A 50-year-old Johnson County woman has died from swine flu, and she is the first person in the state to die from the virus who had no serious prior medical problems.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said the woman’s death was the seventh in the state to be confirmed as due to the swine flu virus. It came after more than a week of hospitalization.

“The death being reported today reminds us of the importance of taking this virus very seriously,” said Dr. Eberhart-Phillips, state health officer. “The H1N1 vaccine has started arriving in the state and it is important for Kansans to know that this is a safe and effective tool we have for fighting this virus. While supplies of the vaccine are very limited at this time, we will soon have sufficient quantities to start vaccinating larger groups, and I encourage Kansans to stay informed.”

The pandemic H1N1 virus is causing widespread illness throughout Kansas and the United States.

Visits to healthcare providers for influenza-like illness have been increasing in most regions of Kansas as well as throughout the United States during the past few weeks and are substantially higher than what is typically seen at this time of year.

Swine flu symptoms are similar to symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever greater than 100 degrees, body aches, coughing, sore throat, respiratory congestion, and in some cases, diarrhea and vomiting. Most people who have been ill with swine flu have recovered without medical treatment.