Santiago, June 21: An 18-year-old male has become the fifth person to die in Chile from the swine flu virus, local health authorities said.
The teenager was identified as Nelson Maldonado, from the southern city of Puerto Montt, 915 kilometres south of the capital Santiago.
Eugenia Schnake, a local health official, said Maldonado had a number of underlying health conditions related to morbid obesity, including respiratory problems.
Chile, in the midst of the southern hemisphere's winter flu season, has been hard it by the A(H1N1) pandemic, reporting 4,315 cases of the virus.
On Wednesday, the country declared a state of emergency, giving the government more powers to deal with the outbreak.
Elsewhere in South America the virus continued its march.
In Venezuela at least 92 human infections have been confirmed.
Health officials there said the disease was less virulent than seen elsewhere.
"In all cases the patient is stable. The symptoms range from slight to moderate, no one has been hospitalised and everyone has received the necessary treatment, Deputy Health Minister Nancy Perez said.
The World Health Organisation has now reported more nearly 44,300 cases of the disease in 95 countries and territories. Across the globe 180 people are thought to have died.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, June 21, 2009, 10:04