The Namibian Ministry of Health has confirmed the death of one person who succumbed to a fresh outbreak of swine flu, also known as the H1N1 virus.

Namibia Image/Alvaro1984 18
Namibia
Image/ Alvaro1984 18

Acting Deputy Permanent Health Ministry Secretary David Uirab said the 45-year-old man died at a privately-run hospital in the capital Windhoek last Friday.

So far, seven people from the Windhoek local government area have been diagnosed and are being treated for the H1N1 virus. The ministry has since classified the outbreak as a seasonal influenza that has been recurrent in Namibia since the first swine flu outbreak in 2009.

The ministry said cases of the flu tend to rise to a peak during the winter season. According to the government analysis, the people most at risk are children under 5 years of age, the elderly, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems.

The influenza bug is transmitted through coughing, sneezing or direct contact with surfaces covered with contaminated droplets. Over 8 000 cases of the avian flu were recorded in Namibia during the first outbreak in 2009. Of these, 102 cases were confirmed positive.