H1N1 flu kills two more Iowans - total 40

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/art...wo-more-Iowans

H1N1 flu kills two more Iowans
Updated 11:18 am

By TONY LEYS ? tleys@dmreg.com ? December 30, 2009


The H1N1 flu virus has claimed two more Iowa lives, the state health department said today.

The new virus has now killed 40 people in the state and sent more than 700 to hospitals since it appeared last spring.

The cases announced today were described as adults with other health conditions that increased their chances of complications from the flu. One was in Cerro Gordo County. The other was in Black Hawk County. The victims? ages, genders and dates of death were not released.

Although the new flu has waned since peaking in Iowa in October, officials warn that the virus continues to circulate. Doctors worry that it could peak again in the coming weeks.

The H1N1 flu vaccine, which was in short supply earlier this fall, now is available to anyone who wants it. Iowans looking to obtain the vaccine should contact their county health departments, which are in charge of distributing it.

[Tonka]

Re: H1N1 flu kills two more Iowans - total 40

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20091231/NEWS/912310353/1001/NEWS/H1N1-Iowa-death-toll-hits-40-obesity-among-factors-in-some

H1N1 Iowa death toll hits 40; obesity among factors in some

By TONY LEYS ? tleys@dmreg.com ? December 31, 2009

The H1N1 flu virus continues to kill Iowans, especially young or middle-age adults who are obese or have breathing problems, diabetes, heart troubles or other chronic health conditions.

The Iowa Department of Public Health announced Wednesday that two more Iowans had died from the new virus. The cases announced were described as adults with other health conditions that increased their chances of complications from the flu. One was in Cerro Gordo County. The other was in Black Hawk County. The victims' ages, genders and dates of death were not released.




The virus has now killed 40 people in the state and sent more than 700 to hospitals since it appeared last spring.

The state health department said about one-third of the Iowans who have died from the disease were obese or morbidly obese. Department spokeswoman Polly Carver-Kimm said federal officials don't consider obesity by itself as a risk factor for flu complications. "However, those who are obese, and especially those who are morbidly obese, often have underlying conditions that may put them at higher risk of complications."

The statistical link between obesity and flu deaths is relatively weak. About 27 percent of Iowans are considered obese, so the fact that a third of H1N1 deaths were among obese people is not dramatic.

All but three of the 40 people who have died from the new flu had some kind of underlying health problem that made them susceptible to complications, Carver-Kimm said. The most common underlying health problems among those who died were chronic lung disease, diabetes, kidney disease, high blood pressure, heart disease, neuromuscular conditions, and diseases such as cancer that compromise the immune system. Some victims had several conditions.

Although many Iowa children have been sickened by the virus, only two of them have died. Twenty of the 40 people who have died were ages 18 through 49. Eleven others were ages 50 through 64. Six were 65 or older.

The new flu has waned since peaking in Iowa in October, but officials warn that the virus continues to circulate. Doctors worry it could peak again in the coming weeks.

The H1N1 flu vaccine, which was in short supply this fall, now is available to anyone who wants it. Iowans looking to obtain the vaccine should contact their county health departments, which are in charge of distributing