Times of Israel
December 30, 2012

Nine West Bank residents have died as a result of contracting swine flu, with 187 cases of the H1N1 virus recorded, the Palestinian Authority health ministry said Saturday.

According to a Ma’an news agency report, a majority of the cases were reported in the northern West Bank, especially Jenin, with additional cases reported in Ramallah, Bethlehem and southern Hebron.

Health ministry official Asad Ramlawi said that most of the people who succumbed to the disease had weak immune systems or were suffering from pre-existing illnesses. The majority of people have gone to hospital and been treated for the virus, he said.

Children, the elderly, patients with chronic illnesses, and pregnant women are considered to be at high risk of contracting the disease.

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