H1N1 VIRUS: DEATH TOLL UP TO 30

H1N1 VIRUS: DEATH TOLL UP TO 30

(ANSA) - Rome, November 6 - Two more victims of the H1N1 flu virus on Friday brought the death toll in Italy to 30 according to the Italian health ministry

Doctors said that both of the victims, a 55-year-old man near Venice and a 9-year-old girl in Campobasso, had serious health problems before coming down with the flu.

With over 13 people dying with the virus since Monday, this has been the deadliest week since Italy's first flu death in September.

Despite the rising death toll, Junior Health Minister Ferruccio Fazio urged Italians with flu symptoms to stay calm and to stay at home.

While reiterating that ''this is not a dangerous disease,'' Fazio said that it could become one ''if the virus mutates or crossed with other strains like the bird flu.''

''Then we probably would see the mortality rate go up,'' said Fazio.

''That's why its so important to stop this thing by the end of the year,'' said Fazio, admonishing Italian doctors for not turning out in greater numbers to get the vaccine.

The health ministry estimates over 540,000 cases of the flu in Italy, 124 of whom have been hospitalized with serious cases of the virus.

The World Health Organization on Friday placed the global death toll from the virus at 6,071, up 350 from last week.

So far, around 40,000 Italians have been inoculated against the virus between health workers, pregnant women and patients with severe chronic diseases.

Responding to complaints from some hospitals about uneven distribution of the vaccine, Junior Health Minister Ferruccio Fazio promised that five million doses would be sent out by the end of the month.

''We're counting on having 90% of the high-risk cases in Italy vaccinated by December,'' Fazio said. Photo: Fazio