Toronto H1N1 flu-related death probed

TORONTO, May 26 (UPI) -- A 44-year-old Toronto man with undisclosed pre-existing medical conditions who died last weekend tested positive for the H1N1 flu virus, medical officials said.

Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David Williams, told a news conference autopsy results would be needed to determine if the virus originally named swine flu played a role in the man's death, the Toronto Sun reported Tuesday.

Williams said the east-end man's condition took a sudden bad turn at his home Saturday, and paramedics were unable to resuscitate him.

His was the second H1N1-related death in Canada since April, when a northern Alberta woman, also with pre-existing medical problems, died. Her autopsy results couldn't conclude whether the flu virus killed her, the Sun said.

The World Health Organization said Monday Canada is second only to Mexico in reporting new cases of the flu.

More than 11,000 people in 46 countries have contracted the virus and 91 people have died, 80 of them in Mexico, the Toronto Star said.