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The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has confirmed three additional deaths in relation to the 2009 H1N1 flu virus outbreak.

The total deaths in Kansas related to the virus now stands at 12.

The three deaths occurred to a 52-year-old woman from Wichita, a 39-year-old man from the Kansas City metro area and a 51-year-old from the Topeka area.

None of the victims had any previous underlying health conditions that made them more vulnerable to complications of the H1N1 flu.

“These deaths underscore the importance of doing everything that we can to protect ourselves and each other from H1N1,”said Dr. Jason Eberhart-Phillips, Kansas State Health Officer. “Besides vaccination and other preventive measures like frequent and thorough hand washing and properly covering coughs and sneezes, there are other steps that we can all take to significantly reduce our risk of catching and spreading flu viruses.”