Australia's official A/H1N1 flu death toll rose to four on Friday following the death of a 71-year-old Melbourne woman from the virus.
The woman's death was notified to the health department late on Thursday night, Victoria's acting chief health officer Rosemary Lester said.
Her family requested that no details of her medical history be released.
Lester said A/H1N1 flu is generally mild, but can affect those with pre-existing medical conditions.
"It is important to remember that in the vast majority of cases, A/H1N1 flu is a mild illness which many people recover from without any medical treatment," she said in a statement.
"However, we know that for people with chronic medical conditions, influenza can be severe."
She advised high risk people, including those who are pregnant, have respiratory disease such as asthma, heart disease, diabetes, renal disease or obesity, should see their doctor if they have flu symptoms.
Victoria recorded 1,509 diagnosed cases of the virus, with many milder cases in the community that have not been tested, Lester revealed.
(Xinhua News Agency June 26, 2009)
