Two more people in Ho Chi Minh City and the southern province of Tay Ninh have reportedly died from the swine flu virus A/H1N1, whose return last June has raised great public concern.

On July 18, the health centre of Hoa Thanh district in Tay Ninh province confirmed one of its patients died after contracting the virus. 

The male patient, a local resident with diabetes, was born in 1970 and died on July 17 after only one week of treatment.

The same day, the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Tropical Diseases announced that it recorded a second death caused by A/H1N1 influenza.

The female patient was 35 years old, who resided in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap. 

The woman was transferred to the hospital on June 17 with a high fever and respiratory failure, and diagnosed with A/H1N1flu. She was 32 weeks pregnant. 

Doctors carried out an emergency operation on June 19 to save the baby, who was then moved to Tu Du hospital for further treatment. The mother died 29 days later from pneumonia caused by the influenza virus and blood infection following the operation. The baby did not contract the virus and was discharged from the hospital.

Swine flu A/H1N1 is one of the three most common seasonal influenza strains in Vietnam, with at least five deaths recorded since the beginning of this year.

The return of flu A/H1N1 in June has caused public concern, especially in Ho Chi Minh City and the two southern provinces of Ca Mau and Vinh Long which also saw fatalities.

In Ho Chi Minh City, two outbreaks of A/H1N1 flu strain occurred at Tu Du hospital and Cho Ray Hospital last month, with 40 patients testing positive for the virus. To date, the city has recorded four A/H1N1-related deaths.

The A/H1N1 virus causes a pernicious respiratory infection. Its symptoms are similar to seasonal flu, those of a fever, cold, cough, and headache. The virus then spreads to the respiratory system, causing other complicated symptoms such as wheezing and phlegm. 

Patients suffering from A/H1N1 flu and seasonal flu normally recover after a week. However, vulnerable groups include the elderly, children, pregnant women, diabetics, cancer patients, HIV-positive people, and those with pre-existing respiratory issues.

Vietnam previously experienced an A/H1N1 pandemic in 2009, with over 9,000 cases of people contracting the disease and nearly 20 deaths within four months, according to the Ministry of Health. -VNA