Moscow objects to inclusion in WHO list of A/H1N1 deaths

15:51, 24 September 2009

MOSCOW. September 24. KAZINFORM Russia's Health Ministry said on Thursday its inclusion in the World Health Organization's list of countries with swine flu fatalities was based on unverified information; Kazinform cites RIA Novosti.

The WHO Regional Office for Europe said on its website: "To date, there have been at least 157 deaths in 15 countries in the Region: Belgium, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, the Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom."

A ministry source said the WHO "only based its conclusions on information available in the media" and that the ministry was currently in touch with the international organization to set the record straight.

The ministry denied on Monday reports of Russia's first swine flu fatality, saying the cause of death was pneumonia.

A leading Russian virologist told national media that a woman had died of swine flu on August 19 after returning to Moscow from Bulgaria.

Deputy Health and Social Development Minister Veronika Skvortsova said that "not a single lethal case of the A/H1N1 virus has been registered in Russia"; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.

Read full story at www.en.rian.ru

News World News Healthcare