Baltimore, MD (August 24, 2009) - The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) will report to the Center's for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Maryland's seventh death associated with the novel H1N1 pandemic influenza. The latest report involves an elderly adult from Maryland's Washington suburbs with serious underlying medical conditions. As before, personal details about the case, including age, gender and specific jurisdiction of residence, will not be released to protect the privacy of the resident and the resident's family.   

"As is often the case with seasonal flu, H1N1 has unfortunately claimed another life of a Marylander with serious underlying health conditions," said John M. Colmers, DHMH Secretary. "We can protect ourselves and help stop the spread of H1N1 (swine) flu and seasonal flu with proper hygiene, staying home when sick and planning now to get both the seasonal and H1N1 (swine) flu vaccines. A great place to start is to talk with your own health care provider soon." 

The CDC reports as of August 20, 2009 that 522 people nationwide have died after contracting novel H1N1 influenza and 7,983 people have been hospitalized. CDC and state health departments have discontinued reporting of ill individuals as of July 24th.*  

"The seasonal flu vaccine is here, a month earlier than usual, and many health care providers are able to start giving flu immunizations," says Frances Phillips, DHMH Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services. "We're urging everyone to get the seasonal flu vaccine now and make plans to get the H1N1 flu vaccine when it becomes available in October. It's important to remember that the seasonal flu vaccine will not protect you against the H1N1 (swine) flu."  

**NOTE**

Governor Martin O’Malley and DHMH Secretary John Colmers will provide an update on H1N1 (swine) flu news, preparedness and response this afternoon in Largo, Maryland.  

WHEN:           TODAY, Monday, August 24, 2009 at 12:30 p.m.

WHERE:         Prince George’s Community College

                      301 Largo Road, Largo, MD 

CONTACTS:   Shaun Adamec - Office:  410-974-2316   Cell:  410-919-3206        

                      Christine Hansen - Office:  410-974-2316    Cell:  443-336-5270 

Symptoms of influenza include fever, cough, and sore throat. Additional symptoms may include chills, headache, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea or shortness of breath.  

Based on CDC figures, it is estimated that 1,000 Marylanders die every year from seasonal flu or its complications. Complications and death are more common among those with serious underlying health conditions.  

According to the CDC, people at a higher risk of serious health consequences from the H1N1 flu virus are the same as those with seasonal flu:   

• Children less than 5 years old 

• Persons aged 65 years or older 

• Pregnant women 

• Residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities 

• Adults and children who have chronic pulmonary, cardiovascular, hepatic, hematological, neurologic, neuromuscular, or metabolic disorders 

• Adults and children who have immunosuppression (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by HIV)

• Children and adolescents (less than 18 years) who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and who might be at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection

As with seasonal flu, the best protection from contracting or spreading the novel H1N1 flu virus is to practice good personal hygiene:

• Wash your hands often, especially after coughing, sneezing, and wiping or blowing the nose

• If you have flu symptoms, stay home and avoid contact with other people to protect them from catching your illness.

• Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing 

• Use paper tissues when wiping or blowing your nose; throw tissues away after use 

• Stay away from crowded living and sleeping spaces, if possible

Additional Information  

Maryland DHMH H1N1 Influenza information:

http://www.dhmh.md.gov/swineflu/index.html  

Updated CDC Guidance for Schools, Colleges and Universities, Employers and more:

http://www.flu.gov/   

The Weekly CDC Novel H1N1 Flu Situation Update:

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm 

CDC Interim Patient Treatment and Risk Guidance: 

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/identifyingpatients.htm

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*Editor's Note: CDC discontinued reporting of individual confirmed and probable cases of novel H1N1 infection on July 24, 2009. CDC will report the total number of hospitalizations and deaths weekly, and continue to use its traditional surveillance systems to track the progress of the novel H1N1 flu outbreak. For more information about CDC's novel H1N1 influenza surveillance system, see Questions & Answers About CDC's Novel H1N1 Influenza Surveillance.