MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina’s A/H1N1 influenza deaths climb to four

The number of new confirmed flu cases jumped to 871 on Tuesday.

One day after reporting the first A/H1N1 flu fatality, Argentina announced three more deaths, bringing the total to four. Vice Minister of Health Carlos Soratti said two of the patients who died lived in Buenos Aires province and the third in the capital itself

One of the three fatalities was a 28-year-old who received a bone marrow transplant for leukaemia 10 years ago. The other is a 10 year old girl hospitalized suffering from meningitis. Authorities didn't release any information on the other patient.

Argentina's first A/H1N1 flu fatality was a 3-year-old infant whose death was confirmed Monday

Soratti said Tuesday in a news conference that tests had confirmed 138 new cases of swine flu, bringing Argentina's total to 871. Twelve of them are in intensive care units.

Argentine health authorities said that in two of the patients, low defences caused by immune-depressive drugs and the meningitis condition left them more vulnerable to the A/H1N1 influenza virus.