BEIRUT, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- A young Lebanese man from Al Khalwat in South Lebanon died Tuesday of H1N1 flu virus.
A medical source from Hasbaya governmental hospital told Xinhua that 18-year-old Ghadi Amer was sent to the hospital two weeks ago after suffering from symptoms such as headache, fever and fatigue.
The source said that Amer received medical tests and treatments but did not respond to the medication. Later he was moved to another governmental hospital in Rashaya al-Wadi where he was admitted to the intensive care unit.
"However, doctors specialized in lung diseases at the hospital were incapable of saving Amer's life," the source said.
A source from the Hasbaya governmental hospital told Xinhua that the hospital received around 34 cases of severe flu in the past four weeks.
"These people were given an intensive treatment to be able to recover in less than two weeks," said the source, adding that the cold weather in Lebanon has caused the increase in flu cases.
Some four people died in Lebanon of H1N1 flu virus in 2016 and another four in 2015, according to the Health Ministry.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that such diseases cause between 250,000 and 500,000 death cases yearly with vaccines being among the most effective means of preventing these outbreaks and avoiding their consequences.
WHO advises pregnant women at all stages of pregnancy, children between six months and five years old, persons older than 65, health workers and chronically ill patients to be vaccinated against the virus.
