BANGKOK, 31 January 2014 The Ministry of Public Health has confirmed that the patient suspected to die of H1N1 bird flu in Chiang Mai province was not infected with the virus, saying that he died of common influenza.
Permanent Secretary for Public Health MD Narong Sahamethaphat said lab tests showed that the virus which killed the patient was a common influenza virus instead of H1N1. The Office of Disease Prevention and Control Region 10 in Chiang Mai was trying to prevent the virus from spreading, the official said.
From 1 – 25 January 2014, Thailand had 1,835 influenza patients in with no fatality. Phayao was the province with the highest case fatality, followed by Uttaradit, Phuket, Bangkok and Chiang Rai. H1N1 is a seasonal flu with mild symptoms and there are vaccines to prevent the virus. Severe complications can be found in at-risk groups such as patients with a chronic disease, the elderly, young children, people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and obese people.
