Two more U.S. states on Thursday reported the first death of A/H1N1 flu in their respective state, reported Xinhua.
The Ohio Department of Health said in a news release on Thursday that a man in his 40s died on June 29 at Fort Hamilton Hospital in Hamilton is the first Ohioan to die of the A/H1N1 flu virus.
The man's name was not released, but health officials said he had underlying health problems that may have contributed to his death.
"Our hearts go out to this man's family and loved ones," said Alvin D. Jackson, director of the department. "This is sad, and not entirely unexpected. We continue to urge Ohioans to take proper precautions and will monitor the situation closely."
As of Thursday, Ohio had 108 confirmed and six probable A/H1N1 cases, according to local officials.
Earlier this week, the Hawaii state department of health confirmed that an Oahu woman in her late 60s is Hawaii's first fatality linked to the A/H1N1 flu virus.
The woman died on June 19 at Tripler Army Medical Center, the department said in a news release on Monday, adding that the A/H1N1 flu infection had contributed to underlying medical conditions that caused the death.
The department has confirmed 616 cases of the A/H1N1 flu since May 5. Of these cases, all but three have recovered or are recovering at home with no complications, officials said.
The department said it continues to identify cases of A/H1N1 flu circulating in communities, and focus is now on five priority groups ---- severe cases, individuals with high-risk conditions, individuals in high risk occupations such as health care workers engaged in direct patient care, travelers, and individuals that are part of an outbreak investigation.
Nationwide, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday reported on its website there have been 170 deaths of A/H1N1 flu in 23 states, not including the first death in Ohio and Hawaii.
Local officials explained that, due to reporting schedules, state death and case counts usually will be higher and more current than those on the CDC website.