U.S. & World News

CHICAGO (CBS) ― A Chicago-area resident has died of complications related to the H1N1 flu virus, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced Monday. The patient is the first Illinois H1N1 flu-related death, reports CBS station WBBM-TV in Chicago.

This latest death is the first H1N1-related fatality in Illinois and the 12th nationally, health authorities said Monday.

Authorities in Mexico, where the swine flu outbreak was identified in April, announced three more deaths, raising its total to 83, and Canada reported its second death.
The Chicago patient had underlying medical conditions, according to IDPH Director Dr. Damon T. Arnold. Authorities released no other information about the person.

"With as many cases of H1N1 influenza that have been reported in Illinois, we have been concerned that there would be fatalities. We know the virus is still circulating in the state and I would like to remind everyone, especially those with chronic medical conditions, to continue taking steps to keep from getting the flu," Dr. Arnold said in a statement.

These steps include following the three C's:
• Clean – properly wash your hands frequently
• Cover – cover your cough and sneeze
• Contain – contain your germs by staying home if you are sick

There have been 896 confirmed cases of swine flu in Illinois. Most have been mild.

Before the latest reports, the World Health Organization tallied at least 91 deaths around the globe from more than 12,500 swine flu cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention counted 10 deaths and 6,700 cases in the U.S., most of them mild. But New York health officials reported another death over the weekend.

Symptoms of H1N1 flu include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting as well, the release said.

When the flu first was reported last month, the reaction was swift in Illinois and other places.

Students from colleges to kindergartens were told not to shake hands to avoid contracting the disease, and many schools were closed, sidelining hundreds of students.

But many of those precautions stopped after health officials said the flu didn't appear to be as virulent as first feared.

In Canada, officials said Monday that a Toronto man who had swine flu but also suffered a chronic medical condition died Saturday. Dr. David Williams, Ontario's acting chief medical officer of health, said in a statement the coroner was investigating to determine what role swine flu played in the fatality.

Mexico announced three more deaths tied to swine flu, and officials there unveiled a $90 million campaign aimed at luring back tourists. The government-funded push will feature ads with opera singer Placido Domingo, champion golfer Lorena Ochoa and other national heroes.

Tourism is Mexico's third-largest source of legal foreign income, but worries over swine flu have stemmed the flow of visitors and pushed hotel occupancy to a record low.

In the Mexican port of Veracruz, a sculptor is putting the finishing touches on a bronze statue of a 5-year-old boy who is the country's earliest confirmed case of swine flu. The boy, Edgar Hernandez, recovered after being treated with antibiotics, and state officials said the statue will be a symbol of hope.

A spokesman for Veracruz state, Jorge Brandy, said the statue would be erected in the central park of La Gloria, a pig-farming village in the mountains where scientists trying to learn where the epidemic began are taking blood samples from residents and pigs.


More Information Online:
* How To Protect Yourself
* How To Choose, Use The Best Hand Sanitzer
* H1N1 Flu: Questions, Answers
* CDC Emergency Updates Via Twitter
* H1N1 Flu Twitter Live Search Results
* David Burnia's H1N1 Flu Watch On Twitter
* Google Map Of Suspected, Confirmed Cases

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)