Public fears over deadly flu mount

The Department of Disease Control (DDC) yesterday attempted to allay the public’s fears over the latest deadly influenza case in Uthai Thani, in which a 23-year-old woman succumbed to the viral infection after being treated in hospital for about three weeks.

The patient, identified only as Patthawan who lived in Uthai Thani, tested positive for the influenza A (H1N1) virus, the most common cause of seasonal human influenza, according to Uthai Thani’s provincial public health office.

Fears over influenza were sparked by media reports in which Panya Wongwet, a member of Uthai Thani Provincial Administrative Organisation, was quoted as calling on the Public Health Ministry to take urgent action to prevent more flu deaths.

He told the media the dead patient was his niece who fell ill on July 27 and who was at first believed to have contracted common flu.

He said she was first admitted to a hospital in neighbouring Ayutthaya and later transferred to one in Nonthaburi where she died after about three weeks of treatment.

Suwanchai Wat thanayingcharoenchai, director-general of the DDC, said a surveillance and rapid response team has been assigned to carry out surveillance on the influenza situation in Uthai Thani.

The doctor said the public should be confident about measures implemented to deal with the flu situation in the province, he said. He added the number of influenza cases and deaths reported this year was lower than the figure reported during the same period of last year.

A total of 89,846 cases, including 12 deaths, were recorded from Jan 1 until Monday, while the same period of last year saw 106,415 confirmed cases with 29 deaths, he said.

Members of the public are being advised to stay away from crowded public areas where the risk of contracting the influenza virus is usually high and anyone having a high fever for more than two days should immediately see a doctor, according to Dr Suwanchai.

Uthai Thani’s provincial public health office said 97 H1N1 flu cases were reported last month and so far this month there have been 35 more.