Florida - H1N1 fatality reported

[Gert van der Hoek]

un 16, 2009 9:58 am US/Eastern

Miami-Dade Reports First H1N1 Swine Flu Death

The Miami-Dade County Health Department has reported the first local death due to the H1N1 virus. A 9-year-old boy living in Miami-Dade County died from the H1N1 flu. The child's case was one of the 143 confirmed cases of swine flu in Miami-Dade County alone as of June 16, 2009.

"Our hearts go out to the family and friends for their loss," said Dr. Lillian Rivera, administrator of the Miami-Dade County Health Department.

The boy's death was also the first H1N1 swine flu death in the state of Florida. Across the state, there have been 417 confirmed cases of H1N1 swine flu reported.

The World Health Organization held an emergency swine flu meeting last Thursday and declared the first flu pandemic in 41 years as infections climbed in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America and elsewhere.

The agency declared a swine flu pandemic - a global epidemic - on Thursday after a teleconference with leading flu experts. The declaration of a pandemic does, however, push drug makers to fast-track production of a swine flu vaccine.

Since swine flu first emerged in Mexico and the United States in April, it has spread to 74 countries around the globe. On Wednesday, WHO reported 27,737 cases including 141 deaths. Most cases are mild and require no treatment.

http://cbs4.com/health/h1n1.flu.death.2.1046455.html

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Florida - H1N1 fatality reported

First swine flu death in Florida

Reported by: Associated Press

Last Update: 10:04 am

MIAMI, FL -- Florida health officials have confirmed the state's first swine flu death.

The Florida Department of Health said Tuesday the victim was a 9-year-old Miami-Dade County boy. No other information was released.

State health officials say Florida currently has 417 confirmed cases of the swine flu virus, including 143 in Miami-Dade County.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Statement from the Florida Department of Health:
"Our hearts and prayers go out to the family and friends of this child," said Surgeon General Dr. Ana Viamonte Ros.

"While most cases of H1N1 swine flu are mild, there are exceptions like this tragic case. Nationally, the CDC is reporting 45 deaths associated with Swine Flu, and as the flu progresses that number will unfortunately rise. All of us should continue to be alert and stay home if sick, cover your cough and sneeze, and wash hands frequently."

All four Department of Health laboratories have received testing supplies from the Center for Diseases Control and can test samples to confirm H1N1 Swine Flu. This testing capability allows the Department to expedite results as we no longer need to send probable cases to CDC laboratories.

The Department of Health continues enhanced surveillance and outreach to physicians, hospitals and other health care professionals. The surveillance system, consisting of sentinel physicians, reporting influenza activity, DOH laboratories receiving specimens from physicians and hospitals and our ability to monitor emergency room cases and over-the-counter drug sales is fully operational. We have activated our response plan and are ready to respond if needed.

Department of Health continues its enhanced surveillance with a network of sentinel physician providers. These providers send selected samples of laboratory specimens to state laboratories for testing if they have patients with influenza like illness (ILI). These physicians also continue to report weekly ILI cases to the Department of Health.

Florida currently has 417 confirmed cases of H1N1 Swine Flu.

http://www.wptv.com/news/local/stor...-influenz/PmLqsxh_i0KbHrrwzJXHfA.cspx?rss=762

 

[thebes]

Re: Florida - H1N1 fatality reported

The boy had asthma and died within 2 days of becoming ill.

http://www.weartv.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.fl/35bac3a7-www.weartv.com.shtml

Florida confirms 1st swine flu death
June 16, 2009 12:37 EDT


MIAMI (AP) -- Florida health officials say the state's first swine flu fatality was a 9-year-old Miami-Dade County boy who suffered from asthma.

The chief physician for the county's health department said Tuesday the boy was brought to a Kendall hospital on June 8 within 24 hours of showing flu-like symptoms. The boy died at the hospital the next day.

The doctor says it took health officials a week to test tissue samples and confirm he had the swine flu virus.

The boy died about four days after he was last in school. Neither his name nor the name of his school were released.

State health officials say Florida currently has 417 confirmed cases of the swine flu virus, including 143 in Miami-Dade County.

 

[Lurker]

Re: Florida - H1N1 fatality reported

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D98RSO501&show_article=1

MIAMI (AP) - Florida health officials say the state's first swine flu fatality was a 9-year-old Miami-Dade County boy who suffered from asthma.

Fermin Leguen, the chief physician for the county's health department, says the boy was brought to a hospital on June 8 within 24 hours of showing flu-like symptoms. The boy died at the hospital the next day.

The doctor says it took health officials a week to test tissue samples and confirm he had the swine flu virus.

The boy died about four days after he was last in school. Neither his name nor the name of his school have been released.

State health officials say Florida currently has 417 confirmed cases of the swine flu virus, including 143 in Miami-Dade County.



OOPPPs Both from the AP

 

[Chuck]

Re: Florida - H1N1 fatality reported

http://www.miamiherald.com/living/story/1100603.html

PUBLIC HEALTH
Miami-Dade boy becomes state's first swine flu fatality
A Dade boy with a history of chronic asthma died of swine flu a day after developing symptoms, but health officials stressed the strain remains relatively mild.

BY FRED TASKER
ftasker@MiamiHerald.com

With the rapid death of a 9-year-old-boy from swine flu, health authorities say that people with asthma can be susceptible to attack even if the strain is not virulent.

The boy, who had a history of chronic asthma, had flu symptoms and died a day later. He was Florida's first swine flu fatality.

In cardiopulmonary arrest, the boy was taken to the Baptist Children's Hospital emergency room on June 9, admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit and died the same day, the hospital said.

