Girl healthy before H1N1 struck
By Donnie Fetter | Columbia County Bureau Chief
Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009 9:36 p.m.

The 10-year-old Harlem girl who died of complications associated with the novel influenza A H1N1 virus appeared to be healthy before contracting the disease, a family spokesman said today.

The Rev. Rodney MacRae said the family of Summer Rockefeller isn’t sure where she got the virus. The Rev. MacRae is pastor of Calvary Tabernacle in Waynesboro, Ga., where Summer’s aunt Theresa Martin worships.

A public health official who confirmed Tuesday that Summer had contracted the disease, commonly referred to as swine flu, also said the girl seemed not to have any other medical condition that could have compromised her health.

“There were no underlying major medical conditions that we know of yet,” said Joy Miller, an epidemiologist with the Augusta-based District 6 state Health Department.

A database of Georgia deaths from lab-confirmed influenza A H1N1 virus showed that in all but one of the 25 deaths the patient had an underlying medical condition, the Georgia Division of Public Health reported. The one death was that of a 7-year-old girl in Whitfield County. Another case, of a 41-year-old Ware County woman, is still being investigated.

As of today, the database did not contain Summer’s case and the division was checking to see whether it had received notice of her death as one caused by the virus.

In a study of child deaths from novel H1N1 virus published last month in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that of 23 deaths it examined where pathology and culture reports were available, 10 of those children had a bacterial infection as well. Of those, six were 5 years old or older and had no underlying health conditions that would have contributed to greater risk from flu. In two other deaths with no underlying conditions, no sample was collected or the bacterial status was unknown, according to the report.

The Rev. MacRae said neither of Summer’s parents had health insurance, but he disputed reports that her medical bills totaled nearly $3 million. He also said that neither parent had lost a home, as a Columbia County school board member said Monday.

Summer’s funeral is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday in the chapel of Chance and Hydrick Funeral Directors, 2502 Richmond Hill Road.

Staff writer Tom Corwin contributed to this story.

Reach Donnie Fetter at (706) 863-6165 or donnie.fetter@augustachronicle.com

From the Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009 online edition of The Augusta Chronicle
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