H1N1 ruled out as cause of death of man in the North
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Updated: November 09, 2009 12:58 PM
A patient who died at Prince George Regional Hospital last week did not have the H1N1 virus, despite early suspicions by doctors.
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control has ruled out H1N1 as a contributing factor, after conducting post-mortem tests.
Northern Health is not releasing any information about the patient who died.
To date, there have been no deaths linked to H1N1 in the Northern Health region.
The latest information from the B.C. Ministry of Health shows 15 confirmed deaths linked to H1N1 flu in B.C. — nine in Fraser Health, three in Interior Health, two in Vancouver Coastal Health and one in Vancouver Island Health.
Of those cases, 14 had chronic health issues.
There has been a total of 399 severe cases in B.C. since April, 183 since Oct. 27.
H1N1 vaccines are now available for the most vulnerable populations, which include pregnant women and people under 65 years old with chronic conditions include asthma, diabetes, heart and lung disorders, renal conditions, anemia, cancer or immune system deficiencies.
In Prince George the vaccinations are being performed at 325 Brunswick St. from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Friday.
According to Northern Health chief medical officer Dr. David Bowering, most people who contract H1N1 will only suffer mild to moderate symptoms similar to a 'seasonal flu' infection.
For more information, go online to www.northernhealth.ca.
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