Oct 10, 2009 6:07 pm US/Central
Naperville Girl Had Heart Problem Before Swine Flu
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (CBS) ―
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Michelle Fahle was a student at Naperville North High School
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A 14-year-old high school girl who died this week after contracting the H1N1 swine flu suffered from a serious heart condition that "strongly contributed" to her death, DuPage County officials said.
Michelle Fahle, a freshman at Naperville North High School, died suddenly on Thursday. The DuPage County Health Department confirmed Friday that she had contracted the H1N1 virus, but on Saturday, the DuPage County Coroner's office said she had an "undiagnosed, progressive defect in the heart" which made her health vulnerable before she got the flu.
The coroner's office said it is believed the heart defect was a significant factor to her death and further tests were being conducted to determine the exact cause of death.
Michelle was the first person to die with the H1N1 flu in DuPage County since the outbreak started in the spring.
Her friends have created a tribute to the Naperville North High School student on Facebook, saying they cannot believe something like has happened to such a sweet girl.
It appeared that more students at Naperville North have contracted the H1N1 flu virus.
Michelle's best friend, Alexa Hansen, said she was diagnosed with flu earlier this week. Her mother says she had symptoms consistent with H1N1.
The last time Alexa heard from Michelle was Wednesday night. They were comparing their symptoms via text messages.
"We made each other laugh. We said, 'Oh, it sucks to be sick,'" Alexa told CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman. "For me, it was horrible … I couldn't function, I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe. The fever was so high."
Alexa thinks she and Michelle caught the flu at school from a sick student that they hugged in a gesture of comfort. "Hugs, I guess, could be deadly," she said.
Doctors say catching the flu amounts to more than just close contact. The virus is spread by coughing and sneezing, but can live on surfaces for at least a couple of hours.
Wenna Beeman, Alexa's mom, says Naperville North didn't alert her family that something might have been going around. She thinks that kind of communication is imperative.
"I would have kept her home," she said of her daughter.
At Naperville North Friday, there was a sense of sadness and alarm.
"It's a little scary that it's so close to home and it's someone who goes right here," said Tricia Thomas, a junior.
Officials could not say just how many students at Naperville North have H1N1. There were no classes there Friday because of previously scheduled teacher-parent conferences.
DuPage County medical officer Dr. Rashmi Chugh said, "as in other schools, we are seeing influenza activity and the vast majority of influenza at this time is due to H1N1."
It could take days to determine whether Michelle had another medical condition that led to her death. Officials said that 70 percent of those who test positive for H1N1 and die have other conditions.
"But that means there were almost 30 percent of individuals hospitalized who had no underlying conditions who were thought to otherwise healthy," said Dr. Chugh.
Michelle's fellow students expressed concern for her family and close friends.
"I just feel really bad for her family in general," said Tricia Thomas. "I know it's got to be a really, really hard situation."
A statement on Naperville North's web site Thursday said: "We were sad to learn this morning that one of our students passed away suddenly. We are in contact with the family and when we know more and are authorized to provide more information we will do so."
Naperville North's principal, Kevin Pobst, spoke only of shock at the girl's passing Thursday.
"We always try to make available to students and parents, if necessary, and certainly to our staff, social work and counseling services if they need assistance in dealing with the death of a student," he said.
Grief counselors were set to visit Naperville North when classes resume on Tuesday, after the Columbus Day holiday.
Meanwhile, the flu canceled classes Friday at Francis W. Parker School in the Lincoln Park neighborhood.
The school called off its annual "County Fair" event, and school was canceled altogether for the day, after about 100 students in the upper grades contracted the flu.
So far, they have not determined if any children at Francis Parker have the H1N1 virus, but school officials said they decided to close for the day as a precaution.
Doctors have recommended that parents pay close attention to the following flu symptoms in their children: shortness of breath, chest pains or pressure, dehydration, difficulty keeping fluids down and mental confusion.
Doctors have also recommended people get vaccinations for both the seasonal flu and H1N1.
A new report by the Illinois Department of Public Health indicated that as of earlier Friday, there are 23 new cases, just confirmed this week, in the state.
From the beginning of the year through Friday morning, there had been 471 people hospitalized with confirmed cases of H1N1 in Illinois and 19 deaths. The number of cases may continue to climb.
But prior to Friday, Illinois had reported only three H1N1 deaths in which the patients were 18 years old or younger.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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