Riga - A 50-year-old Latvian woman on Monday became the first person in the Baltics to die of the virulent A/H1N1 flu virus, known commonly as swine flu. The unidentified woman died at the P Stradins University Hospital in the capital Riga, the Baltic News Service reported.
She had been under observation after become ill on her return from a trip to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, between Poland and Lithuania.
Doctors stressed that the victim had been feeling unwell for around a week before visiting her doctor and urged others to seek medical advice more quickly when symptoms appear.
The number of swine flu cases recorded in Latvia has reached 89, including 52 new cases registered last week.
News of the death increased fears that Latvia could face a situation similar to that in Ukraine, where a total of 155 people have died in a flu outbreak since late October.
The Latvian Infectious Diseases Center said it has an action plan ready in case the number of patients starts increasing rapidly, but unlike neighbouring Estonia, Latvia has not bought stocks of flu vaccine.
