Alberta woman is the country’s first death from H1N1 virus
The new strain of swine flu that is spreading around the world has killed its first Canadian. Laboratory tests have confirmed that a woman from northern Alberta, who had pre-existing chronic health problems, died on April 28 after contracting the H1N1 influenza virus. A relative of the woman is also sick with the same flu, but is recovering. “I want to express my sympathy to the family at this difficult time, and I want assure them and their community that we are already responding in a co-ordinated, measured way to notify and give medical advice to everyone who attended the wake last week and anyone else who may have been exposed,” said Dr. Andre Corriveau, Alberta¹s chief medical officer of health. He did not release the woman’s name, age or hometown. As of this morning, 44 people had died from the virus (42 in Mexico, one in the United States, and now one in Canada).