Results of a swine flu test in the death of a Warren Central High School freshman remained pending Friday night, but were expected today, Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey said.

The test was administered Friday by the Mississippi State Department of Health, and were not available Friday night, Huskey said. An autopsy performed Thursday on the body of 15-year-old Wesley Husband ruled out bacterial meningitis, which had caused the death of another Vicksburg Warren School District student, 6-year-old Vshanti Washington, earlier in the week.

Wesley, of 35 Round Alley, began to complain of not feeling well Aug. 21, said his grandfather, Wesley Brown. He was taken to a clinic Monday, and returned to school Tuesday. He also went to football practice that afternoon, but the family took him to River Region Medical Center’s emergency room Tuesday night. Wesley was treated for sinus drainage and given a prescription for Zyrtex, an antihistamine, said his aunt, Mary Wyatt. X-rays or lab tests were not done, Wyatt said.

Still not feeling well Wednesday, Wesley stayed home. Wyatt made an appointment for him to see a doctor at the Street Clinic Thursday morning.

On the way to the doctor, Wesley said he could not see and was very weak. He was taken in a wheelchair to a small examining room, where Wyatt said she became concerned that he was not breathing. She called clinic staffers, who placed Wesley on the floor and began “pushing on his chest. There was blood everywhere,” coming from his mouth and nose, she said.

Wesley died around 9:30 a.m. in a small waiting room detached from the main waiting area, his grandfather said.

Wesley was an athlete at Warren Central, well known for his love of football and basketball, said principal Rodney Smith.

“I knew from the kids and the coaches that he loved being out there,” Smith said.

The school did not receive many calls from parents Friday morning concerned about flu, he said. Warren Central reported about 30 to 40 more students absent than the usual 100 to 110, a district spokesman said. Attendance at other schools in the district appeared to be about normal.

The department of health has confirmed five swine flu cases in Warren County, but it does not attempt to track every case, said director of communications Liz Sharlot. According to the school district’s Web site Friday, a total of 27 students in 10 of the district’s 15 schools had confirmed cases of swine flu. Total district enrollment is 8,934.

Symptoms of H1N1 novel flu, commonly called swine flu, include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.

A number of people have also reported diarrhea and vomiting.

According to the state health department’s Web site, 499 cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Mississippi since May 15.

One death has been attributed to the disease, a 7-year-old Jackson County child. Health officials were looking into the possibility that a 13-year-old girl from Hancock County who died Thursday had swine flu.

Wesley is the second Warren Central student and the third in the VWSD to die since the school year began Aug. 4. Olivia McMillan, 15, was killed Aug. 7 when a tree fell on her home on Dusty Road.

*

Contact Pamela Hitchins at phitchins@vicksburgpost.com

Contact Steve Sanoski at ssanoski@vicksburgpost.com