Toronto Teen Dies from Swine flu. Second in Ontario in a week

ctvtoronto.ca
Health officials confirm that a 13-year-old boy from Toronto has died after contracting the H1N1 virus.

Evan Frustaglio died Monday after developing a high fever over the weekend. The boy was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital in west-end Toronto Monday afternoon after his condition deteriorated rapidly and he collapsed at home, his father told reporters.

Paul Frustaglio told reporters that a coroner determined his son died of the H1N1 virus. Health officials confirmed the finding late Tuesday morning.

A spokesperson for Toronto public health said officials would hold a news conference Tuesday afternoon to discuss an increase in flu activity in the city.

The boy's mother is a nurse and the whole family was planning on getting the flu shot, his father told CTV Toronto.

Evan was in London, Ont. playing in a hockey tournament when he fell ill. He was sent home Sunday after going to a walk-in clinic with symptoms of the flu.

Friends say the Mississauga North Stars player complained of a sore neck and throat during dinner Saturday night.

It is not known if the boy had any pre-existing medical conditions.

Proper precautions

Evan, who resided in Etobicoke with his family, is the second child in a week to have died from a virus believed to be H1N1.

A Cornwall, Ont. girl died in Ottawa on Saturday after exhibiting symptoms of the swine flu. She was being treated in hospital for mild symptoms but doctors said her condition rapidly deteriorated.

She had no pre-existing health condition.

The Frustaglio family is related to long-time Vaughan Regional Councillor Joyce Frustaglio.

The politician told ctvtoronto.ca that she is furious with health officials for not giving the family enough instructions on what steps they should take next, especially as they plan for a large funeral.

She said the responsibility should not fall on the boy's mother, a registered nurse who is overwhelmed with shock and grief over her son's unexpected death.

"This is a tragedy of mammoth proportions," she said. "You don't expect your son to have a fever, a cold and then without any indication, to have him die like that."

The councillor, whose sons grew up with Evan's father as cousins, said the boy was a "bright" young man who was extremely loved by his family.

"He was the most respectful," she said. "I was always Auntie Joyce. He was a real leader in his school and a great hockey player."

Vaccination

Evan was a student at Hill Academy in Vaughan, a small, tight-knit school that fosters young athletes. He had celebrated his 13th birthday last month.

The flag outside the school was at half-mast Tuesday morning and classes were cancelled for the day as friends of the boy poured messages of grief on an online tribute sight on Facebook.

"Wow, I'm stunned," wrote one person. "Evan, you were a great kid and we will all miss you."

The boy died on the same day Canada opened flu-shot clinics across the country. Hundreds of people flocked to the clinics to be vaccinated against the swine flu.

Health officials asked that high risk groups, including the chronically ill and pregnant women, be first in line for the vaccination.

Still, many are choosing not to be vaccinated with the new shot.

"Vaccination is our best strategy for primary prevention," said Dr. Marla Shapiro, CTV's health expert, in an interview with Canada AM. "What people are concerned about is they're watching evolving science."

Many people are concerned about adjuvant, an organic compound in the vaccine that is designed to make the shot more effective, she said.

"Yes, there is no long-term safety data but we don't see any red flags," she said, adding that health officials are focusing on how to prevent the outbreak from spreading. "The encouragement is to use the vaccine."

Coun. Frustaglio agreed, saying she gets a flu shot every year.

"We need to do a better job of educating people of the importance of this vaccine," she said. "It is absolutely crucial that parents get their children vaccinated. I can't imagine why anyone would think not to. Imagine living in a country where it's not available."

Earlier this year, swine flu claimed 29 lives in Ontario during the first wave of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, some players on Evan's team had to be quarantined after exhibiting flu-like symptoms.

Hockey coach Al Reisman told CTV Toronto that Evan's teammates are shocked and saddened. The team's next two hockey games have been cancelled as a result of the tragedy.

"We were all shocked, we still are," he said.

[link to news.sympatico.ctv.ca]