Flu death toll rises to 2

Witthaya told a press conference that the woman fell ill on June 8 and wa admitted to a private hospital seven days later with high fever and pneumonia.

She was given oseltamivir anti-viral drug for five days but she her condition worsened and she died on June 20.

The second victim fell ill on June 18 with fever and running nose.

He was admitted to a hospital on June 23 with high fever, coughing and pneumonia.

He was also given oseltamivir anti-viral drug but his condition worsened and he died on Saturday morning.

Despite the deaths, Witthaya pleaded the public not to panic.

He said so far 1,209 type-A (H1N1) flu cases have been reported in Thailand. Of these, 1,190 patients have been cured and 16 are still inside hospitals.

He said 90 per cent of the cases recovered by themselves.

Witthaya said the type-A (H1N1) influenza has much lower fatality rate than normal influenza which killed about 30 to 40 per cent of patients.