Mexican child is first swine flu death in U.S.

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A 23-month-old child has died in Texas from the new H1N1 swine flu, becoming the first death in the United States from the virus, a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official said on Wednesday.

A Houston health official said the child was a Mexican who travelled to the city for medical treatment.

It is the first death from swine flu reported outside Mexico, the country hardest hit by this influenza outbreak. U.S. officials have confirmed 65 cases of swine flu, most of them mild but with five hospitalizations in California and Texas.

"Unfortunately, this morning I do have to confirm that we have the first death of a child from H1N1 flu virus. And this is in Texas, a 23-month-old child," Dr. Richard Besser, acting head of the CDC, told the CBS "Early Show."

"The child came to Houston for medical treatment. The family had travelled to South Texas. The child became ill and they transported the child to Houston for medical care," Houston health department spokeswoman Kathy Barton told CNN by telephone.

She said she did not know which part of Mexico the child came from.

President Barack Obama, speaking at the White House before a one-day visit to Missouri, said the confirmed death underscored the urgency of taking steps against the disease.

"This is obviously a serious situation. Serious enough to take the utmost precautions," Obama said, urging state and local authorities to increase their vigilance.