Carter County Man's Death Linked to H1N1

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The H1N1 virus has been linked to a Carter County man's death and a spike in hospitalization of patients with flu-like symptoms, state health officials said today.

This is the second swine flu death in Oklahoma since the outbreak began last spring. Both victims did have underlying medical conditions, health officials said.

The influenza-like illness appears to be widespread in the state, according to data from the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

The state health department initiated a new influenza surveillance system at the beginning of this month. The system is designed to monitor reports of all influenza-associated hospitalizations and deaths in the state.

In the past week, 20 new hospitalizations have been reported, for a total of 27 since this surveillance began.  Almost hall

"It is unusually early in the flu season to be at this high level of activity," State Health Commissioner Dr. Terry Cline said.

Since the H1N1 virus continued to circulate this summer following its appearance in the spring, health officials believe it is the virus contributing to illness, given that it is too early in the flu season for regular, or seasonal influenza, to appear.

"Most people have little or no immunity to the 'new flu' and the illness may be severe for some," Cline said. "Flu should not be taken lightly. Regular seasonal influenza results in some 36,000 deaths in the nation each year."