Australia - The Northern Territory has recorded its first swine flu-related death.

[Sally Furniss]

First swine flu death recorded in NT

There are now more than 350 cases of swine flu in the Northern Territory.

The Northern Territory has recorded its first swine flu-related death.

The department of health has confirmed a man in his early 50 has died at Royal Darwin Hospital.

It says he had underlying health issues.

"This is the first H1N1-related death to have occurred in the Northern Territory and RDH staff extend their sincerest sympathy to the patient's family and friends for their sad loss," the hospital's general manager, Dr Len Notaras, said.

"Surveillance and the management of H1N1 Influenza are maintained in accordance with national and international standards, and at this time, in consideration of family privacy, no other further details of the case will be made available."

The number of swine flu cases in the Northern Territory currently stands at more than 350.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/07/06/2618196.htm

[Shiloh]

Re: Australia - The Northern Territory has recorded its first swine flu-related death.

Source: http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/200...75_ntnews.html
Crusading NT lawyer dies with swine flu

ALYSSA BETTS

July 7th, 2009

A PROMINENT Darwin lawyer and a "man of vision" has become the first Territorian with swine flu to die.

Ian "Morrie" Morris (pictured) - of William Forster Chambers, and past president of the NT Law Society - died yesterday morning in his early 50s, after spending two days in Royal Darwin Hospital's intensive care unit. Colleagues and friends were in shock yesterday, and struggled to find the words to describe how great his loss was to the Territory.

Friend Peter Barr QC, president of the NT Bar Association, said Mr Morris had a very deep sense of right and wrong.

He pointed to Mr Morris's hard work as chairman of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal _ a body that keeps legal eagles honest, and hears complaints against them.

''When you do those jobs like the professional discipline stuff, it's more or less an honorary thing,'' Mr Barr said.

''There's no great rewards in it ... it's for the good of the profession.''

He said Mr Morris turned ''crusader'' for Darwin during the development of the waterfront _ making sure the developer and the Government kept their words on building heights.

He said his friend also came to the aid of people in need of legal help.

''He's done an awful lot of pro bono and free work for people who desperately needed a lawyer but couldn't afford one _ that would never deter Ian. He could be grumpy, but always very funny.''

NT Law Society professional standards and ethics solicitor Jacqueline Presbury said Mr Morris had a great sense of humour and was mad about golf.

''You know, we have to do continuing legal education, and just as a joke (he'd say) he was off to a course in the afternoon, when really he was off to play golf,'' she said.

Ms Presbury said he was a deeply respected man, who was a mentor to her. ''He had a lot of drive and a lot of vision.''

Mr Morris is survived by wife Jill.

It is understood Mr Morris was taken to RDH on Saturday by ambulance.

Hospital general manager Dr Len Notaras said the patient arrived with symptoms of flu-like illness, and was later diagnosed with swine flu.

Dr Notaras said he deteriorated over two days. He said the death was a combined result of swine flu and other health issues, but declined to give further details.

Centre for Disease Control director Dr Vicki Krause warned, while the virus was mild to moderate in most cases, there could be more deaths to come as the flu season kicked off around the NT.

But she said at this stage the number of deaths to swine flu _ which was last night at 12 across Australia _ was ''not out of the ordinary'' for a normal flu season. Fourteen people are now in hospital with swine flu across the NT.