Panaji, Sep 5 (IANS): After two people died of swine flu in Goa, the health department here said Saturday that the patients were "imported" from Karnataka.

A 31-year-old man from Ankola in Karnataka died of swine flu Friday at a hospital in Goa. This was the second death from the H1N1 virus in this state.

"This second case is also an imported death. The patient contracted the virus in Karnataka but expired in Goa where he was admitted for treatment," state swine flu officer Jose de Sa told IANS.

He said four H1N1 positive cases were reported in Goa Friday.

The first swine flu death was reported in Goa Aug 1. The Directorate of Health Services (DHS) in a letter to the union health ministry had said the death was wrongly attributed to Goa. The patient who died in a Goa hospital was originally from Karnataka.

The letter addressed to the Emergency Medical Relief Control room in the union heath ministry has been signed by DHS chief Rajnanda Desai.

"As per epidemiological classification, the death has to be attributed to Karwar in Karnataka because of the transmission of the virus took place there. Technically it becomes an imported case," de Sa said.