S. Korea reports 5th flu-related death

SEOUL, Sept. 12 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean woman infected with Influenza A died
on Saturday, health officials said, raising the local death toll from the H1N1
virus to five.
The 73-year old woman, who suffered from high blood pressure, was presumed to
have died from complications stemming from the new flu, health officials said.
The woman, who recently visited the United States, was confirmed infected with
Influenza A on Aug. 25, after showing symptoms of high fever and coughing. The
exact cause of the death was still under investigation, they said.
On Aug. 15, South Korea reported its first H1N1 virus-related death -- a man in
his 50s who had recently returned from a trip to Thailand.
South Korea reported its first new flu outbreak in early May, with the number of
infections reaching more than 7,000. Most have fully recovered, but health
experts say the disease could spread at a more rapid pace in the fall.
The government earlier said that it will vaccinate around 10 million people
against the virus by the end of this year. Full-scale vaccination will begin in
November and aims to inoculate 27 percent of the nation's 49 million people by
February next year, it added.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
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