Till July 26, 397 people were found to have been infected with H1N1 and the number of the people who died of H1N1 reached 73, according to the figures from the Ministry of Health and Sports.

Out of 277 patients with influenza-like illness (ILI), 57 patients contracted A (H1N1), 12, A (H3N2) and eight Influenza B. Out of 666 patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI), 292 patients suffered from A (H1N1), 14 from A (H3N2) and 15 from Influenza B.

An official of the Central Infectious Diseases Control Division under the Public Health Department said: “Till July 26, a total of 942 people took the laboratory tests nationwide, and there were 397 laboratory-confirmed cases. There were 73 reported deaths—57 in Yangon, five in Ayeyawady, four in Bago, three in Mon and two in Sagaing and one each in Kachin and Magway.”

Normally, the number of deaths caused by seasonal influenza is not high. But the high death toll among the people with chronic diseases, the elderly and child. The death toll among the people aged between 15 and 65 is the highest, accounting for 49 per cent of the total number of deaths while the death toll among the patients with chronic diseases reached 44 or 78.6 per cent. The late hospitalization may increase the chance of death, according to the ministry.

From January to June this year, there were 97,540 the seasonal flu cases in 10 tropical zone countries including Myanmar—82,800 cases in China, 7,764 in India, 1,205 in Brazil, 706 in Bangladesh, 666 in Thailand,  117 in Myanmar, 3,589 in Australia, 132 in Cambodia, 238 in Laos and 323 in New Zealand, according to the statement by the ministry.

In accordance with the International Health Regulations 2005, the ministry is cooperating with the WHO, regional organizations and partner organizations, on the surveillance of infectious diseases which can lead to the public health problem and the outbreak of epidemic.