Boy, 3, is first to die of flu in Macau this year

Macau announced its first flu death of the year - a three-year-old boy confirmed to have died of influenza B earlier this month.

He was admitted to hospital on April 5 with flu-like symptoms and died three days later. The city's Health Bureau later confirmed that the boy, known to have suffered from congenital diseases, died of complications caused by influenza B.

In Hong Kong, 496 deaths related to flu - including one child aged under 18 - were recorded this year as of April 22, compared with 133 deaths for the entire season last winter.

The number of people treated in intensive care was 641 adults and 18 children respectively during the winter peak, which lasted for around four months from late December.

The Department of Health announced the end of the flu peak last Wednesday after data showed that overall influenza activity had further decreased in the previous week.

However, the number of deaths in Macau and Hong Kong were not comparable, said Dr Leung Chi-chiu, chairman of the Medial Association's Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases.