BATON ROUGE, La. - State health officials say two more residents, adult males from central and southwest Louisiana, have died from complications from the H1N1 virus, or swine flu.? This brings to three the number of Louisianans who have died from complications of the virus.
In a news release, the Department of Health and Hospitals would only release the regions in which the men lived.? Any other personal information, including whether the victims suffered from any other health conditions, would not be released because of privacy concerns, according to the DHH statement.
Earlier this month, a 21-year-old woman from the New Orleans area, whose name was not released, became the first Louisiana patient to die from the illness.? At the time, a doctor at Ochsner Medical Center's West Bank Campus confirmed the death but said that patient privacy rules also did not permit release of more information in the woman's case.
Also on Friday, visitation rights were suspended for two weeks at a Jefferson Parish youth prison because of a possible case of swine flu.
The state Office of Juvenile Justice, which oversees the Bridge City lockup, said Friday that the agency has not confirmed that the prisoner has the flu. The agency said a culture has been sent to a lab for analysis.
As a precaution, visitation has been suspended for the 126 youths until Sept. 13 -- or longer, if new cases of influenza are identified.
State health officials continue to urge residents to practice good hygiene habits to avoid spreading infections.? That includes covering the nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and washing hands frequently with soap and water or a hand sanitizer, especially after coughing or sneezing.? Doctors also recommend avoiding contact with those who are sick, and if you do become sick, experts urge you to stay home from work or school to avoid infecting others.
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Associated Press contributed to this report.
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