The official cause of death of 45-year-old Deborah Spangler of Renfrew, Butler County, on Sept. 10 was the H1N1 virus with complications of a bacterial infection, former Allegheny County coroner Dr. Cyril Wecht said today.

Dr. Wecht, who did a private autopsy at the request of the family, talked about Mrs. Spangler's death during a joint news briefing with Allegheny County Health Department Director Bruce Dixon about various aspects of H1N1, also known as swine flu.

"This is a 45-year-old woman in perfectly good health. And that is the significance of this case -- that a healthy person with no predisposing conditions such as a chronic respiratory problem, a heart problem, or a woman who was pregnant . . . that this can occur and can lead to death," Dr. Wecht said.

Dr. Wecht said that there has been a degree of avoiding the Spangler family in their home town, a reaction that is "unfair" and has no scientific basis.

He said Mrs. Spangler's widower and two grown child have not contracted H1N1.

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.