H1N1 PATIENT DIES OF CARDIAC ARREST

PUTRAJAYA, July 23 (Bernama) -- An Indonesian man who was infected with
Influenza A (H1N1) died of cardiac arrest on Tuesday due to ventricular
fibrillation and not due to Influenza A.

Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said a preliminary post-mortem revealed that
the patient was obese and suffered from symptoms akin to pneumonia and
heart-related ailments.

"Twenty types of various specimens had been taken for virology,
bacteriology, histopatology, biochemical and toxicology tests.

"As the outcome of the post-mortem tests had not been fully known, the cause
of his death could not be finalised yet," he told reporters here Thursday.

Liow said the obese factor and the long duration of the illness must also be
taken into account in this case.

He said the case was still under investigation and the official result could
only be announced on Saturday.

"It is learnt that the man had gone back to Indonesia for vacation and
returned to Malaysia on July 5, and he was reported to be suffering from fever
and cough since returning from Indonesia but he only had light symptoms.

"On July 20, he began to suffer from high fever and on July 21, he had gone
for treatment at a private hospital in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur," he said.

He said the 30-year-old man, a first year sudent at the International
Center for Education in Islamic Finance, Kuala Lumpur was later pronounced dead
at 11.50 am on the same day.
-- BERNAMA