MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Three month old baby, first A/H1N1 flu death in Argentina

Chile and Argentina are the Latam countries with the highest incidence of the flu.

Argentina confirmed Monday evening the first death caused by the A/H1N1 influenza, a three months old baby which was in intense care. Public Health minister Graciela Ocaña also revealed that four more cases out of a total 733 remain in critical condition.

In its daily report the Ministry said that 89 new cases had been confirmed in Argentina taking the total to 733. Six suspect cases were also reported in the northern province of Salta neighbouring with Bolivia. Samples have been sent to Buenos Aires to be examined at the epidemiology lab of the Instituto Malbrán.

The release also said that 48 schools in the City of Buenos Aires, province of Buenos Aires, Misiones, Santa Fe and Tierra del Fuego remain closed following the positive cases of the A influenza.

Meantime from neighbouring Chile it was reported that a member of the national football team that recently placed in the qualifiers for the 2010 Cup in South Africa against Paraguay and Bolivia is under “anti-viral” treatment, apparently victim of the A/H1N1 influenza.

Rodrigo Millar is under observation in his native city of Concepción and will remain so for the next ten days.

“I began coughing, had fever, pains all over my body so I went to see the doctor and here I am prescribed with Tamiflu”, said the mid fielder in his web site.

Last Friday Chile had 2.335 confirmed cases of the A flu, 56 of them described as “very critical”. Chile is the Latinamerican country with the highest number of cases per population. Argentina follows.

At global level according to the latest report from the World Health Organization, 35.928 people in 76 countries had caught the flu, with 163 deaths reported.

In related news Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis AG announced at the end of last week that it has successfully produced the first batch of A/H1N1 flu vaccine at its Marburg, Germany plant, weeks well ahead of schedule.

According to a press release on the company website, the vaccine was produced in cells, rather than grown in eggs as is typically the case with vaccines. “The speed advantages of our cell-based production approach and our unwavering commitment to address this public health emergency have resulted in our ability to provide the fastest possible response to this outbreak,” said Dr. Andrin Oswald, CEO of Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics.

Novartis plans to use the first batch of vaccine for pre-clinical evaluation and testing to make sure it is safe and effective. The company, which has had requests for the vaccine from more than 30 governments including the US Department of Health and Human Services which placed a $289 million order in May, will build a second plant in Holly Springs, North Carolina.