PROVIDENCE, R.I – A middle-aged Providence County woman is the second swine flu death in Rhode Island.
The state Department of Health said Tuesday that the woman had underlying medical conditions that increased her risk for serious illness from the flu. Her name, age, hometown and condition were not released.
Spokeswoman Annemarie Beardsworth says the woman was in the hospital and died over the weekend.
Director of Health David Gifford said most swine flu cases in Rhode Island are mild but people with conditions such as heart or lung disease, diabetes or pregnancy are at increased risk for more serious complications.
There have been 58 hospitalizations due to swine flu. A teenage girl from Kent County, who had been hospitalized and had underlying medical conditions, was the state's first swine flu death in June.
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