Sixth death from Swine Flu announced in B.C., 78 dead in Canada

VICTORIA –  A resident of Vancouver Island has become the sixth B.C. person to die from Swine flu, the ministry of health reported Tuesday.

As of Tuesday, Canada had registered 78 fatalities including the death in B.C. and one new death in Ontario.

The B.C. government did not provide additional details but said since Sept. 15, four new severe cases have been identified including three in Fraser Health and one on Vancouver Island.

A total of 52 people have been hospitalized so far in B.C. from severe symptoms, mostly respiratory difficulties. The government said all six B.C. fatalities had underlying conditions but did not describe what these were.

Of the 52 admitted to hospital, 22 needed to be sent to ICU for life support treatment.

“The majority of lab-confirmed cases in B.C. have been mild or moderate in severity, with the patients either having already recovered or currently recovering,” said a statement from the ministry of health.

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