KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry today advised people who intend to visit countries in the Northern Hemisphere to get the seasonal influenza vaccine shots (north formula) as the occurence of influenza A(H1N1) in those countries was still serious.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican, in a statement today, said according to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report countries in the Northern Hemisphere like in North America, Europe and Japan had shown a four fold rise in the disease.

WHO recently reported that the spread and infection from the virus was expected to rise with the coming of winter.

In Asia, the spread of the virus was the same with the rate of infection differing according to countries while countries in the Southern Hemisphere like New Zealand, Australia and Chile had shown drastic drop in cases.

Dr Ismail also advised 'haj' pilgrims to get the influenza vaccine shots before they embark for the holy land.

He also reminded people that the spread of influenza A(H1N1) was still active and there was a need to be careful especially with the coming Deepavali festival.

"With the celebration of Deepavali, people are encouraged to have the H1N1 kit (mouth and nose mask, tissues and sanitisers) with them wherever they go including to places of worship, open-houses, on public transport or visiting relatives," he said.

On latest Influenza A(H1N1) developments, Dr Ismail said 188 new patients with influenza-like illness (ILI) symptoms were admitted into hospital today while 156 were discharged.

He said till now 698 cases were being treated in 78 hospitals in the country.

Of the number of ILI cases, only 30 patients (4.3 per cent) were positive for A(H1N1).

Six of the 30 patients were in the intensive care unit where two were children under five years, one person with chronic disease, one obese person, a pregnant/post natal woman and a child below five with chronic disease. (Bernama)