BOSTON -- A 65-year-old Boston man is the first death linked to the H1N1 influenza in Boston this fall, the Boston Public Health Commission said Tuesday.

“It is with great sadness that we have learned of the death of a Boston resident from illness associated with H1N1,’’ said Barbara Ferrer, executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission. "While most cases of H1N1 in Boston and nationwide have been less severe, this news demonstrates how serious influenza can be."

The patient, who had multiple underlying health conditions, was hospitalized Oct. 14. He died Oct. 31.

The patient’s death is the fifth attributed to H1N1 influenza in Boston and the fourteenth in Massachusetts since the flu outbreak began in the spring.