Allegheny County Reports First Flu Death Of The Year

PITTSBURGH, PA - The first flu death of the year has occurred in Allegheny County. The victim was a 90-year-0old man with underlying medical conditions, according to the county health department.

“We have seen a larger number of flu cases this year compared to last year at this time, particularly Type B flu," health department epidemiologist Dr. Kristen Mertz said in a statement. "Despite the increase in overall cases, less than 1 percent of reported flu cases resulted in hospitalizations. It’s still too early this flu season to make any predictions or speculate what’s to come.

Mertz said it's still too early in the flu season to predict how severe the outbreak might be. She advised that it's not too late to get a flu shot, which she said is the best way to combat it.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Allegheny County by far has had the most influenza cases in the state this flu season, which began Sept. 29. As of Jan. 4, 5,174 cases had been reported; Montgomery County in eastern Pennsylvania ranked second with 1,454 reported cases.