Alaska records first swine flu fatality

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=10798688

Alaska records first swine flu fatality
Posted: July 27, 2009 04:37 PM
Updated: July 27, 2009 04:58 PM

by Channel 2 News staff
Monday, July 27, 2009

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A Fairbanks woman has died from complications due to the H1N1 swine flu virus, state officials announced Monday.

The woman was in her 40s with underlying medical conditions. She died July 16 while out of state according to the state Department of Health and Social Services.

The press release did not identify the woman or state what the underlying medical conditions were.

"Our hearts go out to this woman's family and friends," Dr. Joe McLaughlin, Alaska's state epidemiologist, said in a statement. "Although most confirmed cases of pandemic H1N1 have resulted in mild illness, this is a sad reminder of how serious influenza infection can be, particularly to persons with underlying medical conditions."

Health officials are anticipating increased flu activity throughout the nation, including locally, when school resumes, the press release said.

DHSS reports 272 confirmed cases of swine flu in Alaska as of July 22, including 222 in the Anchorage and Mat-Su area. The department recently decided to only look at severe cases; mild suspected cases of H1N1 are no longer being tested to confirm if it is indeed swine flu.

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Alaska records first swine flu fatality

She died July 16 while out of state

So she may not have acquired it in Alaska.

Since we're nearing 300 confirmed cases (but they've cut back on counting cases) I'd expect one death soon, but this may not be countable for Alaska.

.

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Alaska records first swine flu fatality

The local NBC news this evening said the lady contracted the disease while visiting in Washington state. They also quoted a DH official saying it was a mild strain of flu.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First swine flu death of an Alaskan reportedLast Modified: July 27th, 2009 08:12 PM

A Fairbanks woman in her 40s died July 16 of swine flu in Washington state and is being counted as the first Alaskan to die of the pandemic flu, state epidemiologists said Monday.......

Epidemiologists said the Fairbanks woman had underlying health issues. It was not clear if she contracted the virus in Alaska or Outside. The onset of her symptoms began July 10 in Washington state, said state epidemiologist Dr. Joe McLaughlin. It was not until July 24, after her death, that the virus was verified as H1N1, he said.

Her name was not released for privacy reasons, the state said......

The exact number of Alaskans who have had the virus is not known because state epidemiologists stopped asking doctors in mid-July to send in samples from minor cases. Only people who exhibit severe symptoms of the virus, including those hospitalized, will be tracked.

The last count the state issued, on July 22, was that 272 Alaskans had been diagnosed with the virus. McLaughlin thinks the real number of people who have had it is in the thousands. The state stopped counting because the state lab was being overwhelmed with samples, he said......

....vaccine for swine flu is still in development but, assuming testing and production plans work out, the state expects to get about 175,000 doses in mid-October......

after mid-October, Alaska would get weekly shipments from the federal government, perhaps as many as 40,000 doses a week.

The goal, he said, is to have the vaccine for anyone who wants it. As is the case with the regular seasonal flu vaccine, in the beginning at least, priority will be given to children, elderly, the sick, emergency personnel, and those who work with the sick or young.

http://www.adn.com/life/health/story/878356.html

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Alaska records first swine flu fatality

1st H1N1 Death in Alaska
Christina Grande
Updated: 07/27/2009 10:45:18 PM AKDT


Alaska has its first confirmed death from the H1N1 virus.
It was as 40 year old Fairbanks woman who died just one week after coming down with it.

The victim is not being named but state health officials say she did have underlying medical conditions that were "respiratory related" and died while visiting family in Washington state.

While this is the first H1N1 related death of an Alaskan, there are a lot of cases out there. In fact, officials are working 6 days a week just to keep up with all of the lab work. Doctors say 99 percent of the influenza circulating in Alaska is H1N1. .....


.....coming down with a respiratory problem July 10th. "Then shortly thereafter, went to see a health care provider, got tested and she passed away on the 16th and her laboratory test came back positive for H1N1 infection on the 24th," said Dr. McLaughlin...

So what is generally a quiet time of the year at the Anchorage laboratory has been non-stop since May with 300 to 400 specimens coming in each week for testing. Alaska's lab Director, Dr. Bernd Jilly said, "we get about 20 percent of them positive."

Dr. Jilly hopes the recent approval of the flu test kit could help take the pressure off the public health labs, which could potentially face a problem by tapping out its resources, before peak flu season even hits. "If we get a really heavy flu season this fall and winter, there will be more than just personnel issues, there will be supply issues as well, because the manufacture would have a difficult time supplying all the public health labs, not just us," said Dr. Jilly....

http://www.ktva.com/ci_12923851

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Alaska records first swine flu fatality

...public health labs, which could potentially face a problem by tapping out its resources, before peak flu season even hits. "If we get a really heavy flu season this fall and winter, there will be more than just personnel issues, there will be supply issues as well, because the manufacture would have a difficult time supplying all the public health labs, not just us," said Dr....

This may be another reason there has been a reduction in testing.

.