Three more die of H1N1 virus infection

By Kim Boram
SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- Three more people have died in South Korea after being
infected with the Influenza A virus, raising the death toll here from the
contagious disease to 48, health authorities said Friday.

A two-year-old boy and two women, aged 29 and 54, were diagnosed as having
contracted the H1N1 virus, officials from the central disaster relief
headquarters said. All three were classified as "high risk" patients.
The number of victims here is feared to rise further as officials were looking
into at least 10 other deaths suspected of being caused by the new flu.
The boy died three days after being administered the antiviral drug Tamiflu,
according to the officials. It was not clear when he first began showing symptoms
of the new flu.
The younger of the two women was confirmed as having been infected in early
November but was not prescribed antibiotics, while the older woman died despite
taking Tamiflu, according to the officials.
The disaster relief headquarters, which acts as a control tower for the country's
efforts to combat the spread of the disease, was set up Wednesday under the
Ministry of Public Administration and Security after the government raised its
alert level for the flu to the highest "red."
brk@yna.co.kr
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