North Idaho woman dies of flu

Panhandle Health District, which covers Idaho’s five northern counties, is reporting the season’s first flu death.

A woman over age 50 living somewhere in Idaho’s five northern counties died from the flu this month, said Cynthia Taggart, district spokeswoman. Flu was the cause listed on her death certificate, filed with the state Department of Health and Welfare.

Last season’s first flu death in Idaho was in February, the district said in a news release.

“This is really early,” Taggart said. “This is a really sad reminder that you have to get flu shots, wash your hands” and take other steps to avoid exposure.

Because the flu is not a reportable illness in Idaho or Washington, tracking its effects is difficult, health district officials in both states said. Reportable illnesses are communicable diseases that pose a public health threat; physicians are required to report them when they’re diagnosed.

The Spokane Regional Health District has not received any reports of deaths from the flu in the Spokane region this flu season, said Julie Graham, district spokeswoman.

“It’s been a frustration for public health for some time that we don’t really have a better method to know when flu first arrives, because we don’t have any monitoring systems,” Graham said. “It’s difficult to tease out what is flu and what is a cold.”

Last year, Idaho had nine deaths from the flu, one of which was in the five northern counties, Taggart said. Flu season nationwide stretches from October to May, she said, and peaks in North Idaho in January and early February. Despite the October death, Taggart said, health district personnel have not had early or excessive concern about this flu season.

Spokane County saw 84 deaths from influenza or pneumonia in 2006, the most recent year for which information was available. The causes are listed jointly because the flu frequently leads to pneumonia, Graham said. Those deaths were among 810 statewide from that cause in 2006.

Nationwide, seasonal flu contributes to the deaths of 36,000 and the hospitalizations of 200,000 people every year, the Panhandle Health news release said.

National recommendations call for children six months and older to receive a flu vaccine, Graham said, noting that the flu contributed to the deaths of 83 children nationwide last year. Flu vaccines also are recommended for people over the age of 50, those with chronic health conditions, pregnant women, people living in nursing homes and people who have regular contact with any of these groups, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Washington has provided a large supply of flu vaccine through a state program for children’s vaccinations, Graham said. Those vaccines are offered free at many doctors’ offices, she said.

“Young, healthy children can be hit very hard by the flu,” Graham said. “The majority of the children who died last year wouldn’t have been determined to be at high risk for the flu.”