Health Ministry confirms first Israel swine flu death

The Health Ministry confirmed on Monday that Shimon Azran, 35, who died on Saturday, was in fact ill with the H1N1 virus, better known as swine flu.

The ministry did not, however, confirm whether his death had been caused by the virus. Azran had been admitted into Yoseftal Hospital in Eilat with pneumonia symptoms.

After his death, Azran's body was sent to the Abu Kabir forensic laboratory for further inspection, at the request of the hospital and with his family's consent. The results of the tests conducted there confirmed the presence of the H1N1 virus.

On Sunday, tests showed that a 2-year-old from Bnei Brak who had died after being hospitalized with pneumonia symptoms had not contracted the virus.

Two new cases of swine flu were reported in Israel just last Wednesday. A 50-year-old man from central Israel with no previous background of illnesses was hospitalized in intensive care at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, where he is on ventilation and in serious condition.

A 13-year-old girl from central Israel was hospitalized at the Safra Children's Hospital at Tel Hashomer with signs of a lung infection.

Aside from the new cases, there has been a reported improvement in the health of four others hospitalized with swine flu: a female Swedish tourist, 21, and a man, 44, who are currently being treated at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv; a disabled man, 22, at Hadassah Mount Scopus in Jerusalem; and a woman, 25, who had just given birth at the Assaf Harofeh Medical Center near Rishon Lezion. The woman's new-born daughter was released from hospital Saturday.

The ministry says there have been more than 1,300 confirmed cases of the worldwide epidemic in Israel.

Saudi Arabia also reported its first swine flu death Monday.