The Health Department confirmed Tuesday that a St. Croix man who died the second week of August was suffering from H1N1 influenza, also called swine flu.
“Our deepest sympathy is extended to the family and friends of the deceased,” acting Health Commissioner Julia Sheen said. Autopsy results on the man, who was treated at Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital, determined the diagnosis Tuesday.
Neither the Health Department nor hospital officials released further information on the patient, citing family and privacy issues.
While most people infected with the H1N1 virus nationwide have had a relatively mild course, this case demonstrates how serious the virus can be, Sheen said.
H1N1 surfaced in the U.S. in April, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that since that time it has resulted in over 7,000 hospitalizations and 522 deaths. The number of actual cases of swine flu is much higher, but on July 24 the CDC switched to counting only hospitalizations because of the small and unpredictable percentage of flu victims who undergo testing for H1N1.
At the time of the switch, there were 43,771 laboratory-identified cases of the new H1N1 virus but the CDC estimated the real number of U.S. cases at well over a million and rising fast, meaning less than one percent of cases result in death. Heightened vigilance is nonetheless warranted because this particular type of flu virus has a small potential to abruptly mutate into a much more dangerous form.
And an unusually high proportion of the very small percentage of H1N1 fatalities occur in otherwise healthy children. With seasonal flu, deaths are typically concentrated among the elderly, infants and people with compromised immune systems or poor health.
While the CDC and the World Health Organization are no longer counting confirmed cases, the numbers in the territory are still manageably small and the Health Department is still tracking them. To date, there have been 80 confirmed cases of H1N1 in the territory with one death. All of the other individuals have recovered.
Sheen emphasized the role basic precautions can play to reduce the spread of the flu.
“We want parents and teachers to help children practice new cough and sneeze etiquette, coughing into sleeves and not into the hands, to help limit the spread of the virus,” Sheen said.
The symptoms of swine flu mirror that of the seasonal flu and include high fever, headache, runny nose, sore throat, cough, and body ache or fatigue. If you have these symptoms, do not go to work or school until the symptoms have been gone 24 hours.
Influenza viruses spread in tiny droplets by coughing and sneezing. Residents are urged wash hands or use hand sanitizer frequently, cough or sneeze into sleeves and not into the hands to limit the spread of any influenza virus. Whenever possible, disposable tissues should be used in place of handkerchiefs and hands should be cleaned after the tissue is thrown away.
A specific vaccine is still in the testing phase and should be available later this year, according to the Health Department and the CDC. Meanwhile, a regular flu shot is a good idea, as it may offer partial protection against the new virus and will protect against seasonal flu.
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has set up a flu website with more information on H1N1 and other strains.
Report any new cases of flu to the Health Department’s Operations Center. The center takes calls from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at: 773-1311, Ext. 6205 or 3262. Information can also be faxed to (340) 712-6206.
On weekends, report flu cases to Health Department Epidemiologist Dr. Eugene Tull at (340) 626-1654 or by email at eugene.tull@usvi-doh.org, or to Health Department Medical Director Dr. Audria Thomas at (340) 513-1872. Reports can also be made to the Office of the Commissioner at (340) 773-6551 on St. Croix and (340) 774-0117 on St. Thomas.
