A young girl in Pima County has died of 2009 H1N1 influenza - the 10th confirmed death here from the novel flu strain this year, health officials said Friday.
The girl was younger than a preteen and had at least one other underlying health condition, County Health Department spokeswoman Patti Woodcock said. Woodcock would not release any other information about the girl, other than to say she died in early November and that the department was notified Thursday of her death.
All 10 Pima County novel H1N1 deaths have been in people younger than 65, and half of the deaths have been among people younger than 25. All but one had underlying health conditions, Woodcock said.
A total of 103 Arizonans are confirmed dead of H1N1 this year, and it has not proved any more lethal than seasonal flu. Typically, 700 people in the state die each year of regular, seasonal influenza.
People are also reading…
H1N1, often called swine flu, has health officials concerned because it has been disproportionately affecting young people. More than half of the people who have died of H1N1 in Arizona have been younger than 50.
The 2009 H1N1 flu virus is unique because it is a combination of genes from pig, bird and human flu viruses.
People who are infected usually have flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people also have reported diarrhea and vomiting, though those symptoms are less common. Those affected are infectious for 24 hours before symptoms show up.
About 25,000 people in Pima County have been inoculated against novel H1N1 since the vaccine became available in early October.
Woodcock said vaccines for the general population will likely be available in late December. She doesn't anticipate the county giving those out, however. She said that by then doctors, urgent-care clinics and commercial providers like Walgreens and CVS will have enough supply.
