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Swine flu claims 16th fatal victim in Florida
July 17, 2009 13:21 EDT
SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) -- Florida's death toll from swine flu now stands at 16.
Health Department spokeswoman Susan Smith said Friday the three new fatalities include a 31-year-old male in Polk County, a 44-year-old male in Broward County and a 47 year-old man in Sarasota County.
Health officials wouldn't say how or when the men died.
Statewide, more than 2,100 have been sickened since the outbreak emerged.
Posted:* 07/17/2009 9:38 PM
By CHRISTOPHER O'DONNELL
Local health officials are warning that the recent deaths of two Sarasota men from swine flu may not be the last, as the virus continues to spread even though it is not flu season.
Sarasota County officials Friday morning confirmed that the death of Jorge Francisco Hernandez was the result of swine flu. The 47-year-old who worked as a manager at a grocery store on Holmes Beach died Wednesday in Sarasota Memorial Hospital.
"I'm completely devastated," said son Joshua Hernandez. "He was a good man and he loved his family."
The recent death of a 22-year-old Sarasota man was also caused by swine flu, officials confirmed Thursday.
Reports from emergency rooms and doctors offices show higher incidences of flu cases than normal for Florida at this time of year, said Sarasota County epidemiologist Scott Pritchard. Unlike many viruses, the swine flu has thrived in the summer. Experts fear that it* could spread when children return to school next month,
"The virus is expected to continue to spread and, as we approach the flu season, we are concerned the virus will be transmitted more easily," Pritchard said. "Unfortunately, it's not unexpected that we will have some deaths."
Pritchard said the virus has lingered because most of the population has no immunity to the new strain. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention experts believe people aged about 50 and up are more likely to have immunity because they have antibodies from earlier flu strains, such as the Hong Kong flu, which killed around 34,000 Americans in 1968-69.
As of Friday, more than 2,000 confirmed or probable cases of swine flu have been reported in Florida, resulting in 12 deaths, according to the CDC report.
Nationwide, about 263 people have died after contracting the disease. There have been about 40,000 confirmed and probable cases. More than 70 countries have reported cases of the disease.
Seven unconfirmed cases of flu among students at the Ringling School of Art and Design led officials to cancel a graduation ceremony for a summer program.
College officials expect to learn early next week whether the students, mostly high school juniors from around the country and overseas, have swine flu. None of the students were hospitalized.
On Monday, staff will begin disinfecting the rooms used by the sick students.
"We quarantined those students," said Christine Meeker Lange, college spokeswoman. "Even if the roommate was well, each of them got a brand new room."
The two local deaths bring the number of confirmed swine flu cases in Sarasota to 11. There have been 19 confirmed cases in Manatee County, none of them fatal.
Pritchard said that individuals respond differently to flu symptoms.
Symptoms that may indicate a person should seek immediate medical attention include difficulty breathing, change in the color of their lips, uncontrolled vomiting, dizziness, not urinating, seizures and prolonged fever.
"This should serve as a reminder that the virus is still present," Pritchard said. "There's no need to panic, but people need to know they should be taking precautions like washing their hands, covering their coughs and staying home when they are sick."
Dr. Jesse Goodman, acting deputy commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, said at a news conference Friday that no vaccine for H1N1 will be available until well after school has begun. Companies and the National Institutes of Health are still planning clinical trials for the pandemic vaccine, and it will be at least two months after the start of such trials before any data are available, he said.
There also have been fears that a vaccine might not be available at all. The handful of companies that produce flu vaccines have been inundated with orders, and some, such as Baxter International Inc., have said they are unable to accept any further orders.
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