(VOVworld) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed Friday the first Zika-related death in Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States.

In this Feb. 24, 2016 photo, workers from the Puerto Rico Health Department and CDC review Zika related data collected by the island's health dept and the US CDC in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Photo: Danica Coto/ AP)

According to CDC, the man, in his 70s, died from internal bleeding caused by a rare immune reaction to the virus. The centers said that although Zika virus-associated deaths are rare, the first identified death in Puerto Rico highlights the possibility of severe cases, as well as the need for continued outreach to raise health care providers’ awareness of complications that might lead to severe disease or death.