A 25-year-old woman from Betong, Sarawak has become the nation's latest victim to succumb to Influenza A(H1N1). Her death takes the death toll to 73.

The victim had died on Sept 1 and she was the first fatality not to have come from the high risk group.

NONE Director-General of Health Dr Ismail Merican also said that 266 new cases of Influenza-like Illness (ILI) were reported as of this morning. Forty-six of them are in intensive care.

On the Sarawakian woman, Mohd Ismail said she died due to severe pneumonia with H1N1 infection.

He added that she was initially admitted at the Betong Hospital on Sunday after suffering from fever, sore throat and cough for five days and later referred to the Sibu Hospital on Monday for further treatment and antiviral.

Before that she had been treated three times at the Betong Hospital as an outpatient, he said in a statement today.

He also added that with the 266 new admissions, the overall number of patients receiving treatment at 110 hospitals, including 11 private hospitals, for Influenza-Like-Illness (ILI) has increased to 1,211. Of this number 230 were H1N1 positive cases.

At the same time, 293 have been discharged, he said.

Mohd Ismail said from the 230 positive cases, 41 were receiving treatment in Intensive Care Units (ICU) with 31 cases identified as high risk, chronic cases (7), obesity (10), children/babies (8), post-natal/pregnant (2), heart patient (1) and asthmatic (3).

"Those with symptoms like fever, cough or sore throat should rest at home and avoid going to public places like shopping complexes. They should also wear face masks," he said.