A 26-year-old Mission woman passed away over the weekend, and the H1N1 virus is the suspected cause.

Ashley Miller, the mother of a one-year-old daughter, was sick for approximately a week, and hospitalized in Mission when she took a turn for the worse on Sunday. She was transferred to the Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre, where she died.

Friends said the woman had no underlying medical conditions, and was healthy and fit.

The Fraser Health Authority would not comment on the case, and the B.C. Centre for Disease Control was still waiting on laboratory results to confirm the case was H1N1 at press time on Wednesday.

So far in the Fraser Health region, there have been three deaths attributed to the H1N1 virus, and 31 people have been hospitalized. Province-wide, there have been 78 hospitalizations and seven deaths.

Dr. Gillian Arsenault, medical health officer for Fraser Health, said doctors are seeing an increasing number of patients exhibiting symptoms that could be H1N1 flu.

“You really want medical advice if you’re sick as a dog, or if you’re not that sick but you’re getting worse fast,” she said.

She said shortness of breath or “anything that suggests lung involvement,” should also motivate a patient to seek medical attention.

She noted that recent data shows that approximately half of patients exhibiting flu symptoms may not have H1N1, but rather a virus that is one of “the usual suspects.”

She said the numbers are expected to increase.

“We’re just starting.”

She said covering coughs and sneezes with the upper arm is a key way to keep the pandemic from spreading, along with frequent hand washing.

“If you’re sick stay home,” she advises.

“Panicking is not going to help us,” she said. But look at it, and say, ‘I don’t want to get this virus. How can I avoid it?’ ”

People with health conditions like diabetes or heart problems, or pregnant women should consult their doctor if they get a flu, to determine a plan to attack the virus.