The New Jersey Department of Health and Human Services confirmed the state's first death from swine flu this afternoon.

The 49-year-old Essex County man died at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair. According to a release from the health department, he became ill with fever and respiratory symptoms on May 30, and was hospitalized on June 2 with pneumonia. His illness then worsened. The patient had multiple underlying medical conditions (swine flu is not deadly by itself, but can be life-threatening for people with asthma, diabetes and other health conditions).

Read the release here.