Source: http://fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=358505
Three dead
Roland Koroi
Saturday, June 18, 2016
THREE pregnant women died after suffering from an influenza strain, which according to the Health Ministry is similar to the pandemic influenza H1N1, but is more virulent or more infectious.
The deaths occurred about six weeks ago, all within a month period.
The ministry's adviser for communicable diseases, Dr Mike Kama, said initially the strain of influenza was hard to diagnose.
"We couldn't really diagnose this strain well because there was a variation in its genotype and it was more virulent than usual," he said.
"Deaths caused by influenza are quite normal as we have up to about three deaths a year.
"But six weeks ago three pregnant women died from this strain of influenza within the space of a month and this was quite unusual.
"Because of this, the Intensive Care Unit raised the alarm and we immediately set up a taskforce to deal with the situation."
Dr Kama said the most vulnerable in the community, including the very old, the very young and pregnant women, were in most cases the first to be affected by the influenza virus.
Three dead
Roland Koroi
Saturday, June 18, 2016
THREE pregnant women died after suffering from an influenza strain, which according to the Health Ministry is similar to the pandemic influenza H1N1, but is more virulent or more infectious.
The deaths occurred about six weeks ago, all within a month period.
The ministry's adviser for communicable diseases, Dr Mike Kama, said initially the strain of influenza was hard to diagnose.
"We couldn't really diagnose this strain well because there was a variation in its genotype and it was more virulent than usual," he said.
"Deaths caused by influenza are quite normal as we have up to about three deaths a year.
"But six weeks ago three pregnant women died from this strain of influenza within the space of a month and this was quite unusual.
"Because of this, the Intensive Care Unit raised the alarm and we immediately set up a taskforce to deal with the situation."
Dr Kama said the most vulnerable in the community, including the very old, the very young and pregnant women, were in most cases the first to be affected by the influenza virus.
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