Heat a factor in 4 more Maryland deaths

Four more deaths in Maryland have been linked to the summer's hot weather, Maryland health officials said Tuesday. The state's total for the year is now 25.

Three deaths occurred in Baltimore between Aug. 2 and 8. Two — a man and a woman — were aged 65 or older. A third was a middle-aged woman. All three had underlying illnesses that made them more vulnerable to the heat, according to the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

The fourth death involved a middle-aged man who died in mid-July. DHMH spokeswoman Karen Black said a state medical examiner found no underlying illness. The man's death was only recently confirmed as being heat-related.

Health officials said 244 Marylanders went to hospitals last week complaining of heat-related illnesses. That was down from 478 the previous week.

Last summer, the hottest on record for Baltimore, health authorities reported 32 heat-related deaths in Maryland.

Frank.roylance@baltsun.com

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