Unborn baby dies of flu complication

[Guest guest]

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1055212/Unborn-baby-dies-of-swine-flu

Unborn baby dies of flu complication

21 July 2009 | 10:53:26 AM | Source: SBS staff and agencies

An unborn child has become the second swine flu related death in Queensland.

Palm Island mayor Alf Lacey revealed a pregnant 19 year old woman lost her 36

week old baby on the weekend because of swine flu complications.

Mayor Lacey said the woman remained in intensive care at the hospital in

Townsville.

He said there were many others on the island with swine flu and he feared there

could be more deaths.

" There needs to be a proper plan in place from health authorities for small

discrete indigenous communities, " Mr Lacey told AAP.

A Queensland Health spokesman said health authorities were rolling out a

specific plan to fight flu in indigenous communities, including Palm Island.

Palm Island also has its own flu clinic.

Pregnant women and indigenous people are among the most vulnerable to swine flu

complications.

Queensland's chief health officer Jeannette Young has declined to comment on the

case, citing patient privacy.

Queensland has recorded more than 4,100 cases of swine flu.

The Townsville area of north Queensland has recorded 231 cases, making it the

most affected region outside the state's southeast.

NSW warns of peak in swine flu

The Australian Medical Association warns swine flu cases are likely to peak in

NSW next month as children return from school holidays.

NSW AMA President Morton says medical authorities are bracing for an

increase in intensive car cases as well as fatalities in August.

" The evidence that everyone's working on is that the peak of seasonal flu will

usually occur late July/August so we would expect that with H1N1 swine flu, " Dr

Morton told ABC Radio on Tuesday.

The health system should focus on new equipment being imported and learning

lessons to prepare for a more virulent virus in the future, he said.

" (We should be) buying more equipment, making sure that there are highly

qualified and trained nurses and doctors available and putting money into our

system so that it can cope in normal times plus in times of stress, " Dr Morton

said.

Three men with swine flu and other serious medical conditions have died recently

in NSW, bringing the state's total deaths associated with the pandemic to 13.

The national toll stands at 35, with 14 in , three in the Northern

Territory, two in South Australia, and one each in Queensland, Tasmania and

Western Australia.

Dr Morton said hospitals would most likely experience a spike in swine flu cases

when school children return to school next week.

" Winter will be well and truly upon us and that seasonal peak and the peak with

swine flu may occur then, " he said.

" Somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 deaths from seasonal flu occur (each year)

and it's a little bit different to the human swine flu.

" In seasonal influenza it's usually those elderly and those with multi-system

disease who are the greatest at risk with this sort of pandemic.

" A younger group, because it has no immunity, is at higher risk (from swine flu)

but those who are likely to die are those with multi-system disease, high risk -

pregnancy and obesity are some of the reasons. "

It was still unclear why swine flu struck first in , Dr Morton said.