Iran's Ministry of Health: Swine Flu Outbreak Reported in Several Provinces

The Iranian Ministry of Health reports that seven people infected with swine flu have been identified in Hamadan. In Kerman and Sistan and Baluchestan, at least 36 people have died due to the virus, and one case has been identified in Bushehr. On Tuesday, December 7, Mohammad Mehdi Gouya, head of the Ministry of Health's Center for Communicable Diseases, announced the death of five people from H1N1 swine flu in Sistan and Baluchestan, while Hossein Ali Shahriari, head of the Health and Treatment Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, reported eight deaths in the province. Shahriari, who represents Zahedan in Parliament, told the Ikana news agency that 'the cause and reason for the outbreak of this dangerous disease in our country is still unclear.' Meanwhile, some members of Parliament have blamed 'foreign nationals' entering Iran from 'eastern borders' for the outbreak. The head of the Ministry of Health's Center for Communicable Diseases emphasized that 'this year, the H1N1 virus or swine flu virus' has spread in Iran, which 'is more virulent than other viruses that cause seasonal flu.' Health Minister Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi stated that 'information about influenza is being disseminated excessively.' According to ISNA on Wednesday, December 8, Hashemi stressed that 'the flu outbreak is not worse than before, and what exists is at a warning level.' These statements from the health minister come as a representative from Sirjan and Bardasir criticized the government's performance in combating H1N1 flu during a public session of Parliament. Shahbaz Hosseinpour stated, 'On the other side of the world, when someone dies, everyone mobilizes to address the issue, but in our country, many of our compatriots in Kerman and Sistan have lost their lives due to influenza, and no effective action has been taken yet.' Hosseinpour mentioned that 'there are no medicines available in Kerman pharmacies' and added, 'the health minister should help the people of Kerman instead of giving speeches at universities.' Following this reminder, Ali Larijani, the Speaker of Parliament, requested the head of the Health and Treatment Commission and the health minister to address this issue 'as soon as possible.' The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) quoted Mustafa Salari, the governor of Bushehr, reporting that 'no cases of swine flu have been identified in this province so far,' but 'given the outbreak in some border provinces, a joint committee between the Ministry of Education and the University of Medical Sciences should be established to prevent this disease.' Meanwhile, the Central News Unit reported 'one case of infection' in Bushehr. Koroush Saki, head of Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, also called for a package for 'prevention and combating this disease' to be developed in Lorestan, considering the flu outbreak in some provinces. The governor of Ilam denied reports of infections and deaths due to H1N1 in the province, and in Hamadan, despite at least seven infections, no deaths have been reported yet. In Isfahan, it has also been reported that no cases of this disease have been reported yet. The highest number of victims has been from Kerman province. The spokesperson for the Kerman Governorate Crisis Headquarters announced at least 31 deaths in this province but also stated that 'the yellow status in Kerman will end in the coming days.' Abolqasem Seifollahi, despite this, urged the public to 'observe hygiene and take preventive measures in these few days.'