Qatar yesterday reported its first death from swine flu. The victim, a 36-year-old national, died yesterday morning. He was suffering from pneumonia and was admitted to Hamad Hospital on July 26. He was also running a high temperature. Dr Ahmed Kamal Naji, Assistant Minister for Health Affairs at the Supreme Council for Health, told The Peninsula last evening that the man was overweight and was first admitted to a hospital in Dubai. He was there for a week suffering from a flu-like condition, and later drove all the way here for treatment. “He visited the Dubai hospital twice during his stay there,” said Naji. “He had a chest infection and full investigation revealed he had the A(H1N1) virus. He was thus moved to the intensive care unit with immediate effect,” Naji said. The patient did not have any other medical condition except obesity, which is considered a risk factor that can increase the probability of contracting swine flu. Further details about the deceased were not available. According to Naji, so far some 43 cases of swine flu have been detected in the country. “The Council would like to confirm that all diagnosed cases of swine flu in the country have recovered completely without the need for hospitalisation,” a press statement quoting the health minister, who is also secretary-general of the Council, said. Full preventive measures had been taken by the Directorate of Public Health in all the cases, the statement added. http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=August2009&file=Local_News2009080115437.xml

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