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Source: http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2009/08/07/10395646.html
Sixth swine flu death in Alberta confirmed
By KATIE SCHNEIDER, Sun Media
Last Updated: 7th August 2009, 5:58pm
The H1N1 flu has claimed another life in Alberta, health officials confirmed today.
Dr. Martin Lavoie, medical officer of health for central Alberta, said the victim was an elderly woman from that area.
That brings to six the number of people who have died in Alberta after contracting the illness, also known as swine flu.
Lavoie couldn?t say whether the latest victim had underlying health issues that contributed to her death, but he said the majority of people who die from it did have had other medical conditions.
?Overall ... in terms of when people die from it, 82 percent have underlying chronic medical conditions,? he said.
?We?re still seeing new cases but the vast majority are very mild.
?It?s very unfortunate this happens, I?m sad people die ? but influenza is a potentially serious condition as we see every year.?
There have been about 60 H1N1 related deaths in Canada compared to 1,315 cases requiring hospitalization, Lavoie said.
In the regular flu season, influenza kills between 4,000 and 8,000, Lavoie said.
All six deaths in Alberta have been women, two of whom were from the Calgary area.
He could not say how the latest woman became infected with the illness but suspected she caught it within the last two weeks and not by travelling.
?It was very possible it was local because it does travel around Canada,? he said.
So far there have been 1,631 cases of H1N1 in Alberta, including 624 in the Calgary area.
katie.schneider@sunmedia.ca
Sixth swine flu death in Alberta confirmed
By KATIE SCHNEIDER, Sun Media
Last Updated: 7th August 2009, 5:58pm
The H1N1 flu has claimed another life in Alberta, health officials confirmed today.
Dr. Martin Lavoie, medical officer of health for central Alberta, said the victim was an elderly woman from that area.
That brings to six the number of people who have died in Alberta after contracting the illness, also known as swine flu.
Lavoie couldn?t say whether the latest victim had underlying health issues that contributed to her death, but he said the majority of people who die from it did have had other medical conditions.
?Overall ... in terms of when people die from it, 82 percent have underlying chronic medical conditions,? he said.
?We?re still seeing new cases but the vast majority are very mild.
?It?s very unfortunate this happens, I?m sad people die ? but influenza is a potentially serious condition as we see every year.?
There have been about 60 H1N1 related deaths in Canada compared to 1,315 cases requiring hospitalization, Lavoie said.
In the regular flu season, influenza kills between 4,000 and 8,000, Lavoie said.
All six deaths in Alberta have been women, two of whom were from the Calgary area.
He could not say how the latest woman became infected with the illness but suspected she caught it within the last two weeks and not by travelling.
?It was very possible it was local because it does travel around Canada,? he said.
So far there have been 1,631 cases of H1N1 in Alberta, including 624 in the Calgary area.
katie.schneider@sunmedia.ca