Second person dies from H1N1 flu in Chile

By Simon Gardner, Reuters

A Chilean man has died from H1N1 flu, Chile’s government said on Sunday, the second death in the South American country from the new virus that has killed more than 125 people worldwide.

A Chilean health ministry spokesman said the 56-year-old man, who had a history of heart problems, died in the southern city of Osorno on Wednesday.

The new flu, a mixture of swine, bird and human viruses, has infected nearly 22,000 people in 69 countries, according to the World Health Organization’s latest toll.

Chile’s government announced on Friday that about 890 cases had been detected in the country. Many patients have already recovered.