Belgrade - Serbian health officials reported the country's first death from swine flu after a 46-year old woman succumbed to the illness.

The woman, suffering from respiratory problems, arrived in critical condition at a hospital in Kragujevac, central Serbia, on October 5. The woman was placed in intensive care and on a respirator.

Her condition, complicated by pneumonia, deteriorated, and she died Wednesday afternoon, doctors at the hospital told local media.

There are some 200 registered cases of H1N1 in Serbia. With the arrival of winter, experts are expecting an epidemic, with between 2 to 3 million cases of varying severity. (dpa)