BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — State health officials say a man from the Houma/Thibodaux area is the eighth person to die in Louisiana from complications related to the H1N1 virus known as swine flu.
The state Department of Health and Hospitals confirmed the death Wednesday but would not release further details about the victim, citing privacy concerns.
As with the seasonal flu — which kills 600 to 1,000 Louisiana residents a year — officials say many people who get sick just need to stay home and take medicine for their coughs, fever, sore throat and other symptoms.
At least 851 cases of the H1N1 virus have been confirmed in Louisiana this year. The Centers for Disease Control recommends everyone who would normally get a winter flu shot get one now, and return for a swine flu vaccination when those become available. Supplies are expected to begin trickling in during October.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.