Palestinians confirm first death from swine flu (AlertNet, edited)

[Giuseppe]

Palestinians confirm first death from swine flu (AlertNet, edited)

Palestinians confirm first death from swine flu

07 Aug 2009 16:47:57 GMT
Source: Reuters
BETHLEHEM, West Bank, Aug 7 (Reuters)


Palestinians on Friday confirmed a first death in the West Bank of a patient known to be carrying the new H1N1 flu virus, a government health official said.

Asad Ramlawi, a senior Palestinian Health Ministry official said a 34-year-old man who recently returned from a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia had died in hospital in Ramallah.

Palestinians reported a first confirmed case of the H1N1 virus in June and Ramlawi said there were now some 80 confirmed H1N1 cases in the Palestinian territories.

Israel reported its first fatality from the virus last week since when media has reported that four other people have died. The Health Ministry Web site said by July 30 1,719 cases had been diagnosed in the Jewish state.

The World Health Organisation declared an H1N1 influenza pandemic on June 11 but it has given up on trying to get a precise count of cases worldwide. By last week it said the virus had killed over 800 people.

(Reporting by Mohammed Assadi; Writing by Ori Lewis in Jerusalem; Editing by Jon Hemming)
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<cite cite="http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L7374723.htm">Reuters AlertNet - Palestinians confirm first death from swine flu</cite>

[Shiloh]

Re: Palestinians confirm first death from swine flu (AlertNet, edited)

Source: http://jta.org/news/article/2009/08/...s-of-swine-flu

Palestinian man dies of swine flu

August 10, 2009

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- The Palestinian Authority suffered its first swine flu fatality.

A Palestinian man, 34, died Friday night in Ramallah after contracting the H1N1 virus during a pilgrimage to Mecca, according to reports. Some 80 Palestinians reportedly have contracted swine flu.

The Palestinian Authority Health Ministry has warned Palestinians to avoid travel to the hajj in Mecca to stop the spread of the virus.

Nearly 2,000 Israelis reportedly have come down with the virus; five have died. Some 15 were hospitalized in serious condition with the virus as of Sunday.

Israel over the weekend signed a $1.8 million contract with a French company to supply every Israeli with a vaccine for the virus by January, Ha'aretz reported.