Third Confirmed Death of H1N1 Influenza

12 August 2009

Based on the National Institute of Communicable Diseases which is the only WHO Reference laboratory in the country, the official death toll of H1N1 Influenza stands at three (3). The latest case, that of a 42 year old male from the Western Cape was confirmed by the Institute yesterday following their laboratory testing.

The deceased took ill on 31 July and was admitted on 04 August with pneumonia but unfortunately on the same day. At the moment there are about 1 910 confirmed cases of the H1N1 Influenza in the country including that of a 12 year old boy confirmed in June this year. The majority of these cases are spread between Gauteng and Western Cape provinces with the Northern Cape being the least affected.
 
As part of dealing with this pandemic, the Department of Health would still call on members of the public to practice basic health practices that include cough and sneeze hygiene (and the disposal a used tissue paper in a dustbin) and the regular washing of hands.

The Department would still like to appeal to members of the public not to panic as it feels that the measures that it has in place to deal with the pandemic are adequate. The containment of the Influenza spread world-over (through measures such as closing down schools, businesses etc) has not proven to be a success anywhere, instead, the Department is focused on mitigating the impact on communities.

For more information please contact Fidel Hadebe on 011 312-0663 or 079 517-3333.

Issued by the Department of Health