H1N1 kills pregnant woman and her baby in Brazil
A woman puts a mask on her daughter as they wait to be checked for Influenza A (H1N1) (swine flu) infection at a special facility of the Miguel Couto hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 6, 2009.
SÃO PAULO, Brazil — A 27-year-old pregnant woman died of multiple organ failure Tuesday after a week-long stay in the hospital with H1N1, reported Brazilian news site Terra. The woman had been in Maternidade-Escola Assis Chateubriand hospital in Fortaleza since March 7. Her baby died of cardio-respiratory failure before she was able to get medical help.
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Before reaching Maternidade-Escola Assis Chateubriand, the woman passed through two municipal hospitals in Fortaleza, where she was initially diagnosed with dengue fever, according to Globo's G1 news site. Her family is now concerned about people who came in close contact with her, particularly her daughter, although medical personnel examined the girl and said she has not been diagnosed with H1N1.
Another pregnant woman, 21, was also admitted to the same hospital and diagnosed with H1N1 last week, reported newspaper Diário do Nordeste. She underwent an emergency C-section on Saturday and her baby is now in the neo-natal intensive care unit because of complications. The mother is also in intensive care.
Health officials say that cases of H1N1 are common in the north and northeast of Brazil during this time of year due to heavy rainfall, and the same can be said for the south and southeast during periods of intense cold, according to Terra.