Australia Probes Death Of Toddler With Swine Flu

Australian police and medical authorities are investigating the death of a three-year-old boy who tested positive for swine flu, officials said Wednesday.

The boy's death, the eighth related to the disease in Australia, was being "actively investigated" by the coroner and police, Victoria state's deputy chief health officer Rosemary Lester said.

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Officials refused to release further details of the death, which they said occurred a few days ago.

Lester did not attribute the toddler's death to swine flu but also did not say the victim was suffering from pre-existing medical conditions, as has been the case with all other deaths related to the disease in Australia.

The boy is the youngest fatality linked to the A(H1N1) virus in Australia, the worst-hit Asia-Pacific nation.

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"Parents are always encouraged to monitor their children's health," Lester said.

"However, it is important to remember that in the vast majority of cases, including in children, human swine flu is a mild illness which many people recover from without any medical treatment."

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Earlier, Lester revealed that a 68-year-old man with cancer who died late Tuesday had tested positive for the virus.

Seven of Australia's eight swine flu-related deaths have been in Victoria, which has recorded nearly 40 percent of the country's 4,370 A(H1N1) cases.

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Source-AFP
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