GENEVA, Nov 18 (AFP) - Switzerland reported its first death from pandemic flu on Wednesday, after a young baby died in the north of the country, Swiss health authorities said.

The victim was "an infant in the canton Basel country, whose death was attributed to H1N1 influenza," a spokeswoman for the Swiss Interior Ministry, which is responsible for health matters, told AFP.

"It's the first case in Switzerland," she added.

A vaccination campaign against swine flu started last week in Switzerland, as health authorities reported a surge in cases.