Dr. Richard Musto, medical officer of health for Calgary and area, speaks to reporters on Thursday. (CBC)

A young woman with no pre-existing health issues has been confirmed as Calgary's first death linked to the H1N1 flu.

The victim, who was not named, had been sick for about two weeks before she was admitted to a Calgary hospital on June 29, said Dr. Richard Musto, medical officer of health for Calgary and area, on Thursday.

Tests confirmed she had swine flu on June 30, and she died Wednesday night, he said.

"That's our assumption, that swine flu was a major contribution to her death," Musto told reporters.

"We're not exactly sure where she contracted it, but there's no travel history that's relevant."

Musto did not name the hospital to which the woman was admitted but said that regular procedures were followed to "effectively protect other patients and staff."

'This is a global epidemic; most people will only have mild illness.'—Dr. Richard Musto, medical officer of health

The death is the third in Alberta that's been linked to swine flu. Two women with pre-existing medical conditions — one in the Edmonton area and one in northern Alberta — were the other cases.

Alberta has registered more than 1,100 cases of swine flu since the influenza outbreak began in Mexico in March.

"This is a global epidemic; most people will only have mild illness," he said.

The majority of people who contract the virus — which comes with flu-like symptoms including fever, lethargy and coughing — recover, said Musto.

"Generally, the complication that occurs is pneumonia and respiratory failure," he said.

Not connected to children's hospital cases

Officials said the death is not connected to an outbreak this week at the Alberta Children's Hospital, when two patients and a staff member were diagnosed with the H1N1 flu. A unit on the hospital's third floor was isolated to prevent the flu's spread.

The patients were isolated in their private rooms on the weekend when they became symptomatic, and the staff member stayed at home upon becoming ill, said Musto.

Ted Woynillowicz of Friends of Medicare in Calgary questioned why officials publicized the children's hospital while the facility where the woman was treated was not named.

"I think there's kind of a lack of consistency. And I think it should be publicized if it affects the public in some way," he said.

Every year 4,000 Canadians die from the flu and a high percentage of them have underlying conditions that play a large part in making them susceptible to serious consequences when they get the flu, he said.