Tallinn - Fears grew about the spread of the A/H1N1 flu virus, known commonly as swine flu, in the Baltic states Tuesday after Estonian health officials confirmed their first fatality as a result of the illness. A statement released by the Estonian ministry of social affairs Monday evening confirmed that the victim was a 13-year-old boy from the Harju region, which includes the capital Tallinn, who died in a hospital on Sunday night.
The death occurred at approximately the same time another Baltic state, Lithuania, experienced its second swine flu fatality. Latvia was the first of the Baltics to have a swine flu fatality, on October 9.
The number of swine flu cases in the Baltic states has risen sharply in recent weeks, with long queues for anti-viral medication forming at some pharmacies.
More than 250 cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Estonia, and more than 650 in Latvia, but Lithuania has been hardest hit with more than 400 people undergoing hospital treatment currently.
More than half of Lithuania's 60 municipalities have declared that the flu has reached epidemic levels. Many schools are closed to prevent the spread of the disease.
