Severe Flu Season Blamed for More Child Deaths
Posted on: Wednesday, 3 December 2003, 06:00 CST
DENVER (AP) -- Two more Colorado children have died from the flu, raising the statewide total to at least five in an early outbreak that could be a sign of a severe flu season for the country, health officials said.
The number of confirmed flu cases in Colorado has grown to more than 6,300, health officials said Wednesday - just over than the number from the last two seasons combined. The flu season normally peaks in January and February and runs through April.
The latest victims were a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old from the Denver suburb of Thornton who died Sunday and Monday, state health officials said.
Hospitals and county coroners have reported six flu-related deaths, but state officials said they had only confirmed five and were investigating a sixth. All six were children, ranging from 21 months to 15 years old.
Health officials have said this could be an especially bad flu season nationwide, with some parts of the country - particularly Colorado, Texas and Nevada - hit hard a month earlier than usual.
During last year's flu season, which was mild, two children in the state died of influenza. In the 2000-2001 season, two children also died.
"Obviously, the number exceeds (the norm), and the season is not over," said Dr. Ken Gershman, chief of the communicable disease program at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Influenza researchers say this year they expect the death toll nationwide from flu-related complications to surpass the average of 36,000. The majority of flu deaths are among the elderly.
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