Henry Masters, a student in the master's of public health program at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, passed away this weekend after testing positive for the H1N1 virus. Masters had a chronic autoimmune disorder that College President Jim Yong Kim said in a campus-wide e-mail Monday afternoon was the "underlying cause" of his death.
Masters was admitted to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center last week, according to an e-mail Karen Tombs, TDI academic programs administrator, sent to TDI faculty, students and staff Sunday morning.
Master's health later worsened due to "serious complications," Tombs said in her e-mail.
Although the number of swine flu cases at the College has declined over the past few weeks, students are still being diagnosed with H1N1. Fifty percent of a sample of those tested were positive for the H1N1 influenza A strain, according to director of health services Jack Turco's latest update on the epidemic.
The New Hampshire Union Leader reported earlier today that two more people had died from complications due to swine flu in the state last week, bringing the total number of deaths related to H1N1 in New Hampshire to five.
This is a breaking news update. More information will be added as it becomes available.