Woman dies from flu amid spike in respiratory illnesses. What to know, how to stay safe
A woman died from the flu recently amid an increase in respiratory illnesses, according to a Southwest District Health news release. Southwest District Health serves Adams, Canyon, Gem, Owyhee, Payette and Washington counties.
In particular, health districts and hospitals are seeing more flu and pertussis, known as whooping cough.
“This marks the eighth flu death in the state this season,” according to the news release. “Now is the time to take precautions and understand how you can prevent becoming ill and how to protect others in your family if you do become ill.”
Those precautions include getting vaccinated, covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands and avoiding close contact with sick people. If you do get the flu, you can talk to your doctor about antiviral drugs in the early stages of illness.
In 2024, Southwest District Health had 241 cases of Pertussis, up from three in 2023, said Southwest District Health Public Information Officer Monique Evancic. There are still some cases under investigation, so the number of cases for 2024 might increase.
Flu is the main respiratory virus in the area and is “very prevalent”, said Brian Kitamura, the Saint Alphonsus emergency medicine medical director. The emergency department is seeing an uptick in the flu, he said.
“Symptoms can vary from person to person but this year we are seeing high fevers, generalized weakness, significant cough, and difficulty breathing,” Kitamura told the Statesman.
Saint Alphonsus is still seeing some sporadic RSV cases and typical COVID cases for this time of year, Kitamura said. There is an uptick in pertussis, but it’s still uncommon, he said.
A Central District Health spokesperson shared data showing an increase in pertussis and pointed the Statesman to a wastewater dashboard, which showed a spike in flu for Ada County.
This story was originally published January 4, 2025 at 1:02 PM.
