NJ Reports First Swine Flu Death

Swine flu has claimed its first New Jersey fatality.

The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services said the 49-year-old Essex County man had "multiple underlying medical conditions."  The victim, who has not been identified, died Saturday at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair. 

Last week, health officials said the number of swine flu cases in New Jersey could soon top 300. There were 226 confirmed cases and 95 probable cases that are awaiting confirmatory testing. There are reported cases in 18 of the state's 21 counties.

In New York, swine flu has been linked to at least 15 deaths, including that of an 11-year-old girl in Brooklyn last week.

Nationwide, more than 13,000 confirmed and probable cases have been reported to the federal Centers for Disease Control.