Indiana/Ohio: Two Siblings Die of Swine Flu, ages 19 & 26

[colormyquilt]

Re: Indiana/Ohio: Doctors investigating mysterious death of man and critical illness of his sister

Also, the symptom of coughing up blood is unusual. I don't remember that being reported from any H1N1 patient (or any 1918 or H5N1 patient for that matter).

Alert. John Barry, in his book The Great Influenza, documents case after case after case in the 1918 Spanish Flu re: the coughing up of blood. If I am remembering correctly, for some, blood also was discharged from almost any cavity. Discharge of blood was associated most often with death of the individual.

[alert]

Re: Indiana/Ohio: Doctors investigating H1N1 death of man and critical illness of his sister

Another comment by a family member on the above article in response to Rshell's comment with the profanity in it. I don't think he was ever tested for H1N1 at Dearborn County Hospital:

Rshell thank you for saying that. and when matt was in dearborn county they told us that they didnt have a way of testing skinny. so thank you again.

[Treyfish]

Re: Indiana/Ohio: Doctors investigating H1N1 death of man and critical illness of his sister

Yes, Thank you, pt1968. Please accept my condolences to your family for the loss of Matt. I hope Mindy recovers soon

[hawkeye]

Re: Indiana/Ohio: Doctors investigating H1N1 death of man and critical illness of his sister

Welcome pt1968. I'd like to offer my condolences as well.

Yes, Thank you, pt1968. Please accept my condolences to your family for the loss of Matt. I hope Mindy recovers soon

[hawkeye]

Re: Indiana/Ohio: Doctors investigating H1N1 death of man and critical illness of his sister

Young man dies of H1N1 flu with no underlying health conditions
By Michael Krebs.
Published 59 min ago by ■ Michael Krebs

After collapsing in a barn in Indiana, a nineteen-year-old man dies from exposure to the H1N1 swine flu virus. It may be the first H1N1 death recorded without the usual 'underlying health conditions' label.
As America ticks closer to the 2009 flu season, a young Indiana man's death from the virus on Saturday may offer a window on what is to come - an autopsy revealing that he had no other underlying health conditions.
Health officials throughout the world have been working as much to calm the healthy public as they have been to treat and understand those infected with the H1N1 virus. The public has become familiar with one of the pronouncements on H1N1 deaths - that the victim had "previous underlying health conditions."

Spokespeople at the World Health Organization and at the CDC and at hospitals around the world have also made it a point of characterizing the swine flu as a "mild" animal, but have vaguely cautioned on the impact it may have this coming fall and winter when flu season begins in the Northern Hemisphere.

But the death of this 19-year-old man may very well be something different.
Reporting on the story, UPI notes that his death "was unusual because he was healthy with no underlying illness, health officials said. Most of the 211 people believed to have died from infection with the H1N1 virus have suffered from conditions that made them vulnerable."

The H1N1 remains dangerous because it is a new virus that is operating in an open ecology. Since viruses mutate quickly in nature, there have already been different strains identified throughout the world - a particularly worrisome one in Asia, for example, having resisted Tamiflu.

[thebes]

Re: Indiana/Ohio: Doctors investigating H1N1 death of man and critical illness of his sister

I'm so sorry for your family's loss, pt1968. Thank you for taking the time to update us. And I hope that Mindy recovers soon.

[alert]

Re: Indiana/Ohio: Doctors investigating H1N1 death of man and critical illness of his sister

A few more comments from family members and friends:

Rshell - 9:47 AM 0 Votes Report User By the way kjobeth, if your family or their parents ever need anything I am always willing to help. I don't care what it is. And also..I would really like to see you guys contact a lawyer sometime if you haven't..
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rshell - 8:57 AM 1 Vote Report User You're welcome kjobeth..he was a great man and I'll miss him so much. I'm so sorry for you and your family's loss, and I'm sorry for all of our losses as friends too. Telling them he "passed out in the barn" was an easy way to blame it on the barn and not scare people in my opinion. We know he didn't.

