S. Korea reports 9th Type A flu death

(ATTN: RECASTS lead; ADDS more info from para 2)
SEOUL, Sept. 18 (Yonhap) -- An 81-year-old woman appears to have died from
complications related to Influenza A (H1N1), South Korean health authorities said
Friday, bringing the flu death toll here to nine.

The woman, a resident of South Jeolla province who has long suffered from lung
disease and cerebral infarction, was confirmed as being infected with the virus
on Sept. 3, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
The exact cause of death was still under investigation, the ministry said.
The new flu strain was first noticed in South Korea in early May, but the first
flu-related death was not reported until Aug. 15.
A total of 7,576 confirmed flu infections have been reported as of Sept. 10,
according to the ministry. Most patients have fully recovered.
Health experts have cautioned that the disease may spread more widely as the
weather becomes cooler.
South Korea plans to inoculate some 13.4 million people, or 27 percent of the
nation's population, by next February.
ygkim@yna.co.kr
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