Yakima County sees first swine flu fatality

YAKIMA, Wash. -- A Yakima County man in his 30s who was sick with the swine flu died last week, the Yakima Health District disclosed Thursday.

Health officials don't identify individuals who die from communicable diseases and declined to say how long the man had been ill or when he was hospitalized. They said he suffered from underlying health conditions that put him at risk for complications from the virus.

It was the county's first fatality connected to the novel strain of the flu virus, called H1N1, bringing to 13 the number of deaths statewide this year. Nearly 150 people have been hospitalized because of the new flu virus.

The fatality is a reminder that H1N1 never went away after it first appeared in the United States in the spring. In fact, local health officials say they are getting anecdotal reports from health providers that influenza rates are higher than usual.

"There has been more influenza than we usually see this time of year, and it's probably the novel rather than the Type A we see in the winter," said Sheryl DiPietro, community and family health director with the Yakima Health District.

Higher influenza rates are being reported throughout the state and the nation, DiPietro added.

Since the beginning of the month, seven people in Yakima County have tested positive for the H1N1 virus, which is a hybrid of human, bird and pig flu.

But the number of people infected with the virus is likely much higher because not everyone is tested. Following guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state Department of Health changed its monitoring strategy in May. Since then, testing is only required of symptomatic people who are hospitalized, pregnant, under the age of 5 or over 65, or who work in health care.

The virus is transmitted from human to human through coughing or sneezing. It is not transmitted from pigs, or pork, to humans.

Symptoms include fever, cough, body aches and sore throat and occasionally nausea and vomiting. Anyone with these symptoms should call their health care provider.

Health officials say people should not show up at hospital emergency rooms unless they are in true need of immediate care.

Washington State University already has been hit with the virus. Five students at the main campus in Pullman were confirmed positive this week, university officials said.

* Leah Beth Ward can be reached at 509-577-7626 or lward@yakimaherald.com.