[pt1968]

Re: Indiana/Ohio: Doctors investigating H1N1 death of man and critical illness of his sister

Sorry for last update Mindy is still in a sedative coma i got the wrong info

[Rwilmer]

Re: Indiana/Ohio: Doctors investigating H1N1 death of man and critical illness of his sister

Sorry for last update Mindy is still in a sedative coma i got the wrong info

I am still praying for her.

[colormyquilt]

Re: Indiana/Ohio: Doctors investigating H1N1 death of man and critical illness of his sister

Thank you, pt1968.

[JimO]

Re: Indiana/Ohio: Doctors investigating H1N1 death of man and critical illness of his sister

I am still praying for her.

Me too!

[sharon sanders]

Re: Indiana/Ohio: Doctors investigating H1N1 death of man and critical illness of his sister

Sorry for last update Mindy is still in a sedative coma i got the wrong info

I have been offline for much of the last 2 days.

I, too, would like to offer my condolences to your family. I have a son who will be 19 in a few months. It is a loss beyond the ability to express words.

I have a daughter who is Mindy's age, 26.

The human spirit and the will to survive is an incredible force.

All best wishes and thoughts to Mindy and the fight she is waging.

[alert]

Re: Indiana/Ohio: Doctors investigating H1N1 death of man and critical illness of his sister

A bit of Matt's contact history, and some more linked milder cases. Assuming that last line is an unlinked case and isn't a reference to new tests done on Mindy, there is likely a lot of H1N1 in the area.

http://www.local12.com/news/local/story/Residents-Look-For-Swine-Flu-Answers/486u9PxL7UuMstZXxK-wvA.cspx

Residents Look For Swine Flu Answers

Last Update: 5:22 pm

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Slideshow
Matt Mcintosh Related Links
Liz Bonis story on stopping the spread of H1N1
It's been a week since 19-year-old Matt Mcintosh died of swine flu. Today, Indiana health officials confirmed three other H1N1 flu cases in Dearborn County.

Just exactly where Mcintosh caught the flu and who else might have been infected is still a mystery. Mcintosh's 26-year-old sister Mindy remains in critical condition at University Hospital with the same symptoms that killed her brother. Local 12's Joe Webb spent the day in Dearborn County where people who knew them are wondering who is trying to solve the mystery.

Before his death, Matt "Skinny" Mcintosh was best known as the drummer of the Aurora band "Strange on Display". The last two days before he went to the hospital he played two gigs with the band, Friday June 26th at Hummers in Aurora, and the next night at Bob Tiettmeyer's Lawrenceburg home for his daughter's graduation party. He had trouble performing.

Bob Tiettmeyer of Lawrenceburg, "Yea, he was real sick. Wasn't feeling good. He was trying to keep up and he kept apologizing to me saying, 'Sorry, Bob for ruining your party.' I said, 'just get better'. We had no idea he was that sick."

At both places, Mcintosh was in the time frame when he could have been contagious. But so far, neither the bar nor Tiettmeyer have been contacted by health officials. "No, haven't heard anything from the health department, city or the state or county anything at all."

"Nope, not a word. It surprises me a little bit, especially with it being the first case around here."

Tiettmeyer even put together a list of people at the party, but hasn't been contacted.

We contacted the Dearborn County Health Department who referred us to the Indiana State Health Department. They said an investigation is underway but wouldn't elaborate.

The Drahmans say no one from the bar got sick. Tiettmeyer says he's been taking Tamiflu to deal with some a sore throat and congestion, and his daughter's been sick. They want answers. "She's still been having some pains, side pains and stuff like that, and she's really paranoid and scared." And curious as to just what's going on and who's looking into it in Dearborn County.

University Hospital confirms tonight that they have had one other confirmed case of swine flu at the hospital in the last two weeks. They say that case was confirmed by the Indiana Department of Health.

[alert]

Re: Indiana/Ohio: Doctors investigating H1N1 death of man and critical illness of his sister

The bold text is good news, but the discussion of isolation in this article is a bad sign. The hospital did not isolate these cases in any real sense.

http://www.local12.com/news/local/story/Stopping-the-Spread-of-H1N1-Virus/bZIt1EfZSk6gyhTyzFHRFQ.cspx

Stopping the Spread of H1N1 Virus

Last Update: 5:21 pm

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Matt Mcintosh Related Links
Joe Webb's story on Indiana investigation into Dearborn County cases
The Swine Flu death of an Indiana teenager has some wondering what's being done to figure out where he caught it and if it spread to anyone else. Mindy Mcintosh clings to life at University Hospital. She is considered a probable case of H1N1 flu since her brother Matt died from the virus last week. Today, Local 12 medical reporter Liz Bonis found it's up to us to prevent the spread of this potentially deadly infection.

Liz talked to Mindy's mom, and she gave us permission to share with you that she made it through the weekend and they are cautiously optimistic. They are continuing to ask for our prayers, and in the mean time, doing everything they can for her here and preventing the spread of any flu, including H1N1.

It starts with instruction the second you enter the hospital. To stop the spread of this virus: cover your cough and wash your hands. But with Matt Mcintoshs' recent death from H1N1 and his sister Mindy's probable case, you can bet the staff here is taking no chances. "What we do is when somebody comes in sick or with respiratory illness to the hospital, we ask them to wear a mask, and if they are admitted, we actually admit them directly into isolation, that way our staff is protected if they do come down with something," says Francine Kidd, University Hospital Infection Control.

"So we were told in this case they were in isolation. What does that mean?" Nurse says: "They actually were in more isolation than what I was just talking about, and that's because we didn't know what was wrong with them."

If you were in the hospital, or think you may have come in contact with anyone with this virus, Francine Kidd says keep this in mind: "The seven day window, up to seven days if you've been exposed, so someone and you've gone seven days and you haven't gotten sick, you're probably okay."

This is the virus that has been hitting young people hard, so all of us need to be vigilant if you have a fever or body aches. That's what separates this one from just a respiratory virus, or allergies or a cold. If you do notice those symptoms, make sure you see your doctor to be tested, and they can tell you about any appropriate intervention.

Last week, the Indiana Department of Health told us they were contacting everyone who might have been exposed to H1N1 by the Mcintosh's.

[alert]

Re: Indiana/Ohio: Doctors investigating H1N1 death of man and critical illness of his sister

http://www.wrbiradio.com/templates/localnewstemp.asp?id=1338&storyno=1

Health Officials Urging Caution Following Local Swine Flu Death
Health Officials Urging Caution Following Local Swine Flu Death
State health officials are urging Hoosiers to be cautious following the state's first death by the swine flu.



Indiana State Department of Health Commissioner Judy Monroe reports a Dearborn County resident died a little more than a week ago from complications related to the H1N1 virus.


19 year old Matt McIntosh of Moores Hill was taken to University Hospital in Cincinnati in late June. He died July 5. Initial swabs were negative, but the longer culture showed it to be the h1n1 virus.


His sister, 26 year old Melinda Mcintosh, is currently in critical condition at university of Cincinnati hospital for similar symptoms, according to the Dearborn County Register. Her mother, Katrina McIntosh, reported last week that her kidneys have failed and lungs filled with fluid. Katrina McIntosh was not panicking at the time. She is immune compromised herself and has rheumatoid arthritis but is not sick.



Just two weeks ago, Southeast Indiana had it's first confirmed cases of H1n1 in the state from a camp in Switzerland County. It shut down for a week.



A benefit was held over the weekend in Dillsboro in honor of Matt McIntosh. He was a well liked musician in the area and hundreds turned out for his funeral Friday.


Dr. Judy Monroe expressed her sympathies to the family. "I would like to extend my sympathies to the family for their loss...This is the first death linked to this novel flu virus. We know the virus has been circulating in the state.... Influenza is also serious and has potential to cause serious disease or even death."



She also advised people to be cautious and practice good hygeine.
Monroe says there have so far been 170-deaths nationally related to the pandemic H1N1 virus.
She said it?s important to always practive the three c?s: clean, cover and contain.


Symptons appear two to seven days after exposure.