemic in 2009. They insist the spread has been contained as no deaths from the virus have been reported over the past years.
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