First swine-flu death in N.C. is confirmed

A Guilford County man was confirmed yesterday as the first state resident to die after contracting the H1N1 influenza, also known as swine flu.

Moses Cone Health System and the N.C. Division of Public Health said that the man, who died last Friday, tested positive for the flu.

Hospital officials declined to identify him, but said that his family has been notified.

"We had been expecting there might be deaths in North Carolina related to the H1N1 virus since deaths have occurred in other states and other countries," said Bill Furney, a spokesman for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 87 deaths related to the H1NI virus as of Friday.

There have been nearly 21,500 confirmed cases nationwide.

State officials also reported that both the Triad and the state experienced a 44 percent increase in confirmed HINI cases in the past week -- the Triad going from 16 to 23 and the state from 124 to 179.

That includes the first confirmed cases in Davidson and Surry counties.

Also in the region, there have been eight cases in Rockingham County, seven in Alamance and six in Guilford.

Moses Cone said that the Guilford County man recently had a heart procedure performed there. He left in improving condition with no signs of influenza.

However, several days later, he came into Wesley Long Community Hospital in critical condition with severe pneumonia.

He died hours later in the intensive-care unit.

Lanier Cansler, the secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, said that the death is "a sad reminder of the importance of staying focused on prevention."

State officials said that laboratory-confirmed cases represent only a fraction of the likely number of cases of the H1N1 virus in the state.

They said that until recently, testing had been limited -- primarily to people hospitalized with influenza-like illness, or to those seen by doctors who are part of the state's influenza surveillance network.

Part of the surge in new cases is related to more community hospitals and clinics testing for the virus in recent weeks, said Dr. Christopher Ohl, an infectious-disease specialist at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

"Just because the attention to the virus faded for a while doesn't mean it went away," Ohl said.

Dr. Tim Monroe, the director of the Forsyth County Health Department, said that although there are no reports of confirmed cases in the county, "we still assume that it is in our county, as well as every other community."

"The fact of no confirmed cases is more a matter of chance than anything else."

Ohl said that the vast majority of people who contract the H1N1 virus will experience nothing more severe than a case of seasonal flu -- being sick from three to seven days.

However, Furney and Ohl cautioned that people with other health complications are at higher risk from the virus. Included in those groups are infants, pregnant women and people with chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease or immune system problems.

"While we expect the virus to continue to come in waves this summer, we're more concerned about the cases this fall and winter since there is no built-up immunity within communities," Ohl said.

Tim Lane, an infectious-disease specialist at Moses Cone, said that the fatal case was not related to the possible exposure earlier this month of 33 infants in the neonatal intensive-care unit of the Women's Hospital of Greensboro.

Lane said that the babies were treated by a respiratory therapist who had also treated an adult patient at Moses Cone for possible asthma. The adult patient later tested positive for the swine-flu virus.

The hospital said that none of the infants has tested positive for the virus, and nine have been discharged.

The individual who died last week "did not have any contact with other patients or staff known to have the flu or flu symptoms," Lane said.

Health-care officials said that people who have flu-like symptoms should stay at home and avoid contact with others.

They should treat suspected swine flu as they would any traditional flu -- with over-the-counter medications and a visit to their physician if necessary.

"We continue to screen patients and visitors for flu-like symptoms, and handle according to policy and protocols in place," said Bonnie Davis, a spokeswoman for Wake Forest Baptist.

■ Richard Craver can be reached at 727-7376 or at rcraver@wsjournal.com.

H1N1 in N.C.

North Carolina has had 179 confirmed cases of H1N1 virus. Here are the counties with the most cases, along with counties in the region that have reported cases.

County - Cases

Wake - 27

Orange - 15

Johnston - 12

New Hanover - 11

Chatham - 9

Craven - 9

Rockingham - 8

Alamance - 7

Wilson - 7

Guilford - 6

Davidson - 1

Surry - 1

Source: N.C. Department of Health and Human Services