The first human death from a new strain of pig flu was reported Friday by state health officials in Ohio.

Federal health officials confirmed the death of a 61-year-old Ohio woman and said 14 other victims had been hospitalized by the new strain.

Also, in a shift, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conceded that there had been “limited person-to-person spread of this virus.” As recently as three weeks ago, the agency insisted that all known cases had been caused by contact with pigs.

The Ohio woman had had direct contact with pigs at the Ross County Fair before falling ill, the Ohio Department of Health said. She also had other unspecified health problems that might have contributed to her death.