Two dead and five hospitalized after mystery respiratory illness hits south Alabama

Two people have died and five others have been hospitalized by a mysterious respiratory illness in southeast Alabama, state health officials said on Tuesday.

All seven adults had been admitted to hospitals with symptoms including fever, cough and shortness of breath in recent weeks, said Alabama Department of Public Health spokeswoman Mary McIntyre.

McIntyre said it's unclear what's causing the illness but some of the seven patients also had the flu.

So far, one sample has tested positive for H1N1 influenza A, but it's not clear that that is behind the unusual illnesses.

There's no evidence of other kinds of flu, including the H7N9 strain that has caused illness and death in China, McIntyre said.

'At this point it's too early to tell,' McIntyre told NBC News. 'That's why we called it a respiratory illness of unknown origin.'

There's no evidence that any of the victims had a connection or traveled outside the country, which would have put them at risk for unusual pathogens, including a deadly new coronavirus recently christened MERS or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome.

Authorities are urging hospital staff to wear masks when caring for patients who appear to be suffering from respiratory illnesses.

Laboratory samples have been sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but testing results are not yet available, officials said.

McIntyre says officials hope to have preliminary results on the samples back by Wednesday or Thursday moing.

The illness was first reported late last week and the last of the seven patients was hospitalized Monday, McIntyre said.

It wasn't immediately clear which municipalities the illnesses were concentrated in.

State and federal health officials are continuing to investigate.