Infection control after influenza death

AN ELDERLY woman has died and seven fellow patients are ill after an outbreak of Influenza Type A at a well-known psychiatric hospital in north county Dublin.

Infection control procedures have been put in place at St Ita’s, Portrane, where the woman was on a respite break. She contracted the virus symptoms at St Ita’s and was transferred to Beaumont Hospital on March 16 where she died the following day.

Seven patients in the facility’s Old Age Psychiatry Ward also developed similar flu-like symptoms between March 6 and 18. They were all hospitalised.

“One person remains in the Intensive Care Unit, five are comfortable and stable and one has been discharged back to St Ita’s,” said a Health Service Executive spokeswoman.

“St Ita’s engaged the service of public health specialists to advise and assist on the outbreak. All precautionary measures have been taken on the advice of the National Population Health Directorate, Public Health Function. Infection control procedures are in place and visiting restrictions are in place in unit 1. There are no similar cases reported in adjacent wards.”

The HSE offered its sympathies to the family of the deceased woman.

Influenza type A is an acute virus of the respiratory tract characterised by fever, headache, muscular pain, runny nose, sore throat, and coughing. According to the HSE, the flu epidemic which occurs each winter is primarily caused by type A influenza virus.