National health minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi confirmed today that a university student had died and that the National Institute of Communicable Diseases had confirmed that it was due to the H1N1 virus.

‘€œI wish to express my sincere condolences to the family of the 22 year old university student. The death of a person so young, who was actively building his future career, is indeed unfortunate and deeply regretted,’€ said Motsoaledi.

The national health department said in a statement that the student presented with flu-like symptoms on 20 July and was treated symptomatically at the campus clinic. He did not improve and consulted a General Practitioner.

He left campus on the weekend of 24 July for his parents’€™ home. He consulted another doctor who last Sunday (26 July) referred him to a Western Cape private hospital for admission and treatment by a specialist.

He was treated as a case of atypical pneumonia with antibiotics.

A day later his condition deteriorated and he was moved to the intensive care unit where he died on the 28 July.

A specimen was collected and tested for H1N1 at a private laboratory and a specimen was also sent to the NICD for further testing. H1N1 was confirmed by the NICD, which is a World Health Organisation reference laboratory.

‘€œWe are encouraged by the fact that the majority of cases in South Africa have so far been mild and we hope that this will remain so despite this unfortunate death,’€ the minister said.

Motsoaledi encouraged any person with chronic heart or lung diseases or pregnant women to seek immediate medical attention, especially those in the age group 14 to 30 years.

Latest data from the World Health Organisation has confirmed over 134 000 cases of swine flu worldwide and 816 deaths. Most recorded deaths have been in the Americas region with no recorded deaths in Africa. The Western Cape currently has 42 laboratory confirmed cases of Influenza A/H1N1.

Western Cape health MEC Theuns Botha also held a press briefing yesterday: ‘€œI want to assure the public that the Western Cape government is working closely with the national and provincial departments of Health and Education respectively, and all stakeholders to monitor the situation. I want to reassure our public that there is no need to panic.

The student who lost his life did not have an underlying medical condition, or comprised immune system. His death was unusual, and the overwhelming number of people who contract the virus, recover fully.”

The H1N1 virus is spread from person-to-person. It is transmitted as easily as the normal seasonal flu and can be passed to other people by exposure to infected droplets expelled by coughing or sneezing that can be inhaled, or that can contaminate hands or surfaces. To prevent spread, people who are ill should cover their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, stay home when they are unwell, clean their hands regularly, and keep some distance from healthy people, as much as possible.

Signs of H1N1 2009 are flu-like, including fever, cough, headache, muscle and joint pain, sore throat and runny nose, and sometimes vomiting and diarrhoea.