Swine flu outbreak kills 9 in Morocco
Swine flu outbreak kills 9 in Morocco
An outbreak of swine flu in Morocco has left nine people dead in the past week, the kingdom's health minister said Saturday.
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A major H1N1 outbreak sparked a World Health Organisation pandemic alert in June 2009 [Getty]
Nine people have died in the last week after an outbreak of swine flu in Morocco, the kingdom's health minister said on Saturday.
The spread of the H1N1 virus was "normal" for the time of the year, said Anas Doukkali, quoted by Morocco's official MAP news agency.
The first death in Morocco from the influenza-type virus was reported by local media on Wednesday, prompting the spread of anxious rumours on social media.
"Vigilant efforts continue to detect possible cases in different hospitals across the kingdom," said government spokesman Mustapha Khalfi.
H1N1 is a respiratory disease contracted through contact between humans and pigs and transmitted between people through inhalation.
The health minister said Morocco would not declare a national emergency, noting the number of cases were limited.
Patients suffering from diabetes, cardiovascular, kidney, lung diseases and cancer, as well as the elderly, children under five and pregnant women, are more sensitive to the virus and must be vaccinated.
A major H1N1 outbreak sparked a World Health Organisation pandemic alert in June 2009. It killed around 18,500 people in 214 countries before the alert was lifted in August 2010.
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