Two more deaths related to A/H1N1 swine flu were confirmed by the Florida Department of Health (DOH)– a 55 year old Duval man and a 27-year-old new mom in Palm Beach County. No further details were given other than to say that the baby survived.
The young mother’s death was announced came on a day when President Obama told state leaders at a flu preparedness summit to plan for a widespread outbreak this fall. This brings the official number of swine flu related deaths in Florida to 8, unofficially we suspect the number to be significantly higher.
Four counties – Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Orange – account for more than 60 percent of the state’s cases.
Palm Beach County has recorded 146 cases, most coming in the past few weeks, with the young mother being the first fatality. County health department spokesman Tim O’Connor said. “It’s summertime, so it’s very unusual to see this.”
Pregnant women seem to be especially vulnerable and the CDC doesn’t know why they more serious complications from the illness.
In May, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, published the case histories of three pregnant women, suggesting that the changes to a woman’s body that occur with pregnancy – including changes in her heart, lungs and immune systems – were what made the women vulnerable.
Other then recommending that pregnant women be given Tamiflu the CDC made no other suggestions.