First possible WA swine flu death

12:02 AM PDT on Sunday, May 10, 2009

Video: First possible WA swine flu death

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SEATTLE - Public health officials say a Snohomish County resident has died from what appears to be complications of swine flu.

It's the first death in Washington state associated with the new H1N1 flu strain.

The man was in his 30s and has not been identified. He had underlying heart conditions, according to a press release from the Department of Health.

Health officials say he died last week with what appears to be complications of swine-origin influenza.

He began showing symptoms on April 30, and was treated with anti-viral medication. Dr. Gary Goldbaum, Snohomish Health District medical director, said medical officials hadn't been able to isolate any "risk factors" for the man to identify where he might have been exposed.

"This unfortunate death is consistent with the two other confirmed H1N1 deaths in Texas, where both suffered underlying health issues," said Dr. Goldbaum in a press release. "This death reminds us that influenza can be a very serious illness, especially if a person has underlying health problems."

"It's a sobering reminder that influenza is serious, and can be fatal," Governor Chris Gregoire said." I know our public health agencies are doing everything they can to track and monitor this outbreak and to protect the people of our state."

So far, there have been more than 4,150 confirmed cases of swine flu in 29 countries. There have been 48 deaths in Mexico, three U.S. deaths and one each in Canada and Costa Rica.

Health officials said earlier Saturday that an additional 18 cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Washington, bringing the state's total to 101.

The state Department of Health said Saturday that another 19 cases are considered probable for swine flu.

As of Saturday, 70 cases were confirmed in King County, which includes Seattle; 18 were confirmed in Snohomish County; five in Pierce County; two each in Spokane, Whatcom and Clark counties; and one each in Thurston and Skagit counties.

The probable cases include 10 in King County and nine in Snohomish County.

Case counts are expected to continue to rise.

"We're working with local and federal partners to track this outbreak," said Secretary of Health Mary Selecky, "and while most illnesses from this new flu strain have been fairly mild, we must remember that influenza claims about 36,000 lives every year nationwide. That's why we urge people to take this outbreak, and the seasonal flu we see every year, very seriously."

Corpus Christi-Nueces County Health District's Dr. William Burgin Jr. said Friday that the man died May 5 or May 6 after becoming sick a few days earlier. He says the man preexisting medical conditions, including heart problems, that made it more difficult for him to survive any viral illness.

Burgin did not identify the man but said he was a single parent of three children. He says one of the children contracted swine flu but was treated and is recovering.

Burgin says county health officials received confirmation Friday morning that the man had died of swine flu.

The death is the third from swine flu in Texas.

Meanwhile, a woman suffering from a lung condition has apparently become the first person in Arizona swith swine flu to die, authorities said Thursday.

The Maricopa County Health Department reported that the woman in her late 40s died last week of what appears to be complications of the new strain of influenza.

Laboratory tests confirmed that the woman was infected with the flu strain. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to add her to the official national tally on Friday, health department spokeswoman Jeanene Fowler said.

"Unfortunately, we knew this was coming. Flu is serious, especially for those with underlying health conditions," said Bob England, director of the health department.

England declined to say where the woman was from or release further details.

"While this marks the first death in our state related to swine flu, the case counts are expected to continue rising for some time to come," said Will Humble, acting director of the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Arizona's case would bring the number of swine flu-related deaths in the nation to five and put the worldwide death toll at 70.

The other deaths in America were in Texas - the Corpus Christi man, a Mexican toddler and a school teacher who died days after giving birth - and a man in his 30s in Washington state. Each suffered from other illnesses when they were infected with the virus.

Arizona had 261 confirmed cases of swine flu in nine of the state's 15 counties as of Thursday. The state's first case was identified on April 29.

Officials closed more than a dozen schools in the state before they learned swine flu wasn't as serious as first feared. All schools have reopened.

Health officials urge members of the public to cover their coughs if they're sick and wash their hands throughout the day to avoid spreading viruses.