A Yemeni patient infected with the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, was turned away from government hospitals in Ibb governorate due to a lack of resources available to quarantine the patient and others who might become infected, a medical official at the Ministry of Health in Ibb told Almasdar Online. 

The patient was taken to a private hospital in Ibb for treatment and remains in intensive care, according to the official. 

Swine flu, which is preventable by vaccine, can be fatal if not properly treated. 

The case in Ibb appeared days after medical professionals there said that 54 children under the age of 15 had died of diphtheria and cholera in various districts in the governorate between January and November. 

Ibb has recently witnessed an increase in the spread of diseases including cholera, measles, diphtheria and meningitis, in the absence of health authorities and public infrastructure necessary to raise awareness about the dangers of the diseases.