First U.S. Citizen, Judy Dominguez Trunnell Of Harlingen, Texas, Dead Of H1N1 Virus

The McAllen Monitor has confirmed the identity of a 33 year-old South Texas woman named Judy Dominguez Trunnell of Harlingen, Texas who died this week because of complications due to the H1N1 Virus. Dominguez Trunnell was eight months pregnant and had “chronic underlying health conditions” before she contracted the flu. She was placed on life support and gave birth to a healthy girl via Caesarean section and died earlier this week.

Trunnell initially tested negative for the disease when she was hospitalized two weeks ago, but Dr. Brian Smith, the regional director of the Texas Department of State Health Services, confirmed a more recent test came back positive Tuesday. The Monitor figured out Dominguez Trunnell’s identity by piecing together the description of an H1N1 case at the school district where she taught in Mercedes, Texas and a death announcement scheduled to run in today’s paper.

Dominguez-Trunnell’s death marks the first U.S. citizen to die of the disease and the second case in Texas’ Cameron County. The Mexican toddler who died in Houston last week was visiting relatives in Brownsville, Texas where he was advised by healthcare officials to seek treatment in Houston. That baby also had underlying health issues before contracting the virus.

Woman dies of H1N1 flu [The Brownsville Herald]