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Four
Deaths
and
55
Cases
of A
(H1N1)
in
Guatemala
Infections
with
the
influenza
virus
A
(H1N1)
recorded
an
increase
in
Guatemala,
with
55
confirmed
cases
and
four
deaths.
In
addition
to
the
deaths
of
two
adults
in
hospitals
in
the
capital,
the
Ministry
of
Health
and
Welfare
said
two
children
died
in
late
February
in
the
central-eastern
department
of
Zacapa.
They
were
part
of
seven
children
who
had
died
of
unknown
causes,
and
further
analysis
determined
that
two
of
the
cases
died
from
the
virus.
Health
facilities
handle
up
to
50,000
cases
of
acute
respiratory
infections
and
colds
per
week,
said
the
director
of
the
National
Epidemiology
Center,
Francisco
Ardon,
quoted
by
the
newspaper
Prensa
Libre.
Of
the
confirmed
cases
in
the
course
of
this
year,
symptoms
in
493
persons
made
them
suspicious
of
influenza
and
of
those
55
were
confirmed:
52
of
type
A
and
three
of
type
B,
the
source
added.
President
Otto
Perez
Molina
reiterated
the
instruction
to
the
ministry
of
health
to
take
all
safety
and
prevention
measures
and
ensure
the
availability
of
Tamiflu,
a
drug
used
against
the
A
(H1N1)
influenza.
Sector
officials
said
that
despite
not
having
the
product
in
large
quantities,
there
is
no
shortage
and
hospitals
are
prepared
for
any
eventuality,
and
a
yellow
alert
remains
in
force.
They
reaffirmed
that
Venezuela
sent
three
thousand
doses
of
vaccine
against
the
virus,
they
are
awaiting
another
two
thousand
promised
by
Mexico
and
410,000
were
purchased
from
the
Pan
American
Health
Organization.
Before
the
end
of
March,
the
authorities
intend
to
start
a
vaccination
campaign
for
children
under
five
and
older
adults,
the
groups
most
vulnerable
to
the
virus,
as
well
as
staff
of
the
health
care
network.
At
year's
end
they
hope
to
have
1,200,000
units
to
confront
any
emergency.
As
soon
as
an
infected
person
is
confirmed,
the
vaccine
is
applied
to
the
entire
family
and
the
people
with
whom
the
person
had
contact.
The
A
(H1N1)
virus
was
detected
for
the
first
time
in
Guatemala
in
2009
when
the
health
ministry
registered
more
than
620
cases,
11
of
whom
died.
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