HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — State and local health officials say West Virginia has recorded its first swine flu-related death.

Cabell-Huntington Health Department Director Dr. Harry Tweel said a 51-year-old Kanawha County man died Thursday night at a Huntington-area hospital.

Tweel said he could not identify the man, but added that he had underlying medical conditions.

Tweel said the state’s laboratory confirmed the man had the H1N1 virus.

Department of Health and Human Resources spokesman John Law confirmed that the man’s death is the first swine flu-related death in West Virginia.

Law said the DHHR will work with local health departments to urge residents to wash their hands frequently and cover when sneezing and coughing.