''Persons who have trouble with asthma can have real trouble if there's an attack even of not very virulent respiratory infection,'' said Dr. Gordon Dickinson, chief of infectious diseases at the University of Miami School of Medicine.

Seventy-one percent of the 45 swine flu deaths so far in the United States have been of people with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or immune deficiencies, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While the boy died on June 9, his death was not attributed to swine flu until results came in over the weekend, said Dr. Fermin Leguen, chief physician for the health department.

The 9-year-old was a student in a public elementary school, said Miami-Dade Schools spokesman John Schuster, who said he confirmed with the health department that boy was not contagious when he left school.

Leguen said the boy's last day of school was June 4. ''He started having symptoms on June 8,'' he said.

Neither Leguen nor Schuster would reveal the name of the child or the school.

Meanwhile, the number of swine flu cases is on the rise.

Confirmed cases in Miami-Dade jumped from 111 on Friday to 143 on Tuesday, although health authorities say that doesn't mean the disease is spreading faster in South Florida.

Leguen said the quick jump in flu numbers may be more a product of state labs catching up with testing than with a more rapid spread of swine flu. ``I don't think it's picking up speed. We're constantly receiving reports from the lab.''

The Broward County Health Department on Tuesday reported no new cases since last week, with a total of 82 confirmed swine flu cases. The Florida count stood at 417, the same as Friday -- not counting Dade's new case. State health officials said they are trying to update their numbers.

''Our hearts go out to the family and friends for their loss,'' said Lillian Rivera, health department administrator.

Florida Surgeon General Dr. Ana Viomonte Ros said the tragic ending should not panic the masses.

''While most cases of H1N1 swine flu are mild, there are exceptions like this tragic case,'' she said. ``Nationally, the CDC is reporting 45 deaths associated with swine flu [and 17,855 confirmed cases], and as the flu progresses, that number will unfortunately rise.''

CDC officials stressed that the regular seasonal flu infects 200,000 and kills about 35,000 in the U.S. each year. It says the swine flu strain remains relatively mild.

A Tuesday online report by the CDC says 57 percent of swine flu cases reported in the United States are among people 5 to 24 years of age, and that few children or adults younger than 60 appear to have resistance to it.

About one-third of adults older than 60 may have antibodies to swine flu because of exposure to similar flus in past epidemics, it says.

Health officials are closely watching swine flu's progress through South America, where it is winter, for signs of increased virulence that might presage a return to the U.S. next fall with increased strength.

``I've spoken to [medical] associates in Buenos Aires, and they see no evidence of that so far, said Dickinson, who also is chief of infectious diseases at the Miami Veterans Administration hospital.

The health department also said there may be an additional case at Krome detention center, where five detainees have tested positive for the flu. An additional 20 detainees have flu-like symptoms but can't be tested for swine flu because they have been given anti-viral medicine, which invalidates the test.

On Thursday the World Health Organization raised the worldwide pandemic level to 6, its highest designation. But it stressed that it meant only that the swine flu has spread worldwide, not that it had increased in virulence. It reported 35,928 swine flu cases in the world with 163 deaths. It says the regular seasonal flu kills 500,000 worldwide each year.

Said Dickinson: ``The lesson here is that it's a flu strain that does not appear to be any more virulent than the seasonal flu we get every winter. And yet it still be a very serious infection, and people can die.''

 

[Lurker]

Re: Florida - H1N1 fatality reported

"Said Dickinson: ``The lesson here is that it's a flu strain that does not appear to be any more virulent than the seasonal flu we get every winter. And yet it still be a very serious infection, and people can die.''


Sure, not any more virulent...except 20-50 year olds and an occasional 9yr old continue to die. Just like seasonal flu. (sarcasm intended)

 

[Chuck]

Family of swine flu victim says boy had no health problems

Family of swine flu victim says boy had no health problems

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-swine-flu-death-b061809,0,1760491.story

Family of swine flu victim says boy had no health problems

NBC-6
8:00 PM EDT, June 18, 2009

Family members of the only swine flu fatality in the state said the child was a "healthy boy" and that the family was unaware the boy suffered from asthma, according to an NBC-6 report.

Luis Alexandro Munoz, 9, died on June 9 from complications caused by the H1N1 virus, Health Department officials announced Tuesday. Health officials have been secretive about the identity of the child and the circumstances surrounding the death.

The family did not learn about Munoz's asthma condition until the Health Department's releases statement on the death on Tuesday, a week after the boy's death, his uncle said Thursday.

But Claudio Munoz said the family took Munoz to the hospital after he fell ill just days before he died. The family thought the child had bronchitis, but a family doctor who examined Munoz sent him back home with some medication. Once back home, Munoz's condition worsened rapidly and the family rushed the boy to the emergency room at Baptist Hospital, where he died less than 24 hours later.

It's unclear where Munoz may have contracted swine flu, but the boy was a student at Gulfstream Elementary School, a parent told NBC-6. Claudio Munoz also said his nephew went to "the Marlins school." Gulfstream's school mascot is the marlins.

Miami-Dade Health Department and School Board officials have declined to comment on the issue.

In the press release announcing the state's first swine flu death, the Heath Department does state "the child was not contagious when he attended the school," but does not name the school.

 

[JimO]

Re: Florida - H1N1 fatality reported

"Said Dickinson: ``The lesson here is that it's a flu strain that does not appear to be any more virulent than the seasonal flu we get every winter. And yet it still be a very serious infection, and people can die.''

Sure, not any more virulent...except 20-50 year olds and an occasional 9yr old continue to die. Just like seasonal flu. (sarcasm intended)

And, what if the death rate is the same as the seasonal flu, but the infection rate is a lot higher. Then we're face with more than 100k deaths. On top of that, as you point out, the demographic curve is upside-down compared with the seasonal flu.