McALLEN, Texas, April 30, 2009

U.S. H1N1 Victim Visited Texas Mall

Mexico City Child Spent Day Shopping At Huge Indoor Mall Before Falling Ill

  • Dr. Jeffrey Starke, right, Director of Infection Control and Chairman of the Infection Control Committee at Texas Children's Hospital, takes a question about the death of a child from H1N1 during a news conference Wednesday, April 29, 2009 in Houston.

    Dr. Jeffrey Starke, right, Director of Infection Control and Chairman of the Infection Control Committee at Texas Children's Hospital, takes a question about the death of a child from H1N1 during a news conference Wednesday, April 29, 2009 in Houston.  (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

(CBS/ AP)  A Mexico City toddler who became the first H1N1 death on U.S. soil spent a day shopping at a huge indoor mall in Houston one day before he began to show symptoms.

Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos, who interviewed members of the Brownsville family with whom the toddler was staying, said they spent three nights in Houston just before he fell ill.

The hospital and health officials on Wednesday said the 23-month old boy had traveled from Mexico City to Brownsville, where he became sick and was medically transported to Texas Children's Hospital. They said he had had no outside contact. The family has shown no symptoms.

President Obama offered "my thoughts and prayers" to the family of a nearly boy who died in Houston, the first confirmed U.S. fatality among more than five dozen infections.

Texas called off all public high school athletic and academic competitions at least until May 11 due to the outbreak.

Schools are viewed as the perfect breeding ground for this flu, CBS News correspondent Bianca Solorzano reports.

(AP / CBS)
Globally, the Geneva-based World Health Organization sounded its own ominous alarm, raising its alert level to one notch below a full-fledged global pandemic.

Early Show medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton explained the raise in alert level, saying the shift is from "preparation to action."

"They're getting their sandbags ready for a flood," Ashton said.

© MMIX, CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Add a Comment See all 16 Comments
by lizuk22_2006 May 3, 2009 12:54 PM EDT
Individuals who are in fairly good health and follow good hygiene habits should have little
to worry about. babys, old folks, people with poor immune capacity should avoid public places
whenever possible. when you go out to stores, public places, carry antibacterial wipes, even
baby wipes, or stronger, wipe your shopping cart handles, doorknobs, things that come close
to your face. www.citazioni-celebri.com/frases-celebres
Reply to this comment
by I_am_me1953 May 1, 2009 7:46 AM EDT
So I double dog Gov. Perry to kick the CDC and the Federal Government outta the Idependent Republic of Texico this week and see how ya all do on your own-

Posted by jsilver2th at 12:46 AM : May 1, 2009
________________________

We would do a whole lot better if we could also get rid of all the foreigners who have move here and ruined this great state.
Reply to this comment
by jsilver2th May 1, 2009 3:46 AM EDT
So I double dog Gov. Perry to kick the CDC and the Federal Government outta the Idependent Republic of Texico this week and see how ya all do on your own-
Reply to this comment
by April 30, 2009 6:48 PM EDT
Individuals who are in fairly good health and follow good hygiene habits should have little
to worry about. babys, old folks, people with poor immune capacity should avoid public places
whenever possible. when you go out to stores, public places, carry antibacterial wipes, even
baby wipes, or stronger, wipe your shopping cart handles, doorknobs, things that come close
to your face. you shouldn't have any more risk than that of catching a common cold. wash hands
always, be careful.
Reply to this comment
by ubrew12 April 30, 2009 5:54 PM EDT
mrs_entity said: "There is no need to fear this plague as long as you are a good Christian who prays. "

or any plague, for that matter. The Black plague...
Reply to this comment
by TeabagBandit April 30, 2009 2:51 PM EDT
They just closed onother elementary school,
Houston Independent school district sent out phone messages instructing parents to go pick their kids up.
Reply to this comment
by TeabagBandit April 30, 2009 2:47 PM EDT
If he was at the mall the day BEFORE he started showing symptoms and THEN transported to Houston, the mall is probably in Brownsville. The Children's Hospital spokesperson said that he had no outside contact after he arrived there.
Posted by photolex ,,,,

Houstons ktrk has confirmed the family was visiting houston, they went to the Galleria, and stayed at one of the Hotels lining Westheimer.
They went back to Brownsville, where the child took ill.
and as a result the child was transported back to Houstons Texas Childrens hospital.
Reply to this comment
by photolex April 30, 2009 2:33 PM EDT
If he was at the mall the day BEFORE he started showing symptoms and THEN transported to Houston, the mall is probably in Brownsville. The Children's Hospital spokesperson said that he had no outside contact after he arrived there.
Reply to this comment
by tincup356 April 30, 2009 2:30 PM EDT
Which mall? CBS reporting has forgotten the basic "who, what, WHERE, when, why" of reporting. Very unprofessional.
Posted by azulene at 9:44 AM
______________
You are correct. The most fundamental practices of journalism seem lost at CBS.
Posted by BerkeleySkirtLifter at 9:54 AM : Apr 30, 2009 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
the government does not want to disclose facts like that because that would hurt their partners in crime,,,,that would be corporate America,,,you know,,,the guys who LINE the pockets of both parties,,,with lobby dollars.
Reply to this comment
by mrs_entity April 30, 2009 1:58 PM EDT
There is no need to fear this plague as long as you are a good Christian who prays.
Reply to this comment
by credibility2 April 30, 2009 1:22 PM EDT
38654ob - the point would be to alert anyone that was at the mall that day or if know, that time this family visited the mall. If those that may have been at this mall and are now not feeling well maybe, just maybe they were exposed to this disease by this kid. Since you don't get it, perhaps you wouldn't mind being exposed to this disease? The extraordinary efforts the media and the government are expending to protect the anonymity of these individuals is perplexing. Obviously the media and government care more about treating and protecting non-U.S. citizens coming into this country and then possibly infecting its citizens. It's irresponsible and arrogant.
Reply to this comment
by TeabagBandit April 30, 2009 1:07 PM EDT
It was Galleria.....
610 and Westheimer.
Reply to this comment
by 38654ob April 30, 2009 1:06 PM EDT
It's obvious that not releasing a photo of the Mexican kid, along with any relatives that were with it at the time of visiting the mall, that officials care more about protecting the anonymity of these individuals versus their obligation to alerting those that might have been in the mall at that time that they might have been exposed to the deadly virus by this infected kid.

What's the point? Anyone exposed is already sick, has recovered or not infected. This was a week ago.

Just relax and as another poster said, just put your mask back on.
Reply to this comment
by TeabagBandit April 30, 2009 1:02 PM EDT
CBS/ AP) A Mexico City toddler who became the first H1N1 death on U.S. soil spent a day shopping at a huge indoor mall in Houston one day before he began to show symptoms. ..

that would either Be Katy Mills or Galleria,
But, Katy Mills is deffinitely the largest one we have.
Reply to this comment
by rushlimpdrug April 30, 2009 12:39 PM EDT
This story makes no sense.

Where did this family stay in Brownsville? - a hotel? with family?
Reply to this comment
by credibility2 April 30, 2009 12:27 PM EDT
It's obvious that not releasing a photo of the Mexican kid, along with any relatives that were with it at the time of visiting the mall, that officials care more about protecting the anonymity of these individuals versus their obligation to alerting those that might have been in the mall at that time that they might have been exposed to the deadly virus by this infected kid.
Reply to this comment
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