Toronto Public Health says an area boy has died from the H1N1 influenza, but they stopped short of confirming if it's a Grade 8 student and avid hockey player who reportedly died after contracting a flu-like illness.

Evan Frustaglio died Monday after falling ill over the weekend. Reports say the boy was playing in a hockey tournament in London, Ont. and had complained of a high fever, sore throat and neck.

The Toronto Sun is reporting that the boy’s father, Paul Frustaglio, said the coroner’s office confirmed his son died of the virus. He also says his son just turned 13.

If Frustaglio’s death is the result of the H1N1 virus, it would be the 30th swine flu-related death in Ontario.

Toronto Public Health says it will begin inoculating the public against the H1N1 influenza beginning Thursday.

Peter Merrill, CEO of Hill Academy, the boy’s school, says they were alerted by public health that a student had died due to an “undetermined illness.”

Merrill says students at the small 83-pupil, sports-centered school were sent home after staff learned of the death.

He says the school community isn’t just dealing with health-related aspects of Frustaglio’s death, but emotional aspects as well.

“Evan was just a sparkplug, his eyes lit up every time you talked to him,” he says. “It’s just such a tragic event.”

“It’s all been so sudden.”

Frustaglio’s hockey league, the GTHL, is attempting to step up sanitation efforts following the boy’s death.

GTHL president John Gardiner says staff and players should be using their own water bottles to avoid cross-contamination.

He also says kids are being encouraged to wash their hands after they touch anything – even hockey equipment.


With files from The Canadian Press