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62-year-old city man with flu dies – Metro US

62-year-old city man with flu dies

A 62-year-old man is the third Ottawa resident to die from complications relating to having the H1N1 influenza virus, also known as swine flu, Ottawa Public Health announced Thursday.

A woman in her 80s died in hospital on July 22 and a teenager carrying the virus died last month.

Dr. Vera Etches, the city’s associate medical officer of health, said all three patients who died had underlying medical conditions.

As of Thursday 357 residents have tested positive for the H1N1 virus,

The affected residents range in ages from younger than one year old to 84 years old, although half of the cases are children and teenagers, said Etches.

In most cases the symptoms of the virus include a fever, a cough or sore throat, with more severe cases developing respiratory problems that require hospitalization.

So far, 69 people have been admitted to hospital due to the virus, although there are currently only three patients in hospital with H1N1.

Etches said Public Health is planning for a resurgence of the virus in the fall, but they are unsure what form it will take.

“We don’t know whether the H1N1 virus will replace the seasonal, predominant circulating influenza virus,” she said. “We know that factors for having more severe illness include pregnancy and pre-existing medical conditions like diabetes, lung and heart disease, but we don’t know whether other factors will be identified in the fall.”