Swine flu has claimed the life of another Venezuelan national, a 32-year-old in the western state of Merida.

As per reports from the local health Director, Gustavo Villasmil, other three family members of the victim, living in the northern state of Miranda, are already infected with the deadly H1N1 virus. There are confirmed reports that 12 more cases have been reportedly diagnosed with same H1N1 virus.

Responding to the crisis, the Health Minister, Eugenia Sader, reportedly claimed that most of the patients are being treated at home, but one of the serious cases was referred to the hospital.

Expressing concern over the spiraling cases of H1N1 virus, Sader believes that there is a high probability that the virus was transmitted from one of the 160,000 tourists who attended a bull-fighting festival in Merida.

If earlier reports are to be believed, H1N1 virus had claimed the life of 114 people in Venezuela 2009 when swine flu struck the border. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), swine flu has already taken the lives of 18,500 people from the day it originated in Mexico.