Updated: 11/04/2009 6:18 PM KSTP.com | Print |  Email

4 More Flu Deaths in Minn., 3 Confirmed H1N1

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota health officials are reporting three more deaths from swine flu and another death from a flu-like illness that wasn't confirmed as H1N1.

Health Department officials say the three confirmed victims all had underlying health conditions.

Health officials didn't provide names or genders of the victims, but they were a Hennepin County resident in their 50s, a Fillmore County resident in their 20s and a Winona County resident in their 70s.

The deaths brings the total number of Minnesotans who have died from H1N1 to 15.

The fourth death was an "older adult" who died of the flu, but there wasn't a sample available to test and confirm what type of flu.

The health department also reported H1N1 outbreaks at two Minnesota nursing homes, one in Hennepin county and one in Stearns county.

Health department official John Stine said, "These are the first reports of illness in long-term care facilities so you can't say there's a trend when they're the first reports. It will depend on what we see in coming weeks how we'll characterize that."

Also, state health officials say they are making plans to vaccinate young children in schools throughout the state in a few weeks, but only if they get enough vaccine and with parents' consent.

Health officials said last week 137 schools reported flu outbreaks, that is down from 288 the week before.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)