Chinese teenager becomes 7th death from swine flu

BEIJING (AP) — State media reports that a 14-year-old student has died from swine flu in central China, raising the country's death toll to seven.

The student died Saturday in Changing city in central Hunan province after being hospitalized for a month, the official Xinhua News Agency said Monday, citing provincial health authorities.

As of last Friday, China's Health Ministry said there have been 44,981 cases of swine flu recorded on the mainland since the outbreak first began. The count does not include Macau or Hong Kong, which have separate health systems.

China has moved aggressively to vaccinate vulnerable groups, such as students, with the start of winter and flu season. On Friday, the health ministry said nearly 3,000 cases had been reported nationwide within a 48-hour period.