H1N1 death reported in SE Kansas

The second death in Kansas of a person infected with the pandemic H1N1 influenza virus has been confirmed by state and local public health officials.

A 6-year-old child from Southeast Kansas has died from swine flu, the state's second death linked to the H1N1 virus. The illness was confirmed as H1N1 flu at the state public health laboratory on Aug. 25, and the child's death was reported to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Sept. 3.

KDHE provided no other details about the child.

On Aug. 6, KDHE reported that a middle-aged resident of Sedgwick County had died after contracting the virus. But that victim had a chronic medical condition, and swine flu may have been only a contributing factor.

According to the Associated Press, swine flu cases have been confirmed in 53 of the state's 105 counties since the first cases were reported in late April. Most have been mild.

Visits to healthcare providers and emergency departments for influenza, which are tracked by KDHE, have been increasing in certain regions of the state over the past few weeks and are higher nationally than what is typically seen this time of year. Hospitalization rates for H1N1 influenza have been similar to seasonal influenza, and are also higher nationally than what is typically seen this time of year, according to KDHE.