TACOMA — Health officials in Washington state say a second person with a confirmed case of swine flu has died.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department said a Pierce County woman in her 20s died Friday after being hospitalized since May 21. Spokeswoman Pam Cowley says the woman “did have one underlying health condition that put her at higher risk” but adds “we believe she died of complications from swine flu.” Cowley declined to discuss the woman’s risk factor because of privacy concerns.
The county Health Department notes the majority of swine flu cases have been mild to moderate and says the public is not at any elevated risk.
As of Friday, the Washington state Department of Health Web site lists two swine flu deaths and notes that 43 state residents have been hospitalized with the illness. A Snohomish County man in his 30s died May 6. Health officials said he had underlying heart conditions and viral pneumonia in addition to swine flu.
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