AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- The sister of a University of Texas employee who died of the H1N1 flu last month has also succumbed to the virus, Texas health officials say.
The death of Sylvia Duran is the fourth attributed to the so-called swine flu in Travis County, the Austin (Texas) American Statesmen reported Friday.
Duran, 35, and her sister, Linda Duran, 42, both had underlying health problems.
Spokeswoman Carole Barasch of the state Health Department says Sylvia Duran was morbidly obese, which preliminary studies suggest may increase the risk of hospitalization and death in people with the H1N1 virus.
"Patients with morbid obesity, and perhaps obesity, often have underlying conditions that put them at increased risk for complications, the U.S. Center for Disease Control says.
Linda Duran had diabetes, a condition that made her more susceptible to complications from the flu, a family members says.
