Toronto appears to have its first case of a death from the H1N1 flu. Ontario Health Minister David Caplan confirms that a man died at his home on Saturday, and it's believed he may have succumbed from complications of the disease.
A 44-year-old Toronto man had chronic pre-existing health issues that may have contributed to his death. But so far, no one's sure.
"At this point we do not know the cause of death. We do not know the role the H1N1 virus played in his death," admits Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Toronto's Acting Medical Officer of Health. "And we are waiting to hear back from the coroner's office now.
"People with underlying conditions can get serious complications and a small number will die every year. In fact, with the seasonal flu in Canada, there are about 4,000 deaths every year."
If it's confirmed, the death will be the first in the GTA since the disease swept the world and came near pandemic status with the World Health Organization. It's believed the strain originated in Mexico.
The flu fears built up after that, but have since declined, with most of the cases here being relatively mild. A woman in Alberta became the first Canadian to die from the bug last month.
While most of the cases in this province have been mild, at least two others remain in hospital suffering from the strain. They also have previous medical conditions that would make them more prone to the ailment.
Ontario has the most cases in the country, with an additional 58 being confirmed on Monday, bringing the provincial total to 352.
The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta say they're close to coming up with a vaccine, but that won't necessarily fix the problem. While the disease traditionally retreats in the spring and summer months in this part of the world, they're entering flu season in the southern hemisphere.
The fear: the strain will mutate over there and then return in a new and perhaps more virulent form here in the fall.
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