Swine flu claims first victim in Czech Republic

Five months after the first case of swine flu was detected in the Czech Republic the illness has claimed its first victim – a woman, aged 31, succumbed to it in hospital in Karlovy Vary, west Bohemia on Thursday. The patient’s condition was already serious when she was admitted to hospital and the H1N1 virus is said to have caused fatal complications. Another patient with swine flu, a man aged around 30, is now reported to be in a critical condition in the same ward.

The 31-year-old woman reportedly suffered from a heart condition and, according to a hospital spokeswoman, had very low immunity and had undergone an unspecified organ transplant in the past. She died of multiple organ failure less than 24 hours after being admitted in a critical condition. The hospital has issued no information about the other patient who is now fighting for his life in the same ward.

Karlovy Vary Hospital, photo: CTK

It is not clear where the two patients were infected with the swine flu but according to Filip Berger, the head of the Karlovy Vary Hospital, they must have contracted the disease already before coming to the hospital:

“The presence of the H1N1 virus in the patient who died was only confirmed after hospitalisation. The patient was hospitalised in such a grave state, that it is highly probable that she had contracted the swine flu some time earlier. The hospital has prohibited all visits to the ward and has taken measures just like in any other case of infection.”

Michael Vít, Dana Jurásková, photo: CTK

The first case of the swine flu virus in the Czech Republic was confirmed at the end of May this year. To date, over 300 cases have been confirmed in the country, the vast majority of them mild in nature. The first surge of swine flu was reported at the end of the summer holidays and health authorities expect a second wave in the coming weeks. Health Minister Dana Jurásková, however, says there is no reason to panic:

“There is no reason for extreme concern. It was just a matter of time when the Czech Republic would join the other 17 European states that have already confirmed deaths related to the swine flu. We have been taking steps to prepare for a possible pandemic for months and right now there is no reason to take extraordinary measures.”

Photo: CTK

The country’s chief hygiene officer Michael Vít has already recommended that Czechs get seasonal flu shots this year. The country has also bought a million doses of the swine flu vaccine intended for those at greater risk: health workers and patients suffering from chronic ailments, such as respiratory diseases and hearts problems. The vaccine, however, is not intended to prevent the spread of the swine flu virus in the country, but simply to lessen its overall impact.