“While we are saddened by this outcome, both seasonal influenza and the novel H1N1 influenza have the potential for substantial illness and additional deaths. We should continue to take advantage of opportunities for disease avoidance by washing hands, social distancing, staying home if you feel ill and covering your cough or sneeze,” said Dr. Lisa Cornelius, local health authority for Bell County Public Health District.
The woman did have another illness, and may have had a compromised immune system, according to a source close to the family. However, a spokeswoman for the Bell County Health District said she could not confirm the woman had a compromised immune system.
Scott & White Memorial Hospital confirmed reporting the death to state and county health officials, as it did for an H1N1 patient who died in June.
A 49-year-old Pflugerville resident died June 27 at Scott & White, the Austin American-Statesman reported. He was diagnosed with H1N1 flu in mid-June in Round Rock before being transferred to Temple.
The Bell County Health District announced Tuesday there had been 172 cases of H1N1 in the county. The Department of State Health Services reported 4,464 confirmed cases of H1N1 flu in Texas as of Thursday.
