JERUSALEM, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Israel on Tuesday announced its latest fatal case related to the A/H1N1 virus, bringing the total number of death toll claimed by the global pandemic in the country to 32.

    The new victim, who died on Sunday in Jerusalem's Sha'are Tzedek Hospital, was a 69-year-old man who also suffered from other chronic illnesses, local daily The Jerusalem Post quoted Israeli Health Ministry as saying.

    However, the ministry said that the H1N1 virus could not be ruled out as the cause of his death, and was therefore counting the man as Israel's 32nd A/H1N1 fatality.

    Some 3,000 A/H1N1 cases have so far been confirmed across the nation with a population of about 7 million, and most of them have recovered.

    Local health experts have warned that about one quarter of the total Israeli population would contract the virus during a possible outbreak this winter, among whom around 700 would die.

    The Israeli government has been taking precaution measures, including purchasing 65.6 million U.S. dollars worth of vaccines.

    In two weeks, Israeli Health Ministry expects to purchase and import 350,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine, out of a total of 2.3 million doses to be available here by the end of March, according to The Jerusalem Post.

    The first 430,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine will be offered here to high-risk populations, starting with medical staffers, pregnant women, people with chronic illness and weak immune systems, and children, added the newspaper.

Special Report:  World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu