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GREENSBORO — A Guilford County man who died June 19 at Wesley Long Community Hospital tested positive for the H1N1 virus, the Moses Cone Health System reported Wednesday .

The victim had underlying health conditions. His death is the first in North Carolina linked to infection with the virus, known as swine flu.

Word of the death comes as the number of confirmed flu cases has increased in North Carolina and spread to more parts of the state.

As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, the state had 179 confirmed cases in 39 counties, health officials said. That’s the largest jump since the state began reporting weekly flu tallies, and it compares with 124 cases in 31 counties last week. The number of cases in Guilford County jumped from three to seven in the past week, state officials said.

“The confirmed cases are just the tip of the iceberg,” said Dr. Megan Davies , medical epidemiologist with the N.C. Division of Public Health. “We are seeing increased influenza activity throughout the state. (But) we cannot say how many people in Guilford County have it.”

The Guilford victim, who was not identified for privacy reasons, recently had an unspecified heart procedure at Moses Cone Hospital. He left in improving condition with no signs of influenza, according to a news release.

Several days later, he went to Wesley Long in critical condition with severe pneumonia. He died hours later in the intensive care unit.

The man’s family has been notified that he had H1N1. He was tested for the virus after he died.

Hospital officials said staff members who came in contact with the patient have been treated with Tamiflu .

“This is not related to the possible exposure of 33 infants in the neonatal intensive care unit of The Women’s Hospital of Greensboro ,” said Dr. Tim Lane, medical director of infection prevention services. “The individual did not have any contact with other patients or staff known to have the flu or flu symptoms.”

A respiratory therapist who unknowingly exposed the babies tested positive for the flu virus June 18.

None of the babies has developed symptoms of the flu, and nine have been discharged.

“As each day goes on from here, we will feel much more confident that the babies are not in jeopardy,” Lane said. “I feel we are out of the woods. (But) I will feel better (about that) late Friday .”

State health officials say younger patients seem to be more susceptible to the swine flu virus than the elderly.

Moses Cone Health System and doctors’ offices in Greensboro are seeing high numbers of people with flulike symptoms. Some turn out to be respiratory ailments and not the flu, doctors say.

“(Flu cases) just never went away,” said Dr. Chris Guest , medical director at Urgent Medical & Family Care at 102 Pomona Drive . “It may be an indicator that in the fall there may be a larger than usual number of flu cases.”

People who have flulike symptoms should stay home and avoid contact with others. They should treat suspected H1N1 as they would any traditional flu: with over-the-counter medications and a visit to their physician, if necessary.

Davies said the current outbreak marks the first summer flu epidemic in the state’s history.

“It’s having an impact on lots of summer activities like summer camps and vacation Bible schools,” Davies said. “Parents are having to relook at plans for (their) kids.”

State officials said seasonal flu causes 1,600 deaths in North Carolina annually. The last pandemic to hit the state was the Hong Kong flu of 1968-69 .

The swine flu outbreak has been milder than initial reports suggested, but Davies said the state’s first death linked to the virus should not come as a surprise.

“We were expecting that some people would be hospitalized and that some would die,” she said.

“That’s the case every year with influenza. ... I think it may cause the average person to pay more attention.”

Nationally, the death toll linked to the H1N1 virus stood at 87 as of Monday.

Contact Donald W. Patterson at 373-7027 or don.patterson@news-record.com