PROVIDENCE — Saying that swine flu is now “widespread” in Rhode Island, state health officials Tuesday announced the second confirmed death from the virus.

A woman who had underlying health conditions that increased her risk for serious illness died of the H1N1 virus in an area hospital on July 3. Health officials declined to offer many details, citing privacy concerns, but described the woman as between 40 and 60 years of age, and a resident of Providence County.

“Sadly, we have the second death of a Rhode Island resident from illness associated with H1N1,” Dr. David R. Gifford, the state health director, said. “This is a reminder that H1N1 is in Rhode Island and continues to spread.”

Gifford said that while most reported cases are mild, people with underlying medical conditions such as heart or lung disease, diabetes, immunosuppression or pregnancy are at risk for contracting a more serious case.

A teenage girl from Kent County who attended the Meeting Street School, a school for students with special needs, died June 14 in Hasbro Children’s Hospital. Health officials said the girl also had underlying medical conditions that put her at risk.

Statewide, the Health Department says, there are 172 confirmed cases of infection, 58 of them requiring hospitalization. But those numbers do not tell the whole story, said Dr. Robert Crausman, chief of infectious disease and epidemiology at the Rhode Island Department of Health.

“If you’ve got flu symptoms right now — sore throat and fever — you’ve probably got H1N1,” Crausman said. “Pretty much everyone we are testing for flu has swine flu. We need to remind people this is a worldwide pandemic and our expectation is this will be with us for the rest of the year.”

In a typical winter flu season, about 150 to 200 Rhode Islanders die, many of whom are elderly and have underlying health conditions, Crausman said. Nationally, about 30,000 Americans die each winter from influenza.

“We are planning now for what the vaccine program will be,” Crausman said. “Nationally and internationally, it’s spreading. We are fortunate that so far it seems to be mild in most cases.”

Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report 33,902 cases of swine flu and 170 deaths since the virus first emerged, in April. More than 70 countries have reported cases of the H1N1 virus, according to the CDC. The World Health Organization classified the outbreak as a pandemic on June 11.

The state Health Department encourages residents to take these steps to prevent getting the illness:

•Wash hands frequently with soap and warm water, or with alcohol-based hand gels when water is not available.

•Cough and sneeze into your elbow.

•Anyone sick with influenza-like illness — fever plus cough or sore throat — should stay at home for 7 days after symptoms begin or until symptoms have stopped for 24 hours, whichever is longer.

For updated information: http://www.health.ri.gov or call (401) 222-8022, Monday-Friday, 8:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

For more information on the virus: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

jjordan@projo.com