3rd U.S. flu death reported in Wash. state - Swine flu- msnbc.com
A man in his 30s is the third person in the United States to die from complications of swine flu, Washington state health officials said Saturday.
The state Department of Health said in a news release that a Snohomish County man in his 30s with underlying heart conditions died last week with what appears to be complications of swine-origin influenza.
The man was not identified.
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, one in Canada and one in Costa Rica. Officials said the Canadian, U.S. and Costa Rican victims also had underlying medical conditions.
America’s other two swine flu deaths — a toddler and a pregnant woman — each suffered from several other illnesses when they were infected with the virus, according to a study released Thursday.
Neighboring Canada reported its first death from swine flu on Friday — a woman who was in her 30s. Alberta's chief medical officer says the woman from northern Alberta and did not travel recently. He says she also had other medical conditions. Dr. Andre Corriveau made the announcement at a news conference Friday.
The report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention presented a clearer picture of the complicated medical situations faced by those who have gotten swine flu and had the most serious cases so far.
The Mexican toddler had a chronic muscle weakness called myasthenia gravis, a heart defect, a swallowing problem and lack of oxygen. Little Miguel Tejada Vazquez fell ill and died during a family visit to Texas.
The pregnant woman, Judy Trunnell, 33, was hospitalized for two weeks until she died Tuesday. The teacher was in a coma, and her baby girl was delivered by cesarean section. According to the report, she had asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, a skin condition called psoriasis and was 35 weeks pregnant.
People with chronic illnesses are at greatest risk for severe illness from the flu, along with the elderly and young children. So far, most of those with the swine flu in the U.S. and Mexico have been young adults.
“We’re still learning about what patients are most at risk” from the new virus, said Dr. Fatima Dawood, a CDC epidemiologist.
The CDC report released by the New England Journal of Medicine also provided more detailed information on 22 people hospitalized with swine flu. Nine had chronic medical conditions, including the two who died and a 25-year-old man with Down syndrome and a congenital heart disease. Five of the patients had asthma alone.
President Barack Obama said Friday that public health agencies must reach all corners of the nation when providing information on matters such as swine flu.
The president dropped by a town hall-style meeting at the White House co-sponsored by the Spanish-language media company Univision.
He said, "we're all in this together. We're one country, we're one community. When one person gets sick, it has the potential of making us all sick."
‘We’re still learning’
Last week, the CDC also described the symptoms experienced by Americans with swine flu. About 90 percent reported fever, 84 percent reported cough and 61 percent reported a sore throat — all similar to what’s seen with seasonal flu.

AP
Judy Trunnell, a 33-year-old teacher who died of swine flu, had chronic illnesses, according to a CDC report.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But about one in four cases have also involved either vomiting or diarrhea, which is not typical for the normal flu bug.
It’s possible the virus is spreading not only through coughed and sneezed droplets — as with seasonal flu — but also through feces-contaminated hands, said Dawood.

MORE DOWN BELOW.