TEHRAN, Oct.21 (Mehr News Agency) -- One student has died of swine flu, bringing the death toll from H1N1 virus to 16 across the country, the Iranian Deputy Health Minister announced here on Wednesday.

"1,194 persons have been diagnosed with the A flu virus" since the outbreak of the disease in the Islamic Republic on June 22, Hassan Emami-Razavi said.

"Six patients have died of the disease over the last week, bringing the country's total death rate from the disease to 16," Emami-Razavi lamented.

He also spoke of the flu pandemic in winter, and recommended that people with H1N1 flu avoid contact with others as much as possible.

The health ministry official said that if you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home for at least 24 hours and once the fever subsides get medical care. Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine. Stay away from others as much as possible because it is contagious and can make others sick, Emami-Razavi added.

The provinces of Qom, Sistan-Baluchestan, Zahedan, and Arak have the highest rate of the H1N1 flu cases in the country, Emami-Razavi said.

Cases of swine flu have been confirmed in at least 18 countries since it emerged in Mexico in April.

Swine flu is a respiratory disease that normally infects pigs. It is caused by the Influenza Type A H1N1 virus, which is the same type of virus that caused the infamous Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918.

... Payvand News - 10/22/09 ... --

Bookmark/Share this post with:
Delicious | Digg | Facebook | Furl | Google | Magnolia | Newsvine | Reddit | Yahoo