Czech Republic has third swine flu victim

This has been the fourth swine flu-connected death in the country.

Three people died of the flu and one man who was infected with the disease died of acute leukaemia.

The man who died in Karlovy Vary today has been a second swine flu victim in the town.

The 31-year-old woman who died of the disease in the town on October 32 was the first victim of the flu in the Czech Republic.

The hospital has been treating another man for swine flu for four weeks now. His condition is serious.

Swine flu was confirmed in 633 patients in the country as from Thursday.

Chief sanitary officer Michael Vit said on Thursday the number of cases has not yet nationally reached the epidemic dimension, which is 2000 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

He said he expects the epidemic to break out in the first week of December.

The first 95,000 doses of the swine flu vaccine arrived in the country on Thursday. The Czech Republic has ordered a total of one million doses.

They will be given to patients with a health risk, health staff and people crucial for the state's functioning.

Antivirotic drugs will be ready for another 2.5 million people. The first Tamiflu medicine is available on prescription in Prague's Motol hospital pharmacies as from today.

Autor: ČTK
www.ctk.cz