Swine flu tragedy hits Castle Hill special school
Nov 6 2009 by Anne-Marie Senior, Huddersfield Daily Examiner
In July eight-year-old Asmaa Hussain was one of the first people in the country with swine flu to die after choking when she had a fit on the sofa of her home in Dewsbury.
An inquest recorded a verdict of natural causes on the youngster who was pupil at Thornhill Junior and Infant School in Dewsbury.
Coroner Roger Whittaker said: “She died of inhalation of gastric content during an epileptic fit.
“The swine flu infection may have triggered the fit, but the swine flu itself would not have caused her death.”
Her father, 33-year-old Mehrban Hussain, died of acute pancreatitis just two months before his daughter’s sudden death.
Six people who had swine flu have now died in Yorkshire – three in Kirklees. The other local death was Abdullah Patel, 42, of Dewsbury. He worked at the Institute of Islamic Education in Dewsbury.
An NHS Kirklees spokesman said of the latest death: “We can confirm that a person has sadly died in the Kirklees area.
“Swine flu has been confirmed as a contributing factor to the cause of death. The individual also had serious underlying health issues.
“This is a tragic case and our thoughts are with the family at this time.”
But NHS Kirklees urged the majority of people to remain calm.
The spokesman added: “Our advice remains the same. For most people this is a mild illness and they should start to feel better after a few days without needing to visit their GP or go to A&E.
“If you are concerned and want advice you should stay at home and contact the National Pandemic Flu Service by calling 0800 1 513 100 or 0800 1 513 200 (Textphone) or going online to www.direct.gov.uk/pandemicflu.”
People were advised to contact their GP directly if they have a serious underlying illness that weakens the immune system, they are pregnant, have a sick child under the age of one, their condition suddenly gets much worse, or their condition is still getting worse after seven days or five for a child.
