The state’s Department of Health and Senior Services has announced that a 10-year-old boy has died from swine flu.
According to a release, “The individual was a 10-year old Sussex County boy who died yesterday in Morristown Memorial Hospital. He became ill on June 12, was hospitalized two days later with cough and fever. He had underlying medical conditions. The child was last in school on June 11 and had no symptoms.”
The day before, it was announced that a 15-year-old boy in Somerset County had died of the virus.
The release has this to say:
“To date, New Jersey has 415 confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza in 19 counties. There are also 252 probable cases pending confirmatory testing in the state lab.
Commissioner Howard continues to urge all New Jersey residents to take preventive measures to avoid getting sick. These include:
• Washing your hands frequently and thoroughly
• Covering coughs and sneezes
• Staying home from work or school if you are sick
“The symptoms of H1N1 influenza are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting. Severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been associated with H1N1 influenza, especially in Mexico for reasons that are not known. Like seasonal flu, H1N1 influenza might cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.”
For more information on H1N1 Influenza, visit www.cdc.gov/swineflu or www.nj.gov/health