TEHRAN -- Six people have died of H1N1-A virus over the past week across the country, director of the Infectious Diseases Department of the Health Ministry Mohamad-Mehdi Guya announced here on Wednesday

According to Guya, a total of 22 Iranians have lost their lives due to the disease since the disease emerged in the Islamic Republic on June 22.
“444 people have been diagnosed with H1N1-A virus, commonly known as swine flu, over the past seven days, bringing the country’s total number of H1N1-A infected cases to 1,638,” Guya explained.
According to Guya, 17,150 people have been sick with swine flue so far in the East-Mediterranean region, and 111 swine flu deaths have been confirmed in the region.
People aged between 7 and 24 have the highest rate of the disease, Guya stated.
Stressing the importance of sanitation, Guya advised to cover the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, use a tissue, throw the tissue away quickly and carefully, wash hands regularly with soap and water, and clean hard surfaces (like door handles and remote controls) frequently with a normal cleaning product to prevent the further spread of the disease.
According to Seyyed Ali Yazdikhah, an official at Tehran Education Ministry, at least three Iranian schools were closed on October 26th as a precaution against the spread of the swine flu among students.
Iranian authorities had earlier cancelled the Umrah (the minor pilgrimage) in the holy month of Ramadan with the aim of containing the H1N1-A virus.
Iran's first swine flu case was a 16-year-old Iranian-American boy, who tested positive for the disease on June 22, upon his arrival in Tehran.
The disease has become epidemic in 177 countries around the world. A total of 449,000 people around the world have been infected with swine flu and 5000 others have died from the virus since the disease burst onto the scene in Mexico in April.
SN/SJ MNA EN