Tot may be second swine flu fatality in New York

May 19, 2009

By Sophia Chang and Valenti • Newsday • May 19, 2009

NEW YORK — A 16-month-old boy, who died late Monday at Elmhurst Hospital Center,

is suspected of being the second swine flu fatality in New York City, a hospital

spokesman said.

The city Health Department is testing whether the toddler had swine flu. Tests

results are due later today or tomorrow, Mayor Bloomberg said today in a

H1N1 briefing in Manhattan.

As of now, the mayor said they had no further details on the cause of death.

" What we do know is that a child is dead and it is very tragic, regardless of

what caused it, " Bloomberg said. " We will find out. "

A sister and a cousin of the dead child were also taken to the hospital with

suspected cases of the H1N1 virus, but they were treated and released.

A hospital spokesman identified the dead toddler as Zamora Castillo of

the Corona section of Queens.

The mother told hospital personnel that the child developed a fever Monday

morning and had no prior illnesses, spokesman Dario Centorcelli said.

arrived at the hospital at about 9:30 p.m. EDT Monday with a high fever

and was pronounced dead at 10:20 p.m., Centorcelli said.

He said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta must conduct

tests to verify whether the child died as a result of the swine flu virus.

" We're waiting for those results, " he said.

Hospital officials originally said that two other boys, 's 3-year-old

brother and a 1-year-old cousin, also were brought to the hospital. Later

Tuesday morning, Centorcelli said the 3-year-old actually was the dead boy's

sister.

The sister and cousin were both treated at Elmhurst Hospital Center, Centorcelli

said. They were released after doctors diagnosed them with only mild flulike

symptoms. Officials did not release the names of either child.

The first confirmed swine flu death in New York City occurred Sunday, when

Wiener, 55, an assistant principal at Intermediate School 238 in

Hollis, died at Flushing Hospital Medical Center from the virus.

City officials on Monday announced the closures of four public schools in Queens

— after last week ordering the closures of 10 in Queens and one in Brooklyn.

The highest number of flulike symptoms was reported at PS 19 in Corona,

affecting 49 out of 1,979 students. It is unknown if there is any link between

those cases and the case of Castillo.

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