SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- South Korea Tuesday reported its 8th death case related to A/H1N1 flu virus.

    According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, a 64-year-old woman from the northeastern province of Gangwon died earlier in the day, bringing the country's death toll from the new virus to eight.

    The female patient was admitted to hospital on Aug. 27 after showing high fever, chills and shortness of breath, and was initially diagnosed as pneumonia.

    She was soon confirmed infected with the A/H1N1 flu virus. After receiving antiviral treatment, the patient was tested negative for the virus, but her health conditions kept deteriorating due to complications of pneumonia.

    The health authorities are currently carrying out medical investigation, trying to find out whether the victim was among the high-risk groups suffering from asthma and diabetes.

    South Korea reported its first death case from A/H1N1 flu on Aug. 15, and the 7th on Sept. 13. Another female A/H1N1 patient lapsed into brain death on Sept. 4.

    The country reported its first new flu outbreak in early May, and a total of 9,968 cases of the flu infections were confirmed across the nation as of Sept. 13. Eight of the patients are now in serious condition, according to the health authorities.

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