Texas Womans’ Death Linked To Swine Flu Is Identified By CDC as Who Total Reaches 1658

Texas Womans’ Death Linked To Swine Flu Is Identified By CDC as Who Total Reaches 1658 and Texas health officials have identified the first U.S. resident who died while infected with swine flu but have stopped short of directly saying the swine flu virus was the result of her death.

The news of Judy Trunnell’s death came as officials in the United States and Mexico voiced hope that the worst of the new swine flu or N1H1 strain may be over.

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009, the number of confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus has reached 1,658, from 23 countries, according to the World Health Organization.

(pic) A worker disinfects one of the metro buses Tuesday, May 5th, 2009, in Mexico City.

The agency said Tuesday that there had been 30 deaths worldwide.

Judy Trunnell, was an eight month pregnant, 33 year old teacher, she had “chronic underlying health conditions” when she was admitted to a hospital in April,2009, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Trunnell, who was eight months’ pregnant, was placed on life support. Before her death, she was able to gave birth to a healthy girl by cesarean section, but died this week.

Judy was from Cameron County, which is on the U.S and Mexican border.

Dr. Brian Smith, regional director for the Texas Health Services, confirmed the virus was linked to Trunnell’s death and stated that there was “one death confirmed in Cameron County from H1N1 influenza.”

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent, said patients with medical problems often have compromised immune systems that can’t fight off a flu infection. Lupus is one of those compromised immune systems.

“Pregnant women often, as you may know, are recommended to get the flu shot because their immune systems aren’t as strong either right during pregnancy and immediately thereafter,” Gupta said. “So there may have been several different things going on with her.”

The only other death linked to the swine flu in the United States was that of a 22 month old toddler who died in a Texas hospital last week. The child was visiting from Mexico.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday might be ready to reverse on an earlier recommendation that schools should be closed when a student tests positive for the virus.

Instead, the agency said that students who show signs of the flu should be kept out of school, similar  to an outbreak of more typical strains of the flu.

“We have learned that the disease currently being caused by this novel flu virus appears to be similar with that typically caused by seasonal influenza,” the CDC stated in a release. “Although many people may get sick, the available data does not indicate we are facing an unusually severe influenza virus.”

Earlier, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano acknowledged claims by Mexican authorities who believe their cases have peaked and stated, “I have no reason to think that is inaccurate.”

Health officials have begun using the virus’ clinical name, H1N1, to reflect that it’s a combination of several different types of flu and to reduce confusion about whether eating pork can spread the virus which it states, it can not.

Who confirms that Mexico has 946 confirmed cases.

While worries about the flu are easing, WHO and CDC officials plan to monitor developments in the Southern Hemisphere, where flu season arrives over the next few months, as their fall season starts.

Those results there will help determine whether a stronger strain of the virus will return to the United States, Mexico, Canada and the Northern Hemisphere during the fall flu season.

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