Ecuador president security chief dies of H1N1 flu
11:33, 8 September 2009
QUITO. September 8. KAZINFORM. The Ecuadorian government announced Monday that presidential security chief John Merino had died of A(H1N1) flu at the Military Hospital of Quito; Kazinform refers to China Daily.
Colonel Merino had spent three weeks in hospital, and had a heart-respiratory shock on Sunday night, said the government.
He was appointed the presidency's security chief just a few days before Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa took office for his second term on August 10, 2009.
In a communique, the ministry said that so far the country had reported 1,647 confirmed cases, including 44 deaths; Kazinform cites China Daily. See www.chinadaily.com.cn for full version.