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Commentary
H1N1 Death Cluster In Malaysia Raises Pandemic Concerns
Recombinomics
Commentary 13:49
April 3, 2010
"Doctors who realised that the foetus was undergoing a foetal distress syndrome had to make a quick decision to save its life, especially after laboratory results confirmed that the woman was positive for Influenza A (H1N1)," said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tong Lai.
He said the woman, who was treated with Tamilfu, was wheeled into the operating theatre where the surgeon managed to successfully remove the foetus from the mother's womb.
The woman, he added, subsequently suffered complications and was in the intensive care unit where she died on Friday due to 'adult respiratory distress syndrome'.
Meanwhile, a 54-year-old diabetic, also from the same family and confirmed positive for A(H1N1), died due to complications at the same hospital.
Liow said the deceased was brought to the hospital with ILI on Tuesday and was immediately warded and treated with the anti-viral drug, Tamiflu.
"Throat swabs taken from her showed positive for the disease," he said, adding that due to her uncontrolled diabetic condition, she suffered 'severe metabolic acidosis' which led to kidney failure and sepsis.
He said the deceased lungs also revealed that she had pneumonia related to A(H1N1).
The above comments describe the H1N1 deaths of two family members in Melaka, Malaysia. Although disease onset dates were not stated, both were treated with Tamiflu and both died within a few days of each other after brief hospitalization.
Rapid death in clustered cases has been linked to D225G/N, which would be a concern for these two fatal infections. Malaysia has reported a spike in cases in recent days, leading to hundreds of hospitalizations, infections of hospital staff, and school closings.
This spike in cases and the associated death cluster are causes for concern.
Release of sequences from these fatal cases and recent hospialized cases would be useful. The most recent sequences from Malaysia appear to be collected in September, 2009.
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