Announcement

**WTB** · May 25, 2009, 02:56 PM

Re: Swine flu kills Toronto man

Ontario Investigates Its First Fatality Associated With H1N1 Flu Virus

News Release Printable Version [PDF]

May 25, 2009
NEWS

Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s Acting Chief Medical Officer of Health, has confirmed that a person with H1N1 flu virus has died. A 44-year old Toronto man with a chronic pre-existing medical condition passed away on May 23rd. On May 24th laboratory testing confirmed a positive test for H1N1 in this individual. It is not clear what role the H1N1 virus played in the fatality which is now under investigation by the Office of the Chief Coroner.

Dr. Williams also reported that there are 58 new confirmed cases of H1N1 flu virus since May 22, bringing the total number of cases in Ontario to 352. Two people, who have the H1N1 flu virus, are in hospital with a number of underlying medical conditions.

The Ontario cases involve 172 males and 178 females (the gender of two cases is unknown) with an age range of <1 to 69. The breakdown by health unit is as follows :
Health Unit New Confirmed Cases Total Confirmed Cases
Toronto 32 156
York Region 11 54
Peel Region 7 47
Halton 6 44
City of Ottawa 0 13
Durham Region 1 11
Windsor Essex 0 5
Simcoe Muskoka District 0 5
Hamilton 1 4
Sudbury and District 0 3
Waterloo Region 0 2
Wellington Dufferin Guelph 0 2
Oxford County 0 1
Leeds, Grenville & Lanark 0 1
Middlesex-London 0 1
Hastings and Prince Edward Counties 0 1
Out of province (*) 0 2
TOTAL 58 352

(*) – Visitors who were tested and confirmed in Ontario but do not reside in the province.
QUOTES

“I want to express my sympathy to the family at this difficult time. Ontario’s public health system continues to remain vigilant regarding any cases of H1N1.”
– David Caplan, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.

“Ontarians should continue to protect themselves and those around them by washing hands frequently, coughing or sneezing into your sleeve, and staying at home if you’re sick.”
- Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s Acting Chief Medical Officer of Health.
QUICK FACTS

* Symptoms of the H1N1 flu virus are similar to seasonal influenza (flu) including, chills and cough followed by fever, loss of appetite, muscle aches and fatigue, runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes and throat irritation. Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea may occur in adults as well as in children. In more severe cases, or in people with chronic conditions, complications such as pneumonia may develop.
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/..._20090525.html

**Shiloh** · May 25, 2009, 06:09 PM

Re: Swine flu kills Toronto man

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/sto...swine-flu.html

'Atypical' Toronto swine flu victim had other medical condition: official
Last Updated: Monday, May 25, 2009 | 6:23 PM ET Comments51Recommend61
CBC News

A man from Toronto is the second Canadian to die after contracting swine flu, health officials in Ontario said Monday.

The unidentified 44-year-old died Saturday after suffering from a chronic, pre-existing medical condition, Ontario's acting chief medical officer, Dr. David Williams, told a teleconference with reporters.

The man was at home and became critical. An ambulance was called, but he passed away before being hospitalized.

A previously taken nasal swab came back positive for H1N1 swine flu on Sunday.

"Right now, we don't know whether that had anything to do with the person's death or has contributed in any extent," Williams said.

"We'll have to wait for the coroner's office to investigate that. It is atypical."

Williams said he knew no more about the man's medical history than that he suffered from the chronic, pre-existing health condition ? a term that can include a wide umbrella of diseases from obesity and asthma to cancer, Williams acknowledged.

The death is the second in Canada linked to the virus. On April 28, a woman in Alberta with a confirmed case of H1N1 flu and chronic, pre-existing health problems died, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Andr? Corriveau, said on May 8.

There have been 58 new confirmed cases of H1N1 in Ontario since May 22, bringing the total number in the province to 352.

Of the cases of H1N1 in Ontario, eight have needed to be hospitalized in the last month, some for diagnostic purposes only. One person needed mechanical ventilation.
Seasonal flu wanes

At the start of the province's investigation of the outbreak, cases of seasonal H3N2 flu were running three to one over H1N1 cases, Williams noted.

"It's now switched around. So in the last week, 60 per cent of the tests being done were H1N1, so it's reversed."

Cases of seasonal flu, which leads to 5,000 premature deaths in Canada each year, tend to decline heading into summer.

"I think as we see these little waves or blips where it seems to bounce, it's like waves coming ashore. They tend to get shallower and shallower as you move into the summer season," Williams said.

As of May 22, a total of 805 laboratory-confirmed cases of H1N1 flu virus have been reported in Canada, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Ontario plans to continue its regular flu surveillance throughout the summer.

The aim is not to count all cases, Williams said, but to spot check whether the virus is present and whether new cases are arising. The information will guide health officials on whether to ramp up enhanced surveillance in the fall.

The World Health Organization reported Monday that 12,515 cases of swine flu have been reported in 46 countries globally, with 91 deaths attributed to the flu.

**Shiloh** · May 27, 2009, 08:25 AM

Re: Swine flu kills Toronto man

Source: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/640961

Swine-flu death shocks family

Very healthy' Scarborough man, 44, was diabetic, but relatives say his condition was under control
May 27, 2009 04:30 AM
Comments on this story (1)
Theresa Boyle
HEALTH REPORTER

Friends and family of a Scarborough man who was confirmed to have swine flu after his sudden death Saturday are in shock, saying the 44-year-old father of two was healthy except for diabetes and a recent cough.

"He was very healthy. That's why we are surprised," a family friend, who gave his name only as Mohan, said yesterday.

Ravinjan Paramsothy died at his Scarborough apartment at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday. It is not known if the virus even contributed to his death. An autopsy has been conducted and results are pending.

Paramsothy sought treatment for a persistent cough earlier in the week from a family doctor who gave him medication, Mohan said.

He took time off work but returned to his job Friday after feeling better. But by the end of the workday, he was again feeling ill, according to a source. He returned home and his condition seemed to improve by the time he went to bed.

But just before 1:30 a.m. "he started coughing and couldn't stop and that was it," the source said.

A family member called 911, but paramedics were unable to resuscitate him.

It wasn't until after he had died that he was tested for and confirmed to have the H1N1 flu virus, contrary to earlier reports that indicated he had been swabbed for the virus prior to his death.

Yesterday, stunned relatives and friends gathered at the family's apartment in the Markham Rd.-Eglinton Ave. E. area.

"His diabetes wasn't a big deal. Sometimes his blood sugars went up or down, but he was on medication," Mohan said, adding that Paramsothy appeared to be managing the condition.

He leaves his wife, a 10-year-old son and a 7-year-old daughter.

A framed photo of Paramsothy was placed in a corner of the apartment with a candle and two bouquets of flowers.

Paramsothy is listed on the Internet as working for Travelencia, a company that provides consumer benefit programs around the world.

It is not known where Paramsothy contracted the virus.

Visitation took place last night at the Ogden Funeral Home on Sheppard Ave. E. Paramsothy is to be buried today.

Anne Marie Aikins, a spokeswoman for Toronto Public Health, is prohibited from speaking about the case because of patient confidentiality. But she said people with chronic medical conditions can have a tougher time handling influenza. These include people with diabetes, cardiovascular-pulmonary conditions, renal conditions, those on immunosuppressant drugs and pregnant women.

"When they get influenza of any type, there is a higher risk of it becoming a more serious illness. The serious illness can then cause complications," Aikins explained. One complication could be pneumonia.

Paramsothy is the second Canadian with the H1N1 virus to have died. A 39-year-old woman from Alberta, who had a history of asthma and diabetes, died on April 28. An autopsy failed to show whether the virus was a factor in her death.

Diabetes is known as a "silent killer" and it is possible for those who have it to also have undiagnosed problems such as hardening of the arteries and poor blood circulation.

The latest information from the province shows that 371 Ontarians have tested positive for the H1N1 virus, up from 352 the day before. Most of those infected are from the Greater Toronto area.

While most cases have so far been mild, there are now five people in Toronto hospitals whose conditions are more serious. They include three youngsters at the Hospital for Sick Children, a 60-year-old man with congestive heart failure in Toronto Western Hospital whose condition is deteriorating and another adult.

Symptoms of the virus are similar to seasonal influenza and include headache, chills and coughing.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the H1N1 outbreak is expected to become more severe. Health officials are concerned about a second wave of the virus in the fall and about the possibility of it mutating.

The WHO is calling for the H1N1 strain to be watched closely in the southern hemisphere where winter is beginning. A vaccine is expected in late June or early July.