Buncombe County Veteran Dies Of H1N1 Flu

[Chuck]

http://www.wspa.com/spa/news/local/article/buncombe_county_veteran_dies_of_h1n1_flu/23598/

Buncombe County Veteran Dies Of H1N1 Flu

By Shana Till

Published: July 17, 2009

A 60-year-old patient has died of H1N1 flu, according to the Buncombe County Health Center. The patient was being treated at the Charles George VA Medical Center and passed away on July 12. Officials say the patient had serious underlying chronic medical illnesses making it complicated to conclusively state that H1N1 flu was the case of death. Other relevant tests are still pending, which will help the VA Infectious Disease Physician make a determination. Tests conducted at the North Carolina State Lab of Public Health confirmed the H1N1 virus on July 16.

Symptoms of H1N1 Novel flu are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include: fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have also reported diarrhea and vomiting. Most cases of the virus have been mild, although some individuals seem to be at higher risk of complications including young children, women who are pregnant and those with chronic medical conditions.

 

[Chuck]

Re: Buncombe County Veteran Dies Of H1N1 Flu

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090722/NEWS01/90722057/1119

Swine flu was a cause of Buncombe County veteran's death

Staff Reports ? July 22, 2009 02:34 PM


ASHEVILLE ? Doctors concluded this week that swine flu, along with other health conditions, caused the death of a 60-year-old Buncombe County veteran.
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Dr. MaryAnn Curl, chief of staff at the Charles George VA Medical Center, said the man, who was hospitalized at the medical center July 3 and died there July 11, died of acute respiratory distress syndrome which was caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the H1N1 influenza.

Tests confirmed last week that the man had H1N1 flu, but Curl could not say definitely on Friday that the flu was a cause of death.

Additional tests performed earlier this week confirmed that the H1N1 virus was a cause of death, she said today. Curl said the man?s death certificate was amended on Tuesday to reflect the causes of death.

?Flu was a cause of death,? she said.

The death is the first linked to H1N1 flu in Western North Carolina. Four other deaths have been linked to the virus in North Carolina including two in Guilford County and one each in Carteret and Wilson counties, according to statistics from the North Carolina Division of Public Health.

Most of the more than 200 deaths in the United States associated with the virus have been in people with underlying chronic health conditions, which was also the case in the death of the veteran at the VA.

Curl said that no staff, patients, friends or family members who had contact with the man have come down with flu-like symptoms. She said the VA along with the Buncombe County Health Center continue to monitor for any flu activity.

?We really haven?t had anyone ill and the family and friends continue to be well,? Curl said. ?It is surveillance and watchful waiting.?