Minnesota's 2014-2015 flu outbreak has claimed a fifth child, state health authorities said Wednesday, a reminder of the toll of an influenza season that is fading but not finished.
Other flu indicators continued to decline last week — hospitalizations and outbreaks in nursing homes and schools peaked weeks ago — according to the Minnesota Department of Health's weekly update. But the death marks a season that was harsh and widespread early in the winter, with outbreaks that closed several schools around the state in December.
"We definitely got hit pretty hard in Minnesota," said Karen Martin, an epidemiologist with the Health Department, "and we did get hit very fast."
The department did not identify the latest victim, say whether other medical conditions came into play or specify when the death occurred. Such deaths are often reported by the state days or even weeks after they have occurred because it takes time to conduct autopsies, review test results and confirm that flu was involved.
Seasonal flu kills thousands of Americans each year, but deaths usually are most common among the elderly and infirm.
Typical of winter flu seasons, a B strain of the virus has emerged late and is now commonly the cause of influenza infections. Unlike the A strain that circulated earlier, the B strain is well-matched to this year's vaccine.
As a result, Martin said that it's not too late to get a shot and that flu cases will linger for a couple of months.
Minnesota has reported a disproportionate number of child flu deaths so far this year, considering that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 69 nationwide, but the reasons for that are unclear.
