Taiwan has reported two more deaths resulting from A/H1N1 influenza, bringing the island's total to five, the island's health authority confirmed Monday night.
The latest victim was a 44-year-old woman in Pingtung County. She started feeling ill on Aug.17. Three days later she experienced severe symptoms including fever, a bad cough and muscle pain. She was diagnosed as having a severe case of A/H1N1 flu and died early Monday morning.
The second death was that of a six-year-old boy in Changhua County, who died last Friday after being hospitalized for nearly a month.
Neither had been abroad, local authorities said.
A 39-year-old man was the first in Taiwan to die from A/H1N1 on July 30. A six-year-old girl died of the flu on Aug.16, and a 24-year-old college student died on Aug.21.
Globally, at least 1,799 people have died and tens of thousands have been infected by the A/H1N1 flu virus, says a report released by the World Health Organization on Aug.21.
(Xinhua News Agency August 26, 2009)