Health Dept.: Wash. lab-confirmed flu deaths at 34

February 7, 2013 @ 9:03 pm

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - The Washington state Health Department says the state has had 34 lab-confirmed flu deaths so far this flu season.

Agency spokesman Donn Moyer says that figure covers confirmed deaths through Wednesday. The total is up from 28 last week.

The Snohomish Health District north of Seattle says the Jan. 24 death of an Everett man in his 90s has been confirmed as a flu death.

Elsewhere, Thurston County's health officer Dr. Diana Yu says a 23-year-old woman who died at the end of January tested positive for Influenza B. Yu says that flu strain rarely causes death. The Olympian reported Thursday that the woman likely died of flu complications such as secondary pneumonia. Yu says the county coroner will determine the official cause of death.

The state Health Department says there were 18 flu deaths in 2011-2012 and 36 the previous year. The most state flu deaths in recent years were 98 in the swine flu season of 2009-2010.


(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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  • Sir Wesley wrote...
    Flu Outbreak
    January 11, 2013 9:31 am
    When is the media going to ask the simple question of those who are sick. Did you get a flu shot? Chances are the answer is NO! Excuse me but I have little or no sympathy for someone who did not get a flu shot and then got sick because THEY DID NOT GET A FLU SHOT! Makes me want to scream!
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