HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- The Cabell-Huntington Health Department says a 51-year-old man has died of swine flu at a local hospital.

The health department says the man, who was from Kanawha County, had an underlying medical condition.

The victim's son, Brandon Bloomfield, tells WSAZ.com that his father, Michael Bloomfield, began feeling ill last week. He had been on life support since Saturday and died Thursday night.

Brandon says Michael worked as a registered nurse in the ER at St. Mary's Medical Center in Huntington. He's been there a little less than a year, and previously worked as a nurse at CAMC in Charleston.

Brandon says his father was a long-time piano player with the Gospel Harmony Boys.

St. Mary's issued a brief statement Friday afternoon:
"St. Mary's is referring all questions about this matter to the Cabell Huntington Health Department as the lead agency on flu information."

Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for updated information.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- While he referred to Michael Bloomfield's death as "tragic," Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, said it was only a matter of time before the state's first documented fatal case of swine flu.

On Friday, Dr. Gupta held a news conference to address swine flu concerns in the Kanawha Valley. He says he expects more deaths from the virus and that swine flu cases will increase in February and March.

He recommends everyone get their swine-flu shot as soon as they become available next month and to learn about the virus.

"This is not a time to panic," Dr. Gupta said. "It's a time to get up and learn as much you can methods to prevent H1n1 and the flu."

Dr. Gupta says the best way to stop the spread of the virus is to stay at home when you’re sick.

Next week, community leaders in Kanawha County will gather to discuss the swine-flu virus. They plan to work on a swine-flu action plan.

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