The Influenza A(H1N1) pandemic in the country today snared another victim taking the toll to 72.

NONE Health Director-General Dr Mohd Ismail Merican in a statement today said the latest victim was a 40-year-old male with liver problems.

He was admitted to the Melaka Hospital on Aug 19 with symptoms of fever and flu over two days and died on Aug 30 due to severe pneumonia with septicaemic shock and H1N1.

Mohd Ismail said as of 9am today 280 patients out of 1,515 patients receiving treatment for influenza-like-illness (ILI) symptoms had been confirmed positive for H1N1.

202 new patients warded

He said of that total 44 were in the intensive care unit. "Of the 44 in the ICU, 36 (82 per cent) have risk factors," he said.

These included three cases of chronic diseases, obesity (4), children/infants (7), post natal/pregnancy (2), heart patients (3), kidney failure (4), asthma (3) and low immunity (2), he said.

Ismail said 202 new patients with ILI symptoms were admitted for treatment while 285 had been discharged.

"This makes for 1,525 ILI patients in 97 hospitals including five private hospitals," he said.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the H1N1 pandemic is still active whereby as of Aug 30 there were 246,221 cases with 2,958 deaths in 182 countries. - Bernama