4th and 5th U.S. Deaths Linked to H1N1 Flu; Number of Sickened Nationwide Nears 5,000

An Arizona woman and a man from Texas who both recently died have become the fourth and fifth confirmed fatalities in the United States connected to the H1N1 influenza virus, also called “swine flu.” Meanwhile, health officials say there are now 4,714 confirmed and likely cases of the virus in the U.S., with hundreds of new cases being added by the day.

The Arizona victim, a woman in her 40s, died in Maricopa County. Her death was listed as being caused by complications from the H1N1 virus, since she also suffered from underlying lung disease, health officials said. Hers is the first confirmed death associated with the deadly strain of flu in Arizona.

The victim from Texas was a 33-year-old resident of Corpus Christi and single parent of three children who died May 5. Health officials today confirmed that the man died from complications caused by the H1N1 virus. The man, who also suffered from heart conditions, is the third person to die from the so-called swine flu in Texas.

Worldwide Numbers Continue to Grow

Worldwide, the H1N1 flu has killed 65 people, including 60 in Mexico, and sickened more than 6,500 people in 33 countries, according to the World Health Organization. By comparison, outbreaks of seasonal influenza kill as many as 500,000 people worldwide each year. Two to three million more people suffer severe illness from influenza.

Most people infected with the H1N1 virus have reported mild symptoms not unlike those caused by more common strains of the illness, such as fever, fatigue, vomiting, and abdominal pain.

Survey Says: Most People Not Concerned

A recent survey of 1,442 American adults found that less than one-third would get a shot of an H1N1 vaccine if one was available to combat the spread of the so-called swine flu. Most who responded to the survey said they were not worried about the flu.

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