An increase in serious cases of the H1N1 virus have been reported at the Ohio State Medical Center in the past week, with nine people now being treated for the virus in the intensive care unit, according to doctors at the medical center.

Dr. Steven Gabbe, senior vice president of the College of Medicine, announced at a Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday that several pregnant women have become seriously ill with the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu.

“These people are very ill,” Gabbe said. “Many are on ventilation and other life support.”

Pregnant women are among the most susceptible to the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with one study stating they are four times more likely to become hospitalized because of swine flu.

None of the nine patients is a student at OSU, Gabbe said, but one is an otherwise healthy 19-year-old.

“This is an unusual circumstance for us in that, now, a lot of these people are young and healthy,” said Dr. Clay Marsh, vice dean of the College of Medicine.

Unlike the seasonal flu, the H1N1 virus has been less severe among older adults, who may have come into contact with a similar strain in the past, while young adults are far more susceptible, according to the CDC.

Marsh said some severely ill patients have had to receive oxygen support because the virus can cause respiratory failure. With an increase in these more serious cases, Gabbe said the medical center would consider acquiring additional hospital equipment.

More than 2,300 people have received H1N1 vaccinations at the medical center, Gabbe said, but doses are still reserved for medical staff and other high-risk groups. Although he said the hospital has received fewer doses than expected, 2,000 injectable vaccinations arrived Monday and inoculations for the public will be available as weekly supplies continue to arrive.

The coming of winter will likely bring an increase in H1N1 cases, Marsh said, as the 52,000 student on the OSU Columbus campus spend more time indoors. To prepare, doctors recommend that students receive both H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccinations.

Injectable H1N1 vaccinations are available by phone registration at the Wilce Student Health Center, although high-risk groups will be inoculated first.

The student health center also offers seasonal flu vaccinations by appointment or at weekly walk-in clinics.