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http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonto ... flu-death-h1n1.html K$ K& b( O! ^& ~& R7 p m
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A young woman with no pre-existing health issues has been confirmed as Calgary's first death linked to the H1N1 flu.% K( Z6 O3 h/ R# {( R
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The victim, who was not named, had been sick for about two weeks before she was admitted to a Calgary hospital on June 29, said Dr. Richard Musto, medical officer of health for Calgary and area, on Thursday.3 m+ _$ E5 G% D1 [
5 p2 b. y4 h. [3 E( j+ L* M& ^5 XTests confirmed she had swine flu on June 30, and she died Wednesday night, he said.' M+ o( ^- c4 j% n
- S+ Y' n, w4 j8 V9 C1 J; o2 t$ c# M5 t"That's our assumption, that swine flu was a major contribution to her death," Musto told reporters.: V3 L, F7 I4 Z- I0 W- T
- [3 d: H" n) @"We're not exactly sure where she contracted it, but there's no travel history that's relevant."
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Musto did not name the hospital to which the woman was admitted but said that regular procedures were followed to "effectively protect other patients and staff."1 o: Q p% a9 L5 ]
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The death is the third in Alberta that's been linked to swine flu. Two women with pre-existing medical conditions — one in the Edmonton area and one in northern Alberta — were the other cases.8 y8 e1 G4 @9 y/ c6 t
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Alberta has registered more than 1,100 cases of swine flu since the influenza outbreak began in Mexico in March.
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! A4 G6 @' ]4 E"This is a global epidemic; most people will only have mild illness," he said.
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The majority of people who contract the virus — which comes with flu-like symptoms including fever, lethargy and coughing — recover, said Musto.
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"Generally, the complication that occurs is pneumonia and respiratory failure," he said.
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; P8 A( h2 T" I# C, w: M& c% `& YNot connected to children's hospital cases
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Officials said the death is not connected to an outbreak this week at the Alberta Children's Hospital, when two patients and a staff member were diagnosed with the H1N1 flu. A unit on the hospital's third floor was isolated to prevent the flu's spread.
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+ q4 C2 i9 p" f6 V" o5 PThe patients were isolated in their private rooms on the weekend when they became symptomatic, and the staff member stayed at home upon becoming ill, said Musto.
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Ted Woynillowicz of Friends of Medicare in Calgary questioned why officials publicized the children's hospital while the facility where the woman was treated was not named.; o7 c' I& D. z) x
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"I think there's kind of a lack of consistency. And I think it should be publicized if it affects the public in some way," he said.
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. E1 ?, M2 X& PEvery year 4,000 Canadians die from the flu and a high percentage of them have underlying conditions that play a large part in making them susceptible to serious consequences when they get the flu, he said. |
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