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September 30, 2009

BREAKING NEWS: Swine flu death in Whitfield County

Rachel Brown

A 7-year-old girl from Whitfield County died this morning from illness related to the swine flu, officials said.

Jennifer Moorer, a spokeswoman for the North Georgia Health District, said she couldn’t release the name of the child or additional information about her. It is the first swine flu death in Whitfield County, Moorer said. There have been no known swine flu, or H1N1, deaths in Murray County.

“She did not have any underlying medical condition that we know of,” Moorer said. “We do want the public to know that this is very rare, that most people who get H1N1 illness (recover) and are fine just like they do with any other type of flu.”

Moorer said the child was hospitalized before her death.

From April 24 to Sept. 22, Georgia reported 351 hospitalizations related to H1N1 and 13 deaths. The numbers are updated weekly.

Moorer said the swine flu is not considered more severe than other types of flu. Flu patients are encouraged to call their doctors for advice rather than go for a visit, she said. Staying at home exposes fewer people to flu germs and also means the patient will be exposed to fewer germs, she said.

For more information on swine flu, visit www.flu.gov or dch.georgia.gov.

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