Two people in San Joaquin County died recently from the swine flu, public health officials reported today.

A 5-year-old girl from Stockton and a 34-year-old man from Lathrop died in the hospital from the pandemic virus sometime over the past couple of months, according to the San Joaquin County Department of Public Health.

The two are the first in the county to die from the disease, dubbed H1N1 by public health officials, and had pre-existing conditions that made them prone to catching the virus, officials said.

“We would like to convey our deepest sympathy to the family of both patients,” said county public health officer Karen Furst in a prepared statement.

Public health officials say the new H1N1 strain of the virus will greatly increase the public’s risk of catching the flu this fall and winter. While, the H1N1 strain of the virus is similar to normal influenza, more people will get sick with the flu this season because of the novelty of the virus and because swine flu affects a different demographic.

The seasonal flu typically sickens older people, while the swine flu seems to have a greater effect on people younger than 25, according to county health officials. Few deaths have been reported in people older than 64, which the department said is unusual for the common flu.

Still, pregnancy and an existing susceptibility to the seasonal flu can put people at risk of catching the H1N1 virus. Ailments that may make a person more vulnerable to the novel strain include kidney and heart disease, suppressed immune systems, asthma, diabetes and neurocognitive or neuromuscular disorders, health officials said.

Because the swine flu seems to target younger people and children, health officials are encouraging health care and emergency personnel to make sure they get vaccinated. Others who should get flu shots include anyone aged 6 months to 24 years, people between 25 and 64 with existing ailments, people who live with or care for babies younger than 6 months and pregnant women.

Vaccines are still being tested and might be available in October, Furst has said.

Swine flu is spread the same way seasonal flu gets around: Through coughing, sneezing and other contact with sick people. Symptoms are also similar, and include runny nose, fever, headache, body ache and diarrhea, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Health officials plan to work with schools and cities in the county to reduce the risk of the pandemic spreading and prevent any more fatalities from the illness.

The Tracy Unified School District sent letters home with parents asking they keep kids home from school if they show signs of flu symptoms, said Cynthia Edmiston, the top health official at the Tracy Unified School District. Information about the swine flu is also posted on the district’s Web site.

Edmiston said it’s safe to send kids back to school once they’ve been fever free for at least 24 hours without having to take medication.

The health department will also help local hospitals brace for a surge in patients should the flu become very widespread.

“It is our goal to make sure that our partners are equipped with the necessary tools to address this pandemic,” said health department spokeswoman Shené Bowie.

Some of those tools include vaccines and antiviral supplies, which the department will help distribute, Bowie said.

So far, roughly 354,000 cases have been reported worldwide and 2,270 deaths, according to Flutracker.com.

•Contact Tracy Press reporter Jennifer Wadsworth at 830-4225 or jwadsworth@tracypress.com.