Iran Reports First Confirmed Case Of H1N1 Swine Flu

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Main Category: Swine Flu
Also Included In: Flu / Cold / SARS;  Public Health
Article Date: 22 Jun 2009 - 10:00 PDT

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The Ministry of Health in Iran has reported the country's first confirmed case of H1N1 swine flu, in a 16 year-old Iranian boy who lives in the US and was visiting Iran.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Health released through the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the boy entered the country with symptoms of "respiratory infection" and tests confirmed "the contraction" of the virus.

The statement, reported by the Associated Press, said the boy was reponding well to treatment and his general situation was now "satisfactory".

The Iranian Health Ministry has advised people in Iran to avoid unnecessary travel to countries with a high rate of swine flu infection, such as Mexico, Canada, the Philippines, Thailand, Britain and Germany, reported Xinhua news agency.

The Iranian government has set up a committee that includes four ministers and two vice presidents to oversee management of the flu epidemic in the country.

According to the latest update from the World Health Organization issued earlier today, the number of officially confirmed cases of novel H1N1 swine flu worldwide now totals 52,160, including 231 deaths.

The country with the most officially reported infections so far is still the United States, whose total has gone up by 3,594 (including 43 deaths) to 21,449 (including 87 deaths), since Friday, showing that unlike seasonal flu, for many states the swine flu does not appear to be receding for the summer.

Mexico has reported over 7,600 cases including 113 deaths, Canada has reported over 5,700 including 13 deaths, and the United Kingdom has reported over 2,500 including 1 death. Of these Canada and the UK still appear to be experiencing rising cases.

Cases of swine flu in southern hemisphere countries, currently in winter when seasonal flu is at its highest, are also going up, as expected, with several countries now totalling case numbers in thousands.

Chile has reported over 4,300 lab-confirmed cases of H1N1 swine flu and 4 deaths, Australia has reported nearly 2,500 cases including 1 death, Argentina has reported over 1,000 cases, including 7 deaths.

Sources: Associated Press, Xinhua, WHO.

Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today