A Landstar System over-the-road driver from Beaverton, Ore., died last week after becoming ill with the H1N1 strain of flu
, according to reports from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The news came within days of new guidelines from the Departments of Commerce, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security concerning the H1N1 flu. (Formerly known as "swine flu," the new strain of influenza is now being called H1N1 to avoid the misconception that you can catch it from pigs.)

Derrick Keel, 45, was experiencing fever, shortness of breath and a non-productive cough, when he admitted himself into the hospital in Madison County, Ill., last Sunday. Keel had driven through several states prior to being hospitalized, according to the newspaper. His condition worsened, despite treatment, and he died in the hospital's intensive care unit on Wednesday.

The new federal guidelines concerning the H1N1 flu are designed to help employers identify actions and institute policies that will reduce absenteeism, control the spread of disease and allow for business continuity in the case of a pandemic outbreak.

In the new report, the Centers for Disease Control encourages employees with flu-like symptoms to stay home from work. The CDC also addresses how to operate with reduced staffing.

For more information on the new guidelines, visit flu.gov.

To access the Department of Homeland Security's pandemic guidelines for the shipping sector, click here.