Jun 29, 2009 6:29 pm US/Eastern
2nd H1N1 Death Reported In Mass.
84-Year-Old Man Died On June 18
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Tests confirmed that an elderly man who died on June 18, was infected with the H1N1 virus, according to the Boston Public Health Commission. The 84-year-old's death marks the second fatal case of the disease in Massachusetts.
"It is with great sadness that we have learned today of the death of a Boston resident from illness associated with H1N1. We extend our deepest sympathy to this person's family and friends,'' said Barbara Ferrer, executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission.
"While most cases of H1N1 in Boston and nationwide have been less severe, this news demonstrates how serious influenza can be," Ferrer said.
The patient was hospitalized on June 12 and died six days later. Today, his tests results came back positive for the H1N1 virus. The patient had several serious underlying health conditions that placed him at high risk of complications from the flu.
The victim is a 30-year-old woman from Boston. She got sick on June 5 and was hospitalized on June 10.
She died on June 14.
The details behind the woman's death are not known. It is unclear if the woman had another medical issue when she was diagnosed with H1N1, also known as swine flu.
Health officials said the vast majority of people who are diagnosed with H1N1 usually recovery from the illness, but there are some groups that are at a higher risk of complications, including children under the age of 2, adults over the age of 65, pregnant people and people with chronic conditions.
As of Friday, June 26, there were 474 confirmed cases of H1N1 flu in Boston and 70 hospitalizations.
In Massachusetts, there were 1287 confirmed cases and 134 hospitalizations as of Thursday, June 25. By contrast, seasonal influenza causes 250,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths each year nationwide.
A vaccine for H1N1 is expected for the fall.
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