Swine flu deaths likely in Georgia, health official says

A top state health officials says the swine flu outbreak will almost certainly strike in Georgia and could likely lead to deaths here.

Dr. Patrick O’Neal, director of preparedness in the Georgia Division of Public Health, told reporters on Wednesday that the chances of the swine flu bypassing the state are “virtually nil.” That’s because influenza is highly contagious.

So far, there have been no confirmed cases of swine flu in the state. It has spread to 11 states and has led to one death in the U.S.

O’Neal noted there are 36,000 influenza-related deaths in the nation every year.