McALLEN, Texas — Texas health officials on Tuesday announced the first death of a U.S. resident with swine flu, and said she was a 33-year-old schoolteacher who recently given birth to a healthy baby.
The woman died early Tuesday and had been hospitalized since April 19, said Leonel Lopez, Cameron County epidemiologist.
Health officials stopped short of saying that swine flu caused the woman’s death. State health department spokeswoman Carrie Williams said the woman had "chronic underlying health conditions” but wouldn’t give any more details.
Lopez said the flu exacerbated the woman’s condition. "The swine flu is very benign by itself,” Lopez said.
But "by the time she came to see us it was already too late.”
The only other swine flu death in the U.S. was of a Mexico City boy who also had other health problems and had been visiting relatives in Brownsville, near Harlingen. He died last week at a Houston children’s hospital.
The teacher was from Harlingen, a city of about 63,000 near the U.S.-Mexico border.
The school district where she worked announced it would close its schools for the rest of the week, though officials said anyone who might have contracted the disease from her would have shown symptoms by now.
School plans change
U.S. health officials changed course on their advice to schools Tuesday, saying they are no longer recommending that schools close for the swine flu. Last week, the government had advised schools to shut down for about two weeks if there were suspected cases of swine flu.
by the associated press
The woman died early Tuesday and had been hospitalized since April 19, said Leonel Lopez, Cameron County epidemiologist.
Health officials stopped short of saying that swine flu caused the woman’s death. State health department spokeswoman Carrie Williams said the woman had "chronic underlying health conditions” but wouldn’t give any more details.
Lopez said the flu exacerbated the woman’s condition. "The swine flu is very benign by itself,” Lopez said.
But "by the time she came to see us it was already too late.”
The only other swine flu death in the U.S. was of a Mexico City boy who also had other health problems and had been visiting relatives in Brownsville, near Harlingen. He died last week at a Houston children’s hospital.
The teacher was from Harlingen, a city of about 63,000 near the U.S.-Mexico border.
The school district where she worked announced it would close its schools for the rest of the week, though officials said anyone who might have contracted the disease from her would have shown symptoms by now.
School plans change
U.S. health officials changed course on their advice to schools Tuesday, saying they are no longer recommending that schools close for the swine flu. Last week, the government had advised schools to shut down for about two weeks if there were suspected cases of swine flu.
by the associated press
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