Bangalore, Aug 13 - A 26-year-old school teacher, who died Wednesday at the St. Philomena Hospital here, was Thursday declared by health authorities as Karnataka's first swine flu victim, taking India's death toll to 19.

'Her throat and nasal swabs tests have confirmed that the patient was suffering from the H1N1 influenza virus,' hospital director Shankar Prasad told reporters.

The woman, identified only as Rupa, was admitted in the hospital Aug 7.

'The patient was admitted with breathing problems coupled with pneumonia. Her condition started deteriorating Tuesday and she died Wednesday afternoon. We got the confirmation that the woman was suffering from swine flu only Wednesday night,' added Prasad.