Fourteen people have died so far in Latvia from complications associated with the H1N1 flu, the Infectology Center of Latvia announced Dec. 7.

The most recent deaths were of two men in Rīga. One of them was 29 and the other 46, according to spokeswoman Liene Johansone.

Five deaths—including the first of a child—were reported last week. A 1-year-old child, a 52-year-old man and a 57-year-old woman died in Rīga, while the deaths of a 39-year old woman and a 58-year-old man outside the capital city also were reported.

The first death, of a 56-year-old woman, was reported in Rīga on Nov. 9.

According to infectology center data, the first case of H1N1 in Latvia was confirmed in late June. The number of confirmed cases ballooned during November. As of Dec. 4, a total of 966 cases of H1N1 have been confirmed in Latvia, all but two in Rīga.

Visitors in Latvia who have observed flu-like symptoms and need medical attention are asked to call the emergency number 122, according to the infectology center.

The intensity of H1N1 outbreaks in Latvia is now listed as high, according to the World Health Organization. Two weeks ago the intensity was medium. Intensity, according to WHO, “is an estimate of the proportion of the population with acute respiratory disease.” Medium intensity refers to usual levels of influenza activity.

Police in Ireland are seeking the public’s assistance in locating a 50-year-old Latvian woman who has been missing for more than two weeks.

Anna Larkina left her residence in Johnstown on the morning of Sunday, Nov. 15, and has not been seen since, according to a spokesman for the Garda Press Office. Johnstown, a village near Navan, is about 50 kilometers northwest of Dublin.

Larkina is described as between 5 feet, 5 inches and 5 feet, 7 inches in height. She is of slight build and has dark brown hair and brown eyes. When she left her residence, police said, she is believed to have been wearing a long, cream-colored coat, navy trousers with light blue stripes, and a dark-colored polo neck sweater.

Anyone with information is asked to telephone the Gardai in Navan on 046 9079930 or the Garda Confidential line on 1800 666 111.

Unemployment in Latvia, where one in five workers is without a job, is the highest in the European Union, according to a new report from Eurostat.

The Luxembourg-based statistics agency reported Dec. 1 that seasonally adjusted unemployment in Latvia reached 20.9 percent in October, topping even Spain, where the rate was 19.3 percent. A year earlier, Latvia’s unemployment stood at 9.1 percent.

Average unemployment across the 27 countries that are members of the European Union reached 9.3 percent in October 2009, up from 7.3 percent in October 2008. The lowest unemployment rates, according to Eurostat, were recorded in the Netherlands (3.7 percent) and Austria (4.7 percent).

The average jobless rate for youth—persons younger than 25—reached 20.7 percent in October across the EU, according to Eurostat. Spain recorded the highest youth unemployment, 42.9 percent, followed by Latvia, 33.6 percent. The lowest youth unemployment was in the Netherlands, 7.2 percent.

Regional data reported by Latvia’s State Employment Agency (Nodarbinātības valsts aģentūra, or NVA) show that the Rēzekne area remains the worst in terms of joblessness. The unemployment rate there reached 30.4 percent in October, NVA officials told a Saeima commission on Nov 17. The lowest unemployment rates were found in the Tukums region (10 percent) and the Ventspils region (10.8 percent).

However, Director Baiba Paševica also noted that unemployment in Kurzeme has grown markedly, a trend usually characteristic of Latgale, according to a NVA press release. The Kuldīga region, for example, recorded unemployment of 21.2 percent in October. By contrast, Latgale’s largest city, Daugavpils, had one of the lowest unemployment rates, 11.7 percent.

NVA officials also noted that the ranks of the unemployed include more women (52 percent) than men (48 percent). That is explained in part by the fact that layoffs have been most prevalent in sectors that traditionally employ more women, such as government, education, medicine and social work.