Season's First Flu Death Confirmed In Central Iowa

DES MOINES, IA — An elderly central Iowa man was confirmed this week to be Iowa's first fatality of the 2017-18 flu season, according to state health officials. The specific community for the resident was not reported, but the man who died this month was 81 years or older, the classification for elderly by the Iowa Department of Public Health.

"This death is an unfortunate reminder the flu virus does have the potential to cause severe illness and death, especially in the very young, very old, or those who have underlying health conditions," said Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, the department's medical director, in a news release on the department's website.

The Centers for Disease Control recommends a flu vaccine for most everyone over 6 months old and adds that it takes up to two weeks after vaccination for the body to achieve full benefit against the flu virus.

The flu is a respiratory illness caused by viruses. The flu comes on suddenly and symptoms may include fever, headache, tiredness, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion and body aches. Illness typically lasts two to seven days, and often puts healthy people in bed for days.

The "stomach bug" that causes diarrhea and vomiting is not caused by the influenza virus, the state health department said, but usually by norovirus; thus, the flu vaccine will not protect against that illness.

Flu reports, weekly statistics and general information can be found on the health department's website. To find the location of flu vaccine sites, go to vaccinefinder.org.

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