Chronic Ontario health officials say the province’s first fatal influenza A (H1N1), also known as swine flu, case had an unspecified chronic medical condition.
The unidentified 44-year-old man died at home in Toronto Saturday, and lab testing the next day confirmed he had been infected with the new H1N1 flu virus.
The death is the second in Canada linked to the virus; earlier this month, a woman in Alberta died after being infected.
People with some chronic medical conditions such as heart disease and obesity appear to be at greater risk of dying from swine flu if they catch it.
A statement from the acting chief medical officer of health, Dr. David Williams, said it isn’t clear what role swine flu played in the man’s death, which is being investigated by the provincial coroner.
Williams said there have been 58 new confirmed cases of H1N1 in Ontario since last Friday, bringing the total number in the province to 352